David is an exceptional self taught freelance artist from Bern, Switzerland. He is one of the best illustrators with an incredible sense of detail and a very wide imagination.

Each of his artworks tells a story to your eyes and mind and you are completely astonished by his techniques that imply high skills and a very well trained level of combining elements.

David work express imaginary worlds, planets, future cities, fantastic scenery and above all the feeling that his mind dreams are projected for all of us to see and try to understand their story.

His creation was multiple awarded by magazines and reference websites. He was also featured in exhibitions, books and design websites. His portfolio website Microbot is also a mirror of David’s originality and showcase of his multiple talents.

Every illustration of David is like a puzzle with multiple pieces that must be combined with one goal: to reveal the extraordinary.

1.First of all I want to thank you for accepting to be interviewed by Indeziner. Tell us a little about yourself? When did you start drawing and how were your early days in this amazing world of art?

Thanks and no problem. I always liked drawing and painting as a kid so i often painted Disney characters back then. I also enjoyed videogames. I basically grew up with computers started with an msx from 1985 and I’m born that year so since i can think i was surrounded by computer technology. Computers where getting more popular in the 90′s in Europe so I knew I wanted to work with one from an early stage. I started coding once we got an 486 IBM around 1995. I wanted to code my own games. I tried creating all by myself that’s why I got into design/painting etc. at all. It seems I was more attracted of the design. It was at a time the internet formed and graphics there was at its early stage. Lots of pixel isometric stuff back then I used to love. Sometime later when the web got more popular and 3d programs where affordable there used to be some kind of abstract 3d art which impressed me and got me into Photoshop for real. I spent nights and days 24/7 in my small room learning those programs. Later some years ago I got myself back to the basics and started with painting.

Bot world

2. How is a typical day from your life? (both work and free time)

At the moment I get up around 2 pm and go sleep around 4 or 6am. I mostly work in the weekends too. There is not much difference for me in free time or work time. I work when I feel to. If i don’t have a client job to do I work on personal stuff or just play some video games and relax.

3. Your artwork is incredibly detailed, full of symbols and one thing that we can see about you as a person is that other then huge talent and skills you also have an amazing imagination. Where do all your ideas come from? A movie, a happening, a TV news or an excerpt of a book for example?

Thanks, there are a lot of things. Back when I started I just used it as some kind of expression. I used to do more of abstract things so things where just random. Nowadays things are more defined. I have a lot of inspiration from old Disney movies and my childhood in general. I seriously miss the time being a kid.
Also there are a lot of movies which inspired me. The fountain is the last one which really touched me. Poetrie, physics, quantum physics, and science in general is a big inspiration. I don’t watch TV news. I think TV and its media is evil!

Planet Aden

4. One thing I noticed regarding your creation was that you seem to be attracted by Universe and surreal things. Do you read science fiction books or do you have any other strong hobbies that reflect into your work?

As a? kid I wanted to become an astronaut and explore the universe. Good old kid dreams. I love science ficition and ufo/alien kind of stuff. I used to be a huge x files fan back in the 90′s. Otherwise I still play videogames as much as I can. I’m a fan of the Halo series including halo wars. I love startegic games aswell. Started to play Starcraft 2 some days ago. Gaming in general is a huge influence.

Blue Moon

5. How much time does it take for you to complete a piece of art? To be more specific for example how much time took you to complete Drug Free Zone. Can you explain us a little how do you prepare yourself before starting on a new project? You know from start how will look mostly or you start with an idea and work on it by adding new inspiration on the way?

I’ve got a main idea in the beginning that’s why I use to start any new illustration. Otherwise its just doodling around, sketching and then you get some ideas. Overall most of my illustrations forms during time, I don’t do line sketches. The progress for an personal illustration like drug free zone can take some months. I don’t like to work in one thing only 24/7. I usually have several illustration that I work on at a time.

Drug Free Zone

6. What was the most difficult thing you have done till now (biggest challenge you achieved)?

I don’t know. If there is something I think I’ m not able to do I don’t do it. Not that I wont take any challenges. It is always good to have challenges. I’m proud of several stuff in a few of my works and less proud about some others. For example in the planet blue moon I redone the little city on the top right 3 times until i really nailed it. I’ m proud how i matched the perspective.

Dinosaur City

7. You are using Photoshop and a Wacom Cintiq. Tell us please when did you start to use a tablet and what was your first one?

My first one was an Intuos 2 from like 2003. But I didn’t paint much back then. I used it more for texturing etc. The Cintiq I got last year I think. Don’t remember exactly. I think the Intuos serie is more accurate as for the Cintiq it loses its accuracy on the edges so you have to paint in the center of the screen to get smooth lines.

Dreams

8. Your website is also amazing and was awarded by FWA. Are you a flash developer also, have you done it yourself ?

Yes the site is completely made by myself. I used to work as an Interactive Designer and can code a bit in AS 2.0.

Metal Heart

9. Where is your inspiration coming from? Websites, magazines, real life ? What design blog do you usually read?

I don’t read any blogs. Sometimes I check behance, deviantart. I like a lot of acrylics and oil paintings the most atm. Its hard to see them in the graphics/design blogs but there are some amazing works out there.
I’ve checked thru some pages of a spanish blog yesterday. I think its some guy just posting stuff he likes. I dont understand spanish but he has a good taste nad probably shares a few ideas with me. Also I remember some blog from a german guy about cyberpunk etc. had some good stuff too.

Black Death

10. Do you have other designers that you admire and in case so is any special designer that you had as a model when you start doing such amazing artwork.

Well I like Dali for sure and i think I stole a few elements and ideas from him. There is also Greg Simkins, Dusso, Bert Monroy, Kevin Husley, Sigi von Koeding, Mars-1, Jeff Soto, Max Ernst, Basquiat and a lot lot more. There are really way too many that i could write them down here. Most of them are painters.

Imagine

11. Have you ever written a tutorial to show people the way you work? If someone will require one, will you do it?

I have done a tutorial for Digital Arts magazine back in 2008. It shows one of my 3d techniques. If someone pays me for the work I would do one. But I think tutorials are pretty useless. If there are some techniques described or some kind of case study how the artwork formed then thats fine with me. Anything else I think is pretty lame.

IBM Natro City

12. What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself after 5-10 years? What are the things that you want to accomplish in the future?

I’m thinking about starting to paint with acrylics or getting more into 3d. I’ m not sure yet and I don’ t set any high goals. I hope that I’ m making money with what i do and can afford some kind of solid apartment.

Magic Rooms

13. There is a quote of Shannon Wright on your site: “Real people that care about what they do. They don’t make a ton of money at it, but they do it because they believe in it. They think it is important, and that is what I do”. Nowadays many people submit their work to be sold on different sites or create special works to be sold. What do you think there are the pros and minuses by doing like this?

I don’t know. I think its crap. I love quality work. where I see whoever made this they put time in it and cared for what they did. They didn’t write down their 100h overtime because they loved to work on that project and believed in it. Thats the way true art is formed.

There wouldn’t be Apple, Microsoft and many others these day if there wouldn’t have been some dudes who cared for what they did. And I am not talking about Steve Jobs nor Bill Gates here.

The quote by Shannon reflects the way I think. If you do something, do it right. Be there with your full heart and attention. Take something and put your whole soul in it, do it because it full fills you.

Red Apple

14. David, thanks a lot for the interview! In the end can you give an advice for people that want to embrace this form of art and need a starting point?

Well I think a good base is always a good understanding of fundamentals. Learn about shading and color harmony. Learn about composition. The most important is to get your eyes schooled because in the beginning you probably wont even notice whats good and whats bad. Don’t just check out whats around the internet. Explore the art scene, graphic designers, graffiti artists, painters etc. there is so much things out there these days.

David Fuhrer Around the Web

• David?s Portfolio
• Behance
• Facebook
• DeviantArt
• Twitter