Interview With

Brice Chaplet

Hi Brice and welcome to TWTP. I would like to thank you for doing this interview, let’s start by telling us a little about your background and how you got started in the industry?

Hi! I’m a self-taught freelance graphic-designer and Illustrator based in Paris France. I specialize in digital art and mixed media artworks. In 2009 I decided to go independent and quit my job as a junior graphic designer at an automotive company. Before that I’ve always been into creative such as experimenting with graffiti writing, drawing, photography, music…etc. It was very important for me to turn my passion into my job and to be able to create all the time!

Can you tell us about the name Mr.Xerty? Where did it come from and what does it mean?

Ah! Xerty is a geek thing, it came from the very first time I connected to the internet (you know back in the 20th century ☺) It’s my very first pseudo (the keys almost follow on the keyboard) and I’ve never changed it. There is also the name of my studio :NO MASTA Prod: which is very important for me as it reminds to be independent to be free! No God, No Master!

You do an amazing job at photo manipulation and combining multiple images into one composition, can you tell us a little on how you became so proficient at this technique?

I like to define my work as a ‘modern collage’. I’ve always been fascinated by old paintings like Bosch’s or Dali’s, also from Terry Gilliam’s work and Tim Burton movies. Things with a lot of details and many crazy references.

Photoshop (my better associate from day one!) give me the chance to reach that level of details without being an extremely talented drawer or painter. At the beginning I was doing graphic design work but after 2 or 3 years of experimenting new techniques a good friend saw my artworks and told me : “your not doing graphic design anymore, you’re doing illustration but with Photos!” since that day I’ve began to think more in this way for my creation process. Then clients started to call me for this style more an more. Now 75% of my work is doing illustrations.

What would you say are the most important lessons you’ve learned that made you a better illustrator/designer?

Don’t give up, be patient but don’t force it. Inspiration comes from your everyday life, from what you watch, what you read…etc. You have to focus when you work on a new piece but also don’t stress out.

Can you tell us a bit about your creative process while creating a new piece? Client and personal project.

For personal projects it starts with my brain getting activated with a new vision. I then write some words on a notebook and draw a little sketch with color indications & elements needed. I start to look at my stock picture database (mostly from Fotolia.com, deviant-art stock and personal). Afterwards I begin to do the Photoshop thing. Then I’ll get a little hangover because I’ve been staring at my computer screen for too many hours, and another hangover, and another…and the piece is finished ☺

For Clients It’s a bit more precise and organised. I’ve got the brief. I will usually ask a few more questions to the client to be very precise on what they want me to represent. Then I purchase some stock-photos and work on the piece. I like to go right ahead and send them a well executed first draft.

How do you describe your daily routine as a freelancer?

A balance between very cool and hard. Cool because your job is what you like to do, you don’t have to force yourself to wake up and work. Hard because there is some quiet working periods. If it’s too long you might take the bad habit to reconsider your works and how you’re getting a new audience and clients. You might ask you too much questions and give them answer that for 80% wrong. Just think clear and stop trying to be someone else!

Thanks for joining us, do you have any final words for our readers?

Thank you Talking With The Pros! For those who want to know more about my creation process check out my portfolio www.nomastaprod.com there are some tutorials and step by steps to download for free.

Also continue to dream like when you were a child, watch new movies, read new books and listen to new music. Creativity is a life affair with so much to discover! Believe in what you do!

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To check out more of Brice's work head over to his website at www.nomastaprod.com