ResAliens (RA) is pleased to interview Garret DeChellis (GD), a graduate from Ringling College of Art and Design and who now works as a freelance and commission artist. He specializes in fantasy and science fiction art, as well as book covers and children’s book illustrations. Some of his artwork is featured below, but be sure to visit his website, GDIllustration.com for more.
RA: Garret, what got you interested in fantasy or speculative art?
GD: I have always been infatuated with escaping from reality. I consider myself a dreamer and an idealist. I think what fascinates me most about fantastic and science fiction art is how much you can push reality. I feel that I have been one of the lucky ones – while all my friends at school were indecisive about their future, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an artist. Everyone in art class treated it like a joke; I was falling in love with it. After high school, I knew I wanted to go to art school and I found myself at Ringling College of Art and Design. During my years at Ringling I discovered different forms of art, from comics and science fiction to fantasy and horror.
RA: Are there certain themes or styles you like to explore or gravitate toward?
GD: It is kind of hard to choose one theme or genre, I love it all. It is interesting, concerning cinema I love horror the most but I like to illustrate science fiction the most. The market I gravitate toward is book covers. I love book covers because of the freedom you have and the idea of combining all the elements in a story into one piece.
RA: Tell us about this book cover.
GD: This image is actually a rejected book cover. It was originally a sketch that I liked and decided to finish and put it my portfolio. Concerning the story behind the cover, it is about three young survivors of a government experiment. These particular survivors are actually androids and are a key to a better life and world.
RA: You’ve had successes, too, obviously. What are you working on now? Is this your livelihood or just an avocation?
GD: I just finished up a book cover for Permuted Press. The assignment was to illustrate a super hero exhausted from battling Zombies in a post apocalyptic environment. As of now, I am doing an interior piece for Space and Time Magazine and a cover for Polluto Magazine. Illustrating is my livelihood and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
RA: I like this female warrior. Who or what are your influences? Where do you get your inspiration?
GD: I receive my inspiration from nature, the sky, astronomy, and human made structures. What inspires me the most is other artists such as Donato Giancola, Greg Manchess, Syd Mead, Jeff Jones, James Gurney, N.C. Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, and Frazetta. I am also inspired by movies and books. With this piece I wanted to illustrate an exotic female warrior. I also wanted to experiment with different elements like clouds and backgrounds. Just one of those experimental pieces that work out.
RA: And this one?
GD: I am always trying to improve my work, I feel that once an illustrator is satisfied with their work, they have stopped growing and progressing as an artist. This piece was a portfolio builder. I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone, illustrating more than one figure. I find figures are the most complicated thing to paint or draw and more than one is even more complex.
GD: This image was a concept piece, I wanted to demonstrate that I can develop a character without reference to a story. I also wanted to show that I can design a character head to toe, a portrait of the character, and the character in movement.
RA: Thank you, Garret, for sharing your inspiration and artwork with us. Fans can find more of your work at GDIllustration.com. Best wishes in your future projects.
GD: Thank you, Lyn, for the opportunity.
All artwork on this page © 2009 Garret DeChellis
Interview © 2009 Residential Aliens, Garret DeChellis.
Tags: artwork, Garret DeChellis, interview