Today we are with Alejandro Baricot, Venezuelan artist who tells us a little about his graphic work, an amazing digital world. Enjoy!
Who is Alejandro Baricot?
Alejandro Baricot is an artist who seeks to tell his own stories.
I’m a person who can’t stop creating content, always with a new idea in my head and eager to make it come true in some creative way. From digital art to graphic design, are the main media where I constantly exploit my creativity to generate works or content of original character that manages to convey what I have in my head and at the same time generate a positive feeling to others.
What was your first encounter with art?
My first encounter with art, like many others, began when I was a child, drawing pictures of my favorite characters, and then moved on to drawings of my own characters.
However, as a career, I made the decision that I would dedicate myself to art and design in 2016, after making a rather amateur YouTube project about video games. For that channel I not only took my first steps into the world of design with all the artwork creation, but it was also the opportunity to make my first digital illustrations.
What prompted you to take the path of illustration?
Since I was a child I have loved all media where science fiction and fantasy stories are depicted, whether they are of a wonderful genre or completely realistic. Not only did I watch a lot of animated series and movies, but I also loved reading, so I started writing at a very young age looking to create my own stories. I didn’t get to give such an extensive development to my writing field, but I loved to draw, so I started on the path of digital illustration with the desire to bring to life all the characters and scenarios of my stories.
What tools do you use in your creative process?
In my creative process I can resort to multiple tools. I can start from a simple idea in my head, which I proceed to draw on paper or digital, to more complex research processes to find that generative idea.
I usually go to the search for references through pages like Pinterest, Behance, Arstation, etc., to get inspiration and even practice elements that I didn’t handle before. Then I proceed to a sketching stage in which everything is valid: make mistakes, try new things, generate different scenarios, versions, style possibilities and much more; which will then become the final work already defined. These last two stages, in my current work process, are done with my digitizer tablet in programs such as Paint Tool Sai, Photoshop and others from the Adobe suite.
What is the focus of your artistic project?
Within my artistic project, which is none other than my own career as an artist under the pseudonym Verethor, my main focus is to be able to continue creating works of original character. Not only in completely personal creations of my own projects, but also participating in creative processes and group works for audiovisual creation media, where I can take advantage of my drawing style, and my techniques in conceptual art, to tell a story.
What other professions do you have outside of illustration?
Outside of illustration I like to continue with other practices that help me in my creative processes and inspiration. Watching animated series or movies, reading different types of literary genres (of which my favorites are medieval fantasy), playing video games, conceptualizing ideas in talks with other creatives, writing, among some other things.
Any artists or characters of influence?
During all my years of artistic development, I have drawn inspiration and influence from many artists and works that have left their mark on me.
At first animation works, such as the entire filmography of Studio Ghibli, superhero comics, both Marvel and DC, and mainly video games, among which stand out my favorite sagas of Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda.
I have also been able to rescue a lot of recognized artists in my journey. Starting with Raul Trevino, comic book artist and conceptual artist, of whom I am a big fan of his works and drawing style. But mainly, he served a lot for my inspiration and initial development in my own drawing style, with his educational content from the world of art and comics that he made for his old YouTube channel.
Later on I would start researching about the artists responsible for the concept art of video games, of which I can highlight Hideo Minaba with his highly detailed works in fantasy characters for Final Fantasy, Toru Nakayama with his own drawing style for Megaman works, Yoji Shinkawa with his gifts of a more traditional art in Metal Gear works, among many others that constantly inspire me.
Do you work alone or do you belong to a crew or team?
As a graphic designer I’ve had the opportunity to share with great work teams in the different work environments I’ve been in. However, as an artist I work completely independently. Although I am constantly on the lookout to collaborate with other artists, generate works and projects in community, and form my own creative team.
Any upcoming projects you would like to share with us?
Right now my main project, apart from my content as an artist, is AREKU Studio (IG @arekustudio).
Currently in use, it is my proposal as a creative studio focused on digital illustration, with graphic design support, in collaboration with different independent artists to carry out projects, brand support or works that require development and art direction; addressing different styles and ways of creating art for all kinds of platforms.
What genre or label would you put on your artistic work?
In my current content as an artist, the label I would place on my art is conceptual art. Something that can not be missing in the different areas that develop audiovisual works such as animations, series, movies, video games, etc., is the conceptual art prior to the final result. Which serves to lay the artistic foundation of everything that will be represented in the work. And it is precisely in this area where I want to continue performing and developing my art, creating all kinds of illustrated elements, which serve for the creation of works that tell a story, mainly in the world of video games if possible.
Many thanks to Alejandro for allowing us to conduct this interview today, we invite you to follow him on his social networks.
Instagram: @verethorartist / @arekustudio / @abaricotdesign
https://linkr.bio/arekustudio?fbclid=PAAabn81uO4lJ0wv7lxbZBLSY-NYAbn7j2A0-FYATPiTGFTSV2J-RKUNBKnkQ