Interview with David Fuhrer, AKA Microbot
David Fuhrer is a self taught digital painter with a passion for making some of the most creative and vivid art around. David is an extremely talented and he explains how he creates some of his art by mixing 3D elements with painting. David also gives us a look into the type of tools he uses to create his lively artwork.
1. Welcome to Psdtuts+! Please introduce yourself, give us a brief bio, tell us where you’re from, and how you got started in the field.
My name is David Fuhrer. I was born in 1985 in Switzerland. I’m a self taught Digital Artist who grew up in a beautiful place in Switzerland. Since a child I loved to be creative in any way. From building my own toys, to drawing.
I started with digital Art in 2003/2004 and created my Portfolio back in 2005. My work is based on my imagination and life. Most of the work is created over weeks or even months. Beside my illustrations, I work three days in an agency as an interactive designer. I do Flash and some Photoshop stuff there and also coding Action Scripts.
2. Give us a visual of your work area, what tools do you use with Photoshop? Why do you use them? What makes them better than anything else out there and how do they benefit your work?
I use all kind of tools that help me create what I want to do. It also depends a bit on the style I’m doing. What makes Photoshop so interesting to me is that I can work more detailed in an image manipulation or painting than any other program. I also love Sketchbook and Painter. Sketchbook is cool for sketching out something and Painter has a very nice brush engine. It’s just hard to make it work so that it would be ready for printing.
Photoshop is great for doing print works and getting things done really clean. Tools I like to use are the Brush tool, Pen tool, Smudge tool, Cloning, and I also started to use Paths for my guidelines since you can get them out the stage and match them up.
3. What would you say is the most interesting thing about graphic design?
I can’t really say. I’m not much into what graphic design is anymore. Graphic design is like designing Magazines, Advertisements, Product Packaging and more. My work is based on me and not a product or company. To me it’s like a diary and output of my mind.
4. What is you favorite type of design? Would it be something unique and out of the ordinary or something else?
Its hard to say. But it would be something surreal. I don’t like real things too much. I mean I love a lot in a technical view or cinematic view, but not as a piece of Art to hang up on the wall.
5. Your design “Blue Moon” is an amazing look at the earth from the perspective of the heavens, can you give us a look into how you came up with the design as well as the process to make it?
I don’t really remember how I came up with the whole thing. I thought about doing some kind of surreal planet where the Mountains come out. I started it like a normal planet painting in Photoshop. I found a lot of different techniques on the internet.
For guidelines I used 3d programs. I just made a sphere there. The mountains are also made in 3d and rendered as guidelines. In Photoshop I mixed everything together by just painting. Used a lot of techniques in Photoshop to create different things. But Basically the brush engine is what I used the most.
6. What techniques do you think are essential to your type of design style?
There aren’t many secret techniques that I use. But mostly I use a lot of the brush engine. It’s amazing what you can do with it.
7. Are you the type of designer to use outside resources like stocks or textures in their designs? If so then where do you find them and what are your favorites?
Yea sometimes. I also use references to paint when I need to. I just use Google to find things.
8. Thanks again for providing Psdtuts+ with this opportunity to interview you, any final thoughts? What would you tell other designers that hope to be as good as you one day?
Just do what you like to do. Then the more you do the better you will become. Try out things and experiment a lot. Thanks a lot for the interview I really appreciate it. And I’m really sorry for my bad English. It’s not my main language.
Where to find David Fuhrer, AKA Microbot, on the Web
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Impressive work
Wow awsome work…never been first, love the new design!
Nice read and an interesting look at how simple ideas lots of time can yield beautiful and intriguing artwork. Beautiful works David…keep them coming
Also, an editorial note, there are one too many “Davids” in the portfolio reference title at the bottom of the screen and the link for the pic under Question 8 is null. – Thanks PSDtuts!
Great interview, i like his works
n1 pieces idd.
I like the surreal sensitivity of this artist
@Wes – thx, I got those issues fixed.
Ha! answer of the year…
“I use google to find things….”
His Work is really Impressive. including some nice and simple ideas.
I just saw Davids Deviant’s previous work. his way of working is really creative and somehow inspirational !!
I agree surreal art is the most appealing type to admire hanging on a wall. Life like art is great but the type of art he creates is just something to view for hours discovering something new each time
Soon graphic design will become the 8th art!
I really love that futuristic plane thingy illustration. No idea what it is, but it’s definitely inspiring. I love reading interviews about talented artists.
Like David said I dont think I would consider this Graphic Design either, just Digital Art. Uhm…..great Digital Art.
Very good work
holy smoke ! unbelieveble…
his work is amazing. I cant believe he can do it.
This is so so cool! awesome…
Well, THAT’s impressive. Keep up the good work!
Nice work.
Nice to see some interesting and quality style… I like your work a lot.
Cheers for giving the interview.
Awesome :O
Respect
That’s wicked cool. I love the creativity…I also love these interviews…quite a few the last few weeks, very interesting to read.
Really amazing works..
Thanks a lot friends it was just great …..can we ask for a tut or practical tips from him
Nice read and an interesting look at how simple ideas lots of time can yield beautiful and intriguing artwork. Beautiful works David…keep them coming
Also, an editorial note, there are one too many “Davids†in the portfolio reference title at the bottom of the screen and the link for the pic under Question 8 is null. – Thanks PSDtuts!
Woooooow! Im inspired with his awesome work!
Hes one of the best, Inspiring thoughts from him, I like it!
Very interesting interview and a very talented artist!!…I love his “down to earth” answers…
“Graphic design is like designing Magazines, Advertisements, Product Packaging and more.”
That is basically what you learn in graphic Design School
)
“I just use Google to find things.”
Priceless!!
)
Great artist. He is really down to earth!
Wow. He has a crazy brain, love this bloke.
Conrad Gorny
Freelance Graphic Designer
http://www.conradgorny.com
Thanks for the interview PSDTUTS.
David…your work is amazing there is no other way to describe it. Just shows how far I have to go in my own work.
http://cruciald.com
Hey MICROBOT,
Nice to hear an interview with you. You are a great artist.
very nice and inspirative article. A very talented artist!
thank you very much for that interview
Nice!!
I have to agree this is another great down to earth interview. Its exciting to see you grab these kinds of artists.
amazing works , I like them ^_^
Amazing images, boring interview…
Wow, amazing work.
This guys clearly amazing at CG Art – wonder whether he’s any good at web design as well? That would be a winning combination
I like his art works very much! Amazing style!