Vincent (NITEAngel) AngelWORLD niteangel.deviantart.com

What's a 'NITEANGEL' doing with abstract artworks? How did you come up with that nick/pseudonym? What lured you into doing abstract artworks? Night Angel is actually a nickname of someone whom I had a close relationship with in the past. It was all history now, but still I like this name and I keep it. I probably have a special obsession with night or dark environment, and so I feel the power in this nickname. At the same time I think it is the moment to change the preconception of the people, angels aren’t all female like. Even the Bible doesn’t say all angels are female.

This is actually one of the things I have been doing in architectural study: removing preconceptions and defying gravity. Interesting enough, now I realize that doing abstract art is actually the same, you are also fighting against the preconceptions of the people as many of them hate this kind of art only because they preconceive it as something bad. Anyway there isn’t much relationship between my nick and my works. NITEANGEL is actually another version of Night Angel, but I have no idea why I didn’t choose NIGHTANGEL as the nick in DA before, ha.

I have no idea why I entered the field of abstract artworks. It all happened quite suddenly in March 2002. I was still a young web-designer with very little experience, and one day I wanted to make a wallpaper for myself. I also read some interesting tutorials how to make distorted objects.

So I tried that with 3DS and Bryce and came up with something called Warpgate IX. It was really fun and I started to explore more, and looked more into other famous abstract stuff. It is so exciting and I cannot stop and finally became an abstract artist. I must admit that the main reason I do abstract stuff is because I found a big place of ground to allow my emotions to run and express. It represents my feelings and attitudes while I cannot find another kind of art to do the same job. It is like the infinite world, where you will never finish exploring it. That is perhaps what pulls me to continue doing abstract art.

Infinite and boundless possibilities indeed. So can you give us an overview of your style?

Well, it is actually quite hard to talk about my style, you know, as we artists do not work for a kind of style. We do art for the sake of it, not making styles. Anyway I would say my abstract art is kind of organic and quite formless. I seldom use very concrete or defined shapes just like my emotions, formless and vague. What I use to shape my art is probably lighting, which is energy, the ultimate state of anything in this world. My topics don't have a particular range, as I always want to introduce some different types of elements to explore new areas.

For LARGER versions: » NITEANGEL.deviantart » AngelWORLD

Can we get you to reveal some trade secrets, such as what... softwares and other non-computer/digital related ones do you employ?

To do art I must have Photoshop, otherwise I cannot do anything. I also use 3DS Max and Bryce 5, with the latter one being an excellent program overlooked by a lot of people. Actually I also use some programmes I learnt in the university like VIZ and AutoCAD. KPT and Universe are also important for me.

The music which serenades you while you're doing your craft.

Recently I realized music is a very important source of inspiration for artists like me. In the past, and even sometimes today, I read books to get ideas, but music is even better. It is not concrete and it allows you to create its form in your own imagination. It is so free and keeps changing every time you listen to it. However, I only listen to pop, some rap and a bit rock. I have electro music too, but I do not like it much. Anyway I also recommend reading books, because only from them do you know how to transform your ideas from formless to concrete.

... a peek into how your works take form from their conception to the finished product.

I create art only when the ideas come. I just cannot start from a blank piece of paper suddenly without any inspiration. I don't believe inspiration comes from blank papers. When the inspiration come, I sometimes draft the image by drawing on papers. Then in the computer I will play with 3D programmes and see what I can do. Usually the renderings don't really look like the draft, or even the final product. Photoshop plays the trick here. I spend most of the time in Photoshop, retouching, airbrushing, coloring and adding lighting, and all these gradually alter the image. This process takes more than 3 days at least, and is the most exciting part of doing art. You have no idea what the image will become next, and sometimes even you cannot achieve the draft you drew before, you will still be surprised by another product. To check if I really like the product image I usually put it aside before going to bed. Then the next morning I will take a look at it again with a new fresh angle. If I like it, that's it, otherwise I will have to look into the image and see what is missing or what is too much. I learnt this from Jedeye actually, heh. This is generally how I get my artworks done.

When you're not creating digital abstracts or in front of the computer what do you do?

If you ask me what I do when I am not in front of the computer, then I will tell you I am trying to get back to the computer. LOL, just kidding. I actually have sports when my computer is off and when there are few assignments from school. I play quite a number of sports, and my favourite ones are basketball and swimming. Sports are really good because when you play you don't think about anything else. You free your mind and put yourself totally in the physical environment.

Other than that I also spend time drawing and reading. Drawing has been my hobby since I was like 3 years old. Believe me, I can still draw well now, especially when my architectural studies need me to do so. Reading is very enjoyable too. When you read you absorb the others' thinking, and in your mind you reform it as part of your thinking. Thus, books inspire you in many ways, and I think reading is important to keep an artist like me alive.

... and can you paint a picture with words of who NiteAngel is outside the online world... like you i tend to use the nick instead of my real name in the online world :]

Outside the online world, Niteangel is a healthy boy called Vincent studying architecture in university in Hong Kong. It seems like all the people I know call me computer-man or graphic-man because I am one of the very few people in the department doing graphics. In studying I do quite well, and quite all-rounded. Interestingly even in reality, some people who know me for a long time call me by my nickname: Hi Angel; Heyo Angelic Bro. Ha, that's funny, sounds like we cannot get away from the digital world.

From your earlier responses, it's obvious that you enjoy reading immensely, which book that you've delved into is your favorite? And do you have any one favorite movie?

My favourite book, um, actually I don’t have a book that I like most, because I found interesting books from time to time. My favourite movie is, till now, Lord of the Rings. It has so many stunning scenes that you can never forget. I like Ocean’s Eleven too.

What about a favorite artist?

I don’t know many non-digital artists, and so I can’t decide who’s my favourite one. For digital artists, my favourite one will definitely be Jens Karlsson from Chapter3.net. The reason for this is very obvious. He is an abstract artist who can always break through standards and preconceptions. That’s what every artist has to learn, to be new and original.

Since we've been dealing with tastes and preferences, let me go further by asking you to elaborate on the particular genre of music or musician who rock your world...

I listen to pop mostly, as rock is too heavy for me while R&B things are too irritating sometimes. Currently my favourite artist in music is Avril Lavigne. She is the person whom I admire and appreciate most after Christina Aguilera. Talking about music I think she has the talents and skills to bring out the essence of pop. She is new to the music world, and I look forward to her future music approach, and hope she can amaze us again. My favourite band is the Corrs, which has four members. I love how natural and original their music is, something that you can never find it old.

Getting a tad bit personal, but I can't let this interview pass without asking you who you think the sexiest woman is...

Oh sexiest woman, that’s a really hard question. I have no choice but to say my previous girlfriend is the most beautiful one, though the relationship has ended and I am in no relationship now. To me the sexiest lady is not only about the body, but about two things: the eyes and the way she behaves. They are the things that turn me on. That’s what I like about my ex-girlfriend.

My favourite website will definitely be my own one! That’s the purest and most heavenly one I have ever seen! Okay, besides my Angelworld, I would say the website I like most recently is http://www.schmidtfoto.de/, which is a photography site. It is so beautiful and simple, with the animation fitting the functions of the site so well. Everyone should take a look at that.

CONTINUE

[ FEATURES SECTION / PIXELCATALYST.HOME ]