Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Hey there Nicholas D. Wolfwood filling in for Mr. Andrew of Sonic News to bring you a special interview with the awesome fan artist Generation 8.
Generation8:Hello there!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:So Gen what can you tell us about how you discovered your talent in art?
Generation8: I don't think I 'discovered' it as such. I always enjoyed drawing, I saw it as a obsessive passtime, and I still do!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:That's great. And how long now have you been making drawing a passtime of yours?
Generation8:About 4 years
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:How did you come into interest with the world of Sonic?
Generation8:I'm not to sure if I kept track of that one! I guess the internet started me off. He was plastered everywhere I could imagine. So I thought, stop drawing horses and try Sonic!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Who (if any) are some of your idols and why?
Generation8:Patrick Spaziante would be no.1 on my idol list! I think he draws with a lot of thought and compassion, making it more than a job. I also like the fact that he is not afraid to experiment with different styles, like I'm not.
Generation8:Then there would be FRY, I like his anime style!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Judging from many of your pics you seem to draw a bit of an SA style mixed in with your own correct?
Generation8:Yes that is correct! (ten points go onto the score panel) I thought the SA colouring was cool! I thought I'd try it too!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:But how much have you progressed into your own style as far as present pictures go? And also what were some inspirations for the awesome characters you’ve created?
Generation8:My style changes so often, I've never actually developed my personal style. I'm starting to base the style more on the comics now, for some reason.
Generation8:Inspiration? Well, Croh was inspired by Vivi from FF9, and a scarecrow in a knitting magazine!
Generation8:I sometimes get inspiration from other artist’s characters, and comics/ magazines.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:And now if you don't mind me taking my own personal works into this.... why'd you take interest into the Sotsu series recently?Or more or less why this series over the many other great ones at TSF.
Generation8:lol! I saw this coming! Probabally because my personal character was going to be in it! And with all the other interesting TSFers joining, I thought it might be fun!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Alright. Well, when did you begin using computer programs as a means of coloring, and how long does a computer colored pic take in comparasion to a hand-colored one?
Generation8:Computer colouring started about 2 years ago. But this year I have used it as preference over pencil! They take me from half an hour, to 2 hours (SA style and 3D). Coloured pics use to take me about an hour as well. But my hands hurt when I coloured in pencil, so I resorted to the computer.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:What programs do you mostly suggest for computer coloring and why?
Generation8:Paint shop pro 5 or 6. It is the easiest for me since I discovered the wand tool, and now I can shade without worrying about going out the lines. Also because it's simple (to me now anyway) and has helpful tools.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Now why don't you tell us about Generation (the character) who she is, why you choose her to represent you and how many styles and makeovers she has gone through over the course of your fan art career?
Generation8:Gen is my third character I have used for myself, after Khristy-Lu and Flame. She was originally a female version of Sonic. *scary thought* His sister to be exact. But then I grew bored of her, and she changed. I took all of the favourite things I give my other characters (the top, the hair) And combined them into Gen.
Generation8:She's been through over 10 makeovers, because everytime I draw her, she changes in some way or the other!
Generation8:Hey, she started out Sonic blue with a red jacket and a brown plait!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Tell us about some of your own favorite characters and what they mean to you.
Generation8:Beans is one of my favourites. She's wearing all the latest clothes, while still looking sweet! Quar I like as well, because in actual fact, I dreamed him up (literally). He's different and unique, like croh is!
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Can you tell us anything about the recent echidna namesake at TSF known as Dametheus?As in that guy who posted a while ago asking for such pics of him?
Generation8:Dametheus? I'm writing a story about him right now! Well, I don't know about that one, I'm sure he knew about Dametheus, and was hoping I wouldn't find out he used his name! But, I'm happy to let him have Dametheus, as long as he asks.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Hmm well it seems you have lots of fans ranging from the people I force to your TSF art page to me, the might fanatic himself. And now it's lead to this interview. What do you look forward to in your future in the fan art business, and you said you were writing. Can you tell us about any of your written works?
Generation8:I look forward to making more people happy through my drawings! I also want to develop a style I can call my own, and keep improving.
Generation8:I've only written 4 Sonic based stories. Teh first took place after Sonic Adventure, where Chaos comes back for the final time. The second was about my character, and how I met Sonic and the FF's. The third was a remake of this, updated with a little of my history thrown in. And my fourth... That's in the works ^_^
Nicholas D. Wolfwood:Alright well that's all the time we have to interview. Thanks a lot Gen for taking your time to do this. Be sure to check out Generation 8's awesome art at TSF and hopefully soon to be hosted here at Sonic News. Any last words before we end this?
Generation8:There sure is! A big thank you to you and all the other people who are made happy by my drawings. That's all I aim for, to make people happy. ^_^
sthnews:Thanks you two,good luck on the art Generation8,and thanks for your help Nicholas D. Wolfwood!
