^[1]

Q: What medium or mediums do you work with?

A: My paintings now are all digital. I use a Wacom Intuos 4 tablet to paint digitally in Photoshop. I still enjoy traditional painting however I find the digital process so much more appealing because of the various features that are available with today’s technology.

Q: How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?

A: I have always had an interest in art however it took me a long time to find the exact path that I wanted to follow.

In 2000 I enlisted in the Army and while stationed in South Korea, I was introduced to online gaming. I loved it so much that I decided as soon as I finished my contract, that I would pursue creating artwork for computer games.

During college I started looking for freelance artistic work on Craig’s List. I replied to hundreds of ads and from that had a few offers. Doing this taught me a lot of lessons; good and bad.

Q: Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?

A: I have had both. I am formally trained as an artist from the University of California, Berkeley however my digital painting skills, including Photoshop are self taught.

Q: Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend?

A: A digital tablet! I use a Wacom Intuos 4 Medium, it is absolutely worth the investment as it comes with several free programs and I no longer have to buy paint, brushes or canvases.

Q: Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?

A: I am most interested in the fantasy genre, especially characters.

Q: Can you recommend any books videos or other resources that will help new artists?

A: Become active on an active artist community website so that you can interact with your peers. Find one that has artists that are doing your dream job. There is no reason that you can’t have your dream job once you know how to realistically get there. You can find out that information from such a site. The community that I became involved with is ConceptArt.org ^[2].

Q: How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?

A: I suppose I get inspired by the people around me. When I get honest feedback on my artwork, then I can really focus on the areas that need more work. I often can’t see the same flaws that someone else sees, so being open to hearing what you don’t want to hear is so beneficial.

Q: Are there any artists that have influenced you and why?

A: All of the artists on ConceptArt.org, being apart of the community has been so rewarding. They have challenged me and it has shown in the quality of my artwork.

Q: Do you have a website you would like to share?

A: http://amberalexander.foliosnap.com/ ^[3]

Q: Finally do you have any last words of advice for beginner artists?

A: Never give up on your dream. Every amazing artist you look at started as a beginner. Art is like a language, it comes with practice. Just keep at it and you will get better and you can make a living doing what you love!

Q: Anything else you would like to share about yourself?

A: Anyone is welcome to contact me with questions or offers through my website. ^[3]

Sample of Amber’s Work

(Click Image For Larger View)

^[4]