This is the article that appeared in the October 2004 issue of a global magazine, Art Scene International. The approached me for this interview and a tutorial as one of their featured artists, and I was more than happy to oblidge and quite flattered. :}

Merekat. The Art of Kristen Perry.

"Why did I dedicate my life to art? A good question. Art has always been the main focus of my life. Being an only child, I had to find ways to entertain myself sometimes and drawing was the easiest and most portable hobby I could have. In every restaurant they had placemats for children to color and during long trips in the car, it was much more fun to fill a coloring book than to count the telephone poles at the side of the road. Moreover, drawing was a way to make a world that otherwise only existed in my head, kind of tangible. A way to make the imagined real.

Truth be told, I had never thought to make a living out of art. Painting was for my own entertainment and I didn't think a hobby could be a career. In any case, I thought that I might become a veterinarian, until I realized that it is they who must also euthanize the animals. At some time during High School I started analyzing subjects like illustration, graphic design and advertising. I knew the phrase "starving artist" existed for a reason, so I chose a field that had a decent chance to pay the bills: graphic design. Then I looked for good universities in the field and I finally decided to attend Kent State University in Ohio, which had quite a good reputation. That is how I became an illustrator."

Today, Kristen Perry is a renowned and successful illustrator, graphic and web designer who mostly works in the games sector. Art Scene International presents the artist and her best work.

ArtScene:
Kristen, we are happy to finally present a female person in our magazine again. Somehow, one could get the impression that men mainly dominate the world of illustration.

Kristen:
Well, I guess they are a majority indeed, but believe me; we women are on the advance!

ArtScene:
Great to know! You have studied illustration and visual arts and obtained the Bachelor of Fine and Professional Arts with great distinction. Did you already know during your studies how you would proceed afterwards? As a freelancer or employee, in advertising or in the fantasy sector?

Kristen:
After I had finished my five-year studies I got a job in a small design firm, Stephenson+Taylor, with which I had an internship before graduation. All in all I had worked there for about seven years. I did everything — from brochures, web sites, packaging up to whole trade show exhibition booths. It was a good way to learn about design, production and communicating with clients. However, it was the world of fantasy which already fascinated me back then, so I did my own artwork in my leisure time.

ArtScene:
In other words, slowly but surely you built up a portfolio to present your work?

Kristen:
Yes, I created an online portfolio. Eventually I met and began working with such online comics as Megatokyo.com and Nightmareworld.com, producing posters and artwork for them. I even contribute to Fellow Earthling’s Wildlife Center (meerkats.com), a meerkat wildlife reserve. Nowadays, information spreads quite fast thanks to the internet. Many companies do targeted search for new employees there. In the following year, Valve Software, a leading American gaming company, contacted me. The good folks there had seen my work in forums, etc. and had me fly in for a job interview.

ArtScene:
So then have you been working for Valve Software ever since?

Kristen:
Yes. I had other employments before that, but Valve was the fabulous chance to work in a fantasy/scifi field. Currently I am a texture artist, but every now and then I get to create posters, concept art or magazine covers.

ArtScene:
Well, you do not work conventionally any longer and paper has been replaced by a computer with a powerful graphics card, right?

Kristen:
Oh yes, a step I certainly do not regret. The traditional techniques are just slow and often problematic. I always found marker, chalk, water and oil colors more frustrating than helpful. Acrylics are okay, but they dry too quickly and color corrections require a whole repaint. Today, Photoshop is my medium, and believe it or not, I did not get involved with this software until the very last year of my studies. We were learning many applications at once, so it was more like giving it a try than really learning it. One day I sat there and thought of all the paint I would have to mix... and I gave the computer a try. I haven’t returned to conventional techniques since.

ArtScene:
Nothing but Photoshop from that moment on?

Kristen:
Absolutely. It is very versatile, user-friendly and flexible. I have to emphasize, however, that I still do my basic drawings with a pencil. There is still something sacred to be said of the scratch of carbon on flattened tree pulp.

ArtScene:
Let's stick to the practical aspects. Photoshop certainly is not the only software you use, right?

Kristen:
Mainly, I use version 6.0 and 7.0. I used to use Painter and Freehand as well. For photo-realistic work, Photoshop is second to none, but in the case of vector graphics, Illustrator is naturally my preferred choice. Just don't tell my precious Photoshop...

ArtScene:
Promised. Why do you work with two different versions of Photoshop?

Kristen:
I use both for different reasons — each version has its advantages and disadvantages. Photoshop 5.5, for example, has my all-time favorite color dodge layer blending mode that simply was not adopted in version 6.0. In Photoshop 6.0 on the other hand, I like the layers palette as well as the ability to adopt the graphics tablet settings universally instead of defining new pressure-sensitivities for each brush. This, of all features, was changed in the next version... but in that one I like the brushes palette, which opens up many new possibilities. As I said — all versions have their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Apart from my Color Dodge in 5.5 I use Photoshop 6.0 because of the simple, straight-away tools settings and version 7.0 because of its versatility and flexibility. I have not worked with the new Photoshop CS that you have introduced two issues ago, though.

ArtScene:
Is it true that you have been working without a graphics tablet until recently?

Kristen:
Yes, until two years ago I did everything with the mouse only. Actually, I switched to the tablet mainly because of the working speed, but I do only 50 % of my work with it because I still find the mouse very useful and user-friendly for the start of a painting. Above all, I use the graphics tablet for the more delicate details and for all parts of the work where I require the pressure-sensitivity of the pencil.

ArtScene:
Which platform do you use? Is it a Mac, like many graphic designers do?

Kristen:
No, at the moment it is a PC, but I worked on a Mac during my graphic designer days. I work in Photoshop for the most part, you see, and there it is processor power and RAM that counts. Most of my work is laid out in a print resolution of about 2700 x 3600 pixels, sometimes even up to 6000 x 8000 pixels, and so RAM and CPU power are vital. I have been working quite well with about 1.5 gigabytes of RAM and one gigabyte is the absolute preferred minimum for that kind of work. Hard Disk size is not that important, though. I do not store the .psd files on the computer and so 60 gigabytes are more than enough, although I have a separate 30 gigabyte drive for the Photoshop Scratch Disk.

ArtScene:
Well, nowadays this is a quite normal hardware configuration. Which ideas do you have for your personal future - are there any larger projects that would be tempting for you?

Kristen:
Of course! For example, there is an epic graphic novel which is supposed to be about eight volumes long with roughly 2500 pages altogether. Certainly, this will take some time... at the moment I am just writing the script, the textual outline. I also have two children’s books that I have written and still have to paint. We'll have to wait and see which one will be done first...

ArtScene:
Could you imagine returning to traditional, conventional techniques?

Kristen:
As for pencil drawings, for me there is no alternative — I use my pencil and then scan it. I like the old techniques, but I appreciate the possibilities given to me by digital painting. Changes in digital artwork are so much simpler, whereas with conventional techniques, it’s much more time-consuming. Of course, I love the challenge to mimic some hand-painted effect or simulate a technique at times. A little watercolor texture or the antique effects of an old movie poster add real character to the work.

Oh, and sure, I have an innate need to be able to hang my work on a wall. I design artwork especially for that purpose. Creating something the digital way does not make it a lesser work of art than a traditionally painted one. It does not deny the time, the energy and of course the creativity involved in its creation. And if you prefer the canvas texture, there are ways to easily print on that material. You can even get brush marks if you like. Yes, I admit that a hand-painted piece of artwork has something special about it that simply cannot be fully replaced, but for me personally, my freedom and creativity are more important than to have a tangible work that was frustration in the making. Besides, I doubt the wall will notice the difference...

ArtScene:
Certainly not! Kristen, one last question that probably not only we would like to know: What is the meaning of "Merekat"?

Kristen:
Before I had to choose my domain name I had seen a documentary about meerkats. This was the time when I started participating in art forums on the internet and I was looking for a cool nickname. As I very much like the meerkat with its loyalty, its cleverness and its social behavior...it was an easy choice. Unfortunately, all variations of the name were already taken on the internet and I did not want to add "studio" or "art", but "creations" seemed quite suitable. Since "Kat" was also my real life nickname, "MereKatCreations" is a synonym for "JustMyStuff". With my love of puns, the decision was easy to make!

Unfortunately, people seemed to think that I had made a typo on "meerkat", so I capitalized the "K" to make the difference clear. Personally, I prefer everything written in lowercase letters.

ArtScene:
Now the secret is out! Thank you very much for the conversation and best wishes for the future!