An Interview With An ArtRage Artist
Paul Hinch-Worman (paulthedoodlebug) is a UK artist who specialises in photorealistic portraits so detailed that you need to read his portrait tutorial to believe he actually painted them with ArtRage!
ArtRage Editions: ArtRage 4.5
Platforms: Windows Vista
Background: Traditional Art
Website: www.instagram.com/paulthedoodlebug
Who are you? What do you want the internet to know about you?
I’ve dabbled in art throughout my life, mostly pencil sketching and doodling, I didn’t get into art college as my portfolio wasn’t diverse enough which seems quite comical now, I wanted to go to learn new things but couldn’t because I didn’t know enough.
Regardless, I picked up my sketching again in earnest when I took on the care of my wife some 10 or so years ago. My hobbies are restricted to things I could do in or around the home in my spare time so drawing, PC gaming, collecting 1/6 action figures, on the back burner I’m trying to finish a manuscript and (re)learn the guitar. I’m all over the place! I think I’m still discovering who I am and who I want to be but they are mostly all creative. I’ve got something that needs to be expressed but no idea what it is yet.
What kind of artist are you? What kind of subjects do you draw?
I’ve mostly always drawn people. I’ve tried scenics, still life and whatnot and no matter what genre, sci-fi, fantasy, reality, it’s always comes back to people. I’m a sucker for a pretty lady so they feature heavily and it is probably no surprise I ended up drawing portraits. My inspirations range from Holbien the Younger through Gil Elvgren and modern cartoonists like Martin Abel or J. Scott Campbell. I’d love to draw like them but I lack something. My line art is weak, I just don’t seem to get it.
Do you come from a digital or traditional art background?
Originally traditional but I flourished in digital. I couldn’t colour to save my life. Thankfully computers come with an undo function! I’ve learned passable wizardry in Photoshop which I tinkered with while saving for a tablet.
Do you use other programs or traditional media?
I still on occasion sketch on paper just for the nostalgia, or I’ll threw something together in PS for fun or I’ll play about with other CG programs like Daz3D.
How long have you been using ArtRage?
About 4-5 years I think, I cannot remember, in earnest 4 years. Mid 2012 I was using it for certain.
How did you come across the program?
It was in an edition of Imagine FX magazine. There was trial version, or promotion. There was a tutorial on using it to paint with and I really really wanted to try out the pencil simulation which looked awesome!
What ArtRage works or projects are you most proud of?
As of now my latest greyscale image is what I am most proud of. I was digging about in some old stuff and found a sketch I had drawn ages ago, 2010 at least. I set out to draw it again knowing I could do better after all this time. Seeing the final thing side by side with its predecessor I had tangible evidence of my growth as an artist. It’s not even my best work (technically speaking) as I still lack confidence with anything below the neck.
So either that or I’d hands down nominate my Emma Roberts ‘Popfest’ portrait. She threw it a like on Instagram so I was grinning like a cheshire cat for the rest of the week. Maybe getting noticed like that is trivial to some but I still get all fluttery thinking about it. To capture someone’s likeness, something so familiar, so personal as the face that we see in the mirror, and to have the person actually like how I see them… that is life-affirming.
Why do you use ArtRage?
Two reasons, I love its tool simulations. The pencil is one of the best I’ve used and as a package it is crammed with so many features and customisation options I think anyone would be hard pressed to not find something it can do for them.
Secondly, my old Lenova Thinkpad is a dinosaur, it was second hand when I got it and about year into owning it the processor went into meltdown. The fan ceased and I thought it was dead for sure. Luckily the repair guys I took it to resurrected it but it is an old wounded veteran that can only do so much. It lost pressure sensitivity which has been a pain and the only program that doesn’t over tax the machine is ArtRage. I can’t work in anything near 4K but I can at least work. So thank you for your solid programming there!
Where does ArtRage fit into your workflow?
More or less the entire process is done in ArtRage. I may transfer a finished piece into Photoshop for some colour balancing, the Thinkpad screen is quite dull and when I put images on other screens, colours can be too vibrant or over saturated. That’s hardware related, otherwise it’s all ArtRage.
How would you normally paint a picture? What is your process?
I’ve written a tutorial about that which I hope helps someone.What are your favourite ArtRage features?
The pencil, airbrush, pen and the stickers! Always the stickers!
Least used?
The gloop pen, oils, watercolours, stencils. There’s actually quite a lot I don’t use….It does so much and it does it all well.
Do you have any tips for other artists who might want to do the same thing as you?
Spend time exploring the tools, they are legion, and try everything. Oh and layers! Never be afraid to start a new layer. Like remembering to save your work, regularly start a new layer.
Any ArtRage specific tips?
Stickers! Yes I’m obsessed with them! They can be so versatile. They feature in my tutorial.
Is ArtRage suited to professional artwork?
Yes, it’s reliable and adaptable to any task you throw at it.
You can see more of Paul’s work on Facebook | Instagram | DeviantART
Learn how to draw realistic portraits like Paul in the Amber Benson Portrait Tutorial
Painting Realistic Portraits With Paul Hinch-Worman