Exclusive Interview with Alice Ciobotaru aka Seiorai

1. Alice, we'd like you to introduce yourself. Would you please tell us a bit about your background?

Hi everyone, thank you for reading :) There is not much to say, other than just like many others probably, I was introduced to Photoshop by a friend 5 years ago, and although at first I disregarded it (was partial to traditional media at the time, and for digital I only used the 3D programs Bryce and Poser), one day in February I was stuck at home and decided to give it a go...

Never looked back since *laughs*

2. Did you have a favorite colour as a kid?

Everyone has a favorite color I guess, I was no exception.

As a kid I mainly liked dark red/gold.

Of course tastes change with time, but those two are still in my top 5

3. Will you tell us a little about your hobbies?

I suppose that is apart from Photoshop and drawing *laughs*

I enjoy the outdoors a lot, so any activity to do with outings is a win. Reading, gaming, Shakespeare, learning foreign languages, Egyptology, astronomy and writing music are also options when I have a free second.

4. What was the first graphics editing program you worked with?

I guess I could say "MS Paint"....back in the Windows '95 days, on a school computer, doodling goodness-knows-what even before I had learned how to draw right *smiles*

However my first serious and focused graphic attempts were made in Photoshop 7.

5. Do you have a special theme or subject that inspires you when you start drawing?

Not really, it depends on the mood to be honest (when I am drawing for myself that is).

And the idea can come from anywhere, TV, videos, movies, books, other artists' works or...thin air (read immagination).

6. Being a freelancer gives you a lot of freedom, but what is the other side of the coin?

Freedom...yes, I suppose in some ways it does give you more freedom than other jobs, yes.

However it is not really that different from a daily job in the ways that you always have to try your best, you have to juggle and accommodate multiple employers, each with his/her own different style, own different needs. You also have to constantly re-invent yourself, which can be difficult at times and which you must not worry about when having a boring, day-to-day job.

But.

Bottom line, the other side of the coin is less important if you have will, passion and...supreme multitasking ability *laughs*

So if you have decently organized life and the above-mentioned, go for it :) The darker side of the coin might just fade away ^^

7. Please, describe the usual flow of your work process. How do you start, what key points do you consider etc?

Generally the process is exactly the sae in all design areas: first, a fuzzy idea which stubbornly refuses to get caught in the net. Then a vague sketch, refine, add, delete, scrap, draw again, refine, add in base shapes&colors, add more shading&detail, then spend a loooot of time on tiny finishing touches...ta-daa... xD

8. You are so young! Do you have any future career plans?

After 5 years I reached a point where I feel the need to share with others my knowledge, while of course learnimg myself more every day. And that is what I plan to do in the near future.

Far away future...let's keep an open mind to all the possibilities! =D

9. What specific skills you think a professional graphic designer has to possess?

Well, I would not list all the following under "skills", but let's say....immagination, desire to learn and adapt, respect and at the same time disregard for trends - he/she must always seek to take current trends and improve them at least, if they can't launch new ones by themselves.

To those three above is of course added patience: you might learn the besics of Photoshop in two weeks, but to feel the program like an extension of yourself and be able to move to the next step of creating original work, much more than 14 days will have to pass.

Once you reach a professional level, apart from the above I believe that a good level of organisation is required.

10. Web design is commonly considered an operose, time-consuming job. Does it force your private life out?

I think that any job which you want to do properly is a time-consuming one. There is no such thing as waving a magic wand and getting everything done to perfection...at least there isn't for me.

Therefore I think that web design is no particular exception to this. But as long as what you do -say your job- and your life are not distinct entities but are blended one in another, one will not force the other out, they are one.

Thanks, Alice, for the wonderful interview !!!!

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with your readers :)