Featured Artist Samantha Wells

British artist Samantha Wells creates digital paintings of women in ethereal, fantasylike settings. View her website to see more of her art.

 

 

I am a self-taught artist based on the Isle of Wight working with new media creating digital oil paintings. I have always been creative, and fell in love with the artwork of Brian Froud when I was a child. As I grew up, the idea that I could use my imagination to create my own world never left me.

 

 

I often drew pictures, but it was never enough for me. In 2013 I took up photography and was excited with what I could produce with a camera. But I still felt that it wasn’t enough. Three years later, I found computer software that used 3D models. I quickly realised I could use these models to make my imagination a reality. I put away the camera and concentrated solely on learning everything I could about this software.

 

 

My main goal is to make my 3D models look as real as possible so you would never know they were not real people. This makes me very selective when choosing my models.

 

 

As my art developed, my fascination with the Old Masters grew. I love how they used light and shadow along with the vivid colours and earthy tones. I am drawn to darker images when creating, and I use a lot of earthy colours myself.

 

 

I have tried many different styles of art and techniques over the years. This led me to focus on women and oil paintings, and that combination is now my art style. However, I am always learning and would like to incorporate new brushes and software into my creative process.

 

 

I highlight women as the beautiful beings they are. My models may seem fragile at first glance. Take a deeper look and you actually see that they are stronger than first perceived.

 

 

I create the foundation for a piece of art in the 3D software. Here I pose my female model, dress her, apply makeup, and do her hair. I then pick my lights and camera, much like any photographer does. The image is then rendered for a few hours through Nvidia’s Iray Graphics. This transforms the scene from 3D to look like a real image taken with a camera.

 

 

I build up my story by adding many layers of texture and light in Photoshop. When I am finished, I go to work with the oil brushes. I overpaint every small detail to give the image that fine art feel. The last process I give it is in Lightroom where I adjust the colours, shadows and highlights.

 

 

I know there is a lot of argument about whether digital art is art at all. My goal is to show people that it is. Like any traditional artist, it takes time and imagination to produce a piece. Instead of paint and canvas, I use digital brushes and computer software as my materials. I like to hint at a story when I am creating, just enough to let the viewer add to it or make up their own story. My story may not be the same as what someone else is seeing. And I love that.

 

Artist Samantha Wells invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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