An Interview with Sade Shizuku
Sade Shizuku is responsible for most of the great artwork on Mymero. Let’s get to know a little more about this talented artist!
Hello Sade, where are you from?
I’m from Hungary, but for a few years i've been living in Spain now. I’m living in Alcala de Henares, the city where Cervantes was born.
How did you come up with your artist name?
When i begun to use the internet (more than 20 years ago!), very few females used it and i tried to use a "gender neutral" name.. I learned, for a strange reason, the Finnish language. Sade means "rain" in Finnish. I also liked Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guid To The Galaxy's rain god character and of course i liked the philosopher de Sade. I also knew a strange Hungarian song about Sade's Yellow Skoda...and if you see the keyboard, it's easy to type, so its seemed perfect choice for a 14 years old girl :).
Shizuku comes from an old Scifi Mailing List, where i was member (called Solaria), and somebody from Japan called me Shizuku after one anime, I forgot it’s name. We did not have a big culture of anime, I saw my first anime when i was 20.
Can we know your real name?
Yes, it's Rita.
What schooling do you have?
I have studied System Programming, Accounting, IT Library, and i did not finish the Philosophy faction for some reasons (but almost did).
About IT Library: it means Informatics Library... hard to explain, perhaps it gives more of an idea if I tell I wrote my final essay about Print On Demand technology. I find lot of possibilities for bibliophiles in the modern technology.
When did you start learning to draw?
I've been playing roleplaying games since i was 14. I allways tried to tell everything, but never had the time for it, or the boys did not understand the little nuances of the female outfit, so i tried to draw. After that, the boys asked me to draw different things, and i gladly did. The ePic Generator (partially used for Mymero!) was my old dream, because i found similar "dress up games" was too cartoony for me.
What are examples you admire?
My favourite artist is Jeff Laubenstein. I think he has a very unique style and sense of humour, which he's able to put in his artworks. Actually he is the only one who can make me a "fan girl" :).
What software do you use?
For sketching i just discovered Mischief now, its good for daily warm up (i love the endless paper feature). For painting i use Photoshop, with a standard hard round and soft light brush, and some custom utilities mostly for hair,or other special material. For modelling and morphing I use ZBrush, what is at the same time a source of endless pain, and of endless possibilities :D. I love it, but I'm not as good in it as i want to be, and for bases i used Daz3d models. It's great help with the ePic Character Generator.
What do you do by hand?
I usualy make an artwork by hand, except the 3D.
Which artworks are you most proud of?
Most proud.. I'm not proud of my art, I need more exercise and development. Lately I make much more "studies" in my free time. Here is my latest. I saw lot of mistakes but I did not want spend more time with it.
Do you think you could make a living with artwork, if you wanted?
I don't know. Later. Maybe. :). Before the kids came, I worked for a game developing company as a texturer (for 3d models).
What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Exercise. Enjoy. (If i can suggest, you will find great lessons, and exercises on CG Cookie). What are your current and future projects?
My current project: in the summer, I don't have any, just to be with my family, there's no school time. From September, I'm more active exercising, and I will accept commissions.
Do you have hobbies that are related to fantasy, do you like reading, gaming or tv shows and which titles?
I'm a big fan of Earthdawn RPG, i miss my party. I like playing with Heroes of Might and Magic, and I'm an intensive type of reader, i prefer to re-read my books rather than buy new ones. I like to dig old folklore stories, from Poe to Gaiman. If i see a tv show, I like the Marvel universe, if I have to suggest a tv show, I would like to suggest "The Almighty Johnsons", what is a fairly unknown but but fun series.
Have a wonderful day, Rita!
Floris de Vries, Atog Games
