Bechira Sorin is what we would call a "veteran" in the world of graphic design. He is 30 years old and displays impeccable skills in not only Photoshop but also in multimedia techniques. In this interview, we talk with Bechira's about his seamless blend of traditional and digital art, as well as his equipment. Some great advice is also given, so lets get started!
1. Welcome to Psdtuts+, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you're from and how you got started in the field?
Thank you for inviting me. My name is Sorin Bechira a 30 year old graphic/multimedia designer from Romania (a country from Eastern Europe). My road in this field started back in 1994 when I joined a computer programming oriented high school.
That was my first contact with the digital world, but since I didn’t like so much C++ programming and I was more attracted to colors and shapes, I started to study graphic design and multimedia techniques. Since then I always wanted to perfect my technical skills and creative thinking. Here is my portfolio.
2. Have you always been artistic from childhood? Or did it start to appear later in life?
Yes since I was a little child I was tempted to draw shapes on paper but mostly on my room walls. But my first contact with art was when I joined the Faculty of Arts from my city, in 2002 I think. I took drawing lessons in order to apply to the Faculty of Arts from my city. My art teacher was a brilliant teacher and in two years I managed to improve my drawing skills very much. That helped me a lot later in my career.
3. "The Palace who seeds evil" is a breathtaking scene you created for the latest Slashthree design pack. What was this experience like for you? And how did you create this stunning scene?
The idea came from the art pack theme: Order vs. Chaos and my inspiration was, of course, the Lord Of The Rings movie. I always wanted to create a castle in a lava environment, so it came out pretty easy. As for the technical description, I created a short making of in order to show you how I made it.
4. From painting to photo manipulation, how do you manage to blend so many different styles together into one consistent whole?
This is what I like to do. To combine various traditional or digital techniques in order to obtain great designs, illustrations, typography or digital matte paintings. This kind of thinking helped me to experiment with different mediums on various subjects.
In order to illustrate one idea, I don’t want to be limited by one specific technique, so I always try to stay sharp in almost every field of visual communication: designing experimental fonts, creating brand identities, creating experimental illustrations, digital matte paintings, compositing and motion graphics and some 3D basic skills that help me do the job.
5. Since you are also a matte painter, please tell us what type of tablet you use. Why did you purchase this specific one, and would you recommend it to others?
I have an old A6 format Wacom tablet. Yes it’s small and basic, but I can do the job with it, so I think any Wacom tablet will do the job. But if you have the money, I warmly recommend a Wacom Cintiq.
6. You are currently working as an art director for X3 Studios. What advice would you give to the younger artists who hope to be working for design studios one day?
I always tell them to look for a constructive critique and to learn how to accept a constructive critique or a second opinion in order to develop their visual and technical skills. In a design studio, it’s not necessary to be a one man show, but to have basic knowledge of almost all techniques in order to maintain a good and fluent communication between team members or different teams is a must.
7. What can we look for from you in the future? What projects will you be working on?
I will always look for experimental projects but you should expect for a wide range of works from typography to compositing. But this year I will try to focus more on compositing and motion graphics.
8. Thanks again for providing Psdtuts+ with this opportunity to interview you. Any final thoughts for our readers?
Thank you Psdtuts+ for giving me this opportunity. It’s a honor. As a final thought I will tell you my favorite motto: “Never stop experimenting. Be a perfectionist, be restless, but always be a dreamer.”
Where to find Bechira on the Web
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