artiste d'mon >>> matt hughes

Ethereally Awesome
the art of Matt Hughes
Interview by: Silverio Pantalla

Who is Matt Hughes?
I am a student and a teacher. In other words, I am an artist.

What is Spectrum 10?
Spectrum 10 is the next installment of a series of publications intended to showcase the latest and greatest in Fantasy and Science Fiction art. I amtruly honored to be a part of it this year.

What is your most important goal in life?
My most important goal in this life is to be happy and make others happy as well. I feel the best course for me to take in order to reach this is through art. It is through art that I am able to entertain and educate beyond language barriers and even social limitations.

Describe your technique.
My technique is ever changing. Currently, I work with oil paint and Prismacolor pencils. Usually the figure is illustrated using pencil and everything else is oil paint. Occasionally I will utilize airbrush for glows or shadows.

If you could have just one wish; what could it be?
In regards to art - I would like to be able to illustrate or produce the images that are in my mind rather than settling for what my limitations produce.

If you could meet anyone living or dead; who wouldthat be and why?
J.W. Waterhouse. I feel he truly "got it". He found the style and direction he was intended to produce and went with it. I would love to have a review of my work by him. I can only imagine what I would learn!

If you had to live in one room for your entirelife, what would it look like?
It would certainly have to be a huge room! I would invision the room to have several large windows with avaulted ceiling. There would be marble pillars surrounding the room with several areas to hang illustrations that inspire me.

The art area would, o fcourse, be huge as well. Complete with surround soundspeakers and a 2 story tall waterfall leading to a small pool at one side of the room.

Since I'm anartist I don't really sleep anyway so a bed would be optional.

What do you think is the secret of your success?
The ability to honestly self critique. My wife jokes with me constantly about how I am never satisfied with any illustration I produce. I have even stopped in the middle of an illustration because I did not like the direction it was going in.

I feel that if I ever produced an illustration that I am totally satisfied with then I would stop illustrating. Imagine how horrible it would be if I continued to illustrate after producing that perfect illustration but could never reach that level again!

I feel another very important component to my success is the support of my wife, family, and friends. No matter how talented someone is they always need to be reassured that they are on the right track. They need that support especially when their self critique is a harsh one. I'm lucky to have that support.

How was ComicCon 2003 for you?
Comic Con was great! I love seeing other artists and their work. I find it a great place to "recharge" and get inspiration.

It's very surprising to me how most artists are very friendly and interested in talking with other artists. It's almost like a fraternity in away.

You go through the hell of becoming established and immediately your a "brother" in the fraternity of artists where everyone knows who you are and sometimes even what you have done. It's really cool!

Who have been some of your main influences as anartist and as a person?
My main influences have been artists such as J.W.Waterhouse, Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, Alphonse Mucha, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Boris Vallejo, Stan Lee, and John Byrne.

What is the latest CD (music) you have purchased?
Godsmack

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I see myself becoming much more refined in my illustration style. I think I will always be involved with mythology and legend in my work. Hopefully 10 years from now I will be very successful at what I do!