Meet Ms. Kim Parker, aka SkittleFox - this week's fan art spotlight! We will be showcasing her gorgeous Dragon Age themed pieces throughout the week, so be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page and twitter feed.
1. Where are you from?
I was born in Vancouver, but grew up in Waterloo, Ontario. A fellow Canadian! :)2. How long have you been creating your masterpieces?
Thank you for calling them masterpieces! I'm not sure if I’d call anything I've done by that name—that seems to be a word reserved for Renaissance artists. I've been drawing ever since I discovered I could draw shapes in my spaghetti sauce.3. Can you explain the process you go through when creating your digital pieces?
It always starts with a sketch in traditional media—usually pencil on paper. The design gets fleshed out almost completely on paper, everything but the colour. Once I'm happy with how it looks I scan it, colour it, and shade it in Photoshop with a flagrantly large Wacom tablet.4. Do you have a favorite game that you use as your inspiration? A favorite character?
It's not any one game that influences my designs, but more the industry itself; I'm interested most in what concept artists fixate on, what becomes controversial, and what becomes accepted as canon. In other words, I get inspired by concept art that is done particularly well, or particularly badly! The former I learn from, the latter inspires me to find ways to improve. One of my absolute favourite character concepts was the Arishok in Dragon Age II, simply because there was so much raw power and arrogance conveyed in his design. I spent hours gleefully piecing together his full concept when just the teaser trailer was released.5. How long does it take you to finish a piece?
It depends on the level of detail. Rough sketches come quickly, since it's just a matter of pouring an idea in my head onto paper before I lose it, but full paintings can take half a day to several days. Taking into account coffee and pub breaks, of course.6. What other artsy skills do you like to indulge in?
Artsy skills…hmm. There are a few other things in my life that I suppose I consider an “art”: I have a strong interest in sword combat from my competitive fencing days, and still adore it. I work in a coffee shop by day as well, and the lattes that really talented baristas create can knock your socks off.7. Do you have any other kinds of fan art?
I don't think I do, unless you want to count my several dozen portraits of Stephen Fry. I'm just kidding. (Though I love you Stephen Fry).8. Are you able to be this creative in your day job?
I wish! Being a barista has its creative freedoms, certainly, but it's hard to compare to concept design. There's an unlimited world to draw on out there! It's my dream to one day be a concept artist for a videogame or film company, but that's still a long way off yet I think.9. What was the first game that got you interested in BioWare?
Dragon Age was the first. I'm a sucker for dragons and swords, and that had both, so I was in. There were a lot of very compelling character designs to boot—Flemeth, Morrigan, the exceedingly charming Alistair, and the idea of the Grey Wardens were all very striking for me.10. What do you look for most in videogames when you are playing? (story, action, art….ect)
Primarily, for me, it's character and creature design. Appearance communicates a huge wealth of information, whether we're aware of it or not. When concept design is done well, the intended values and stories come across, and powerfully. When it's not done well, or is done sort of absent-mindedly, it causes a mental jolt for me that brings me out of the game. That, more often that not, is what inspires my work, since it's at that moment that I feel a need to bring intent and design back into line with each other by presenting alternative concepts. It's all about effectively storytelling, only using symbols instead of words.
Thanks so much Kim.
Make sure to keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter feeds for great examples of Kim's awesome work!
