Interview with concept artist Caleb Salisbury
Caleb Salisbury is a Brisbane based concept artist and illustrator. He currently works as an illustrator for a company that produces a quarterly magazine and also produces DVD productions based on world issues. In the past ten years he’s also worked as a game development concept artist.From reading his interview, you can tell he has a wacky sense of humor and consumes …perhaps… a little bit too much caffeine and spends countless hours at his computer!! His style varies from comical to the dark realm of games. Caleb has been a part of some unreal projects, including the Edge of Twilightand Eclipse Phase. You can follow his Twitter feed or check out his website.
How have you got to where you are today?
The Why?…
I believe a lot of artists just “know” that drawing and creating is going to be a significant part of their lives. They naturally pursue the goal from the first prodding (or ability to hold a pencil).
The How? …
I was drawing all of my young life when after a rather muddled period in art college I was finishing up a comic book that a programmer friend took a special interest in and then introduced me to my first boss. My boss was a talented programmer himself, who invited me to help produce South Africa’s first internationally selling PC game called Toxic Bunny! It was about a coffee drinking rabbit who was out to save the world from decaffeinated pollution! Haha and I’m not making that up!
In a few words, describe yourself…
Caffeine powered, compulsive scribbler (some better than others), movie addict and gamer.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
I am finishing up a few freelance jobs including a project with Catalyst game labs (Shadowrun). I am also in the process of completing two new E-Pub books based on the Brothers Grimm classic tales. My 9-5 day also involves the finishing of a third book in a series of six children’s stories (graphic books). On top of that I have my own children’s IP/book in development …And occasionally I sleep!
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
Caffeine! I have bursts of creative wobblyness, (mostly late at night) but most of the time its a sit down and discipline yourself kind of thing. Failing that sometimes you just have to walk away and adjust your perspective manually (*insert insanity here).
What or who inspires you?
There are so many inspiring artists out there on-line (and historically) that inspire me. I would spend the next few weeks writing out all their names. The big ones however would be Sparth, Sam Nielson, Bruno Gentile and Dali.
We are creative beings and I am truly inspired by nature and its master designer.
What are you most proud of?
The ability to be able to express myself in art. I’m also proud to have worked with some very talented artists in the past.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Argh the cliché… A Fireman… And then I discovered I could draw!
