David Longdon
In the Studio With
Our first interview with David Longdon was published in the winter of 2018, and since then, both he and Big Big Train became household names for RVG and its most faithful listeners. Fast-forward two years and you’ll find us all here, having just finished the preparations for the publication of our follow-up interview with David, thereby marking the start of a new decade for Vox Groovy in a grand way.
We invited David over to the studio, so instead of our usual text-based interview, we’ve got a “real” one for you today. Of course, we much prefer this way because it allows us to really meet the person, which is exactly what we had the privilege of doing. The frontman arrived ahead of time, and it’s safe to assume that anyone’s first impression of him would be that he is a humble, sophisticated and well-spoken gentleman[…]
Desktop Radio Links (192 kbps)
(Live! Broadcast only)
Windows Media Player
VLC Player
Real Player
Laptop resolution player:
Grooving on the Music!
Reprise SK+ Live! SK+ Live! EN
Coming Soon:
Here We Go Again
If you’re an aspiring concept artist trying to self-teach digital art, you’re probably overwhelmed by the sheer amount of sources currently available to you on the Internet. The problem is that a lot of these online resources keep all of their applicable advice behind a paywall, usually opting to offer only the inspirational but vague bits and pieces up for free. This is why, after the success of our 2016 “Ten Tips for Becoming a Better Concept Artist” article, we thought that we’d bring you another set of useful tips from the industry that you can start applying straight away! For now, we’ve got a little preview for those of you who are interested in this upcoming article.
Gold Experience for Dragoborne TCG. ©️ Bushiroad International
Tip #1 of 10 by Livia Prima:
“Excellent references give you a better chance to create outstanding artworks. Before starting work on your piece, look for images that will support your vision. Collect the ones that will help you both technically (anatomy, lighting, structures, etc.) and mentally (your favourite colours, inspiring shape language, moods, etc.). These images can be anything, so don’t be afraid to include things like film stills, game screenshots, installation art, or even sculptures!
What’s important is that you do not limit yourself by only using paintings as reference. Getting all of this right will give you such a blissful feeling because it will allow you to find references that support the idea that you want to communicate through your art. Great references can hold you up so that you get to keep going and finish your piece while keeping you anchored in the original vision that you’ve set out to realize.“
– Livia Prima, Art Director at POLAR ENGINE
Art Relax Retrospective:
The Colourful World of Art Movements
On Tuesday, Vox Groovy’s Nina told us all about Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) and its wonderful collaborations with some of the world’s most popular fashion brands. If you love style as much as we do, you should consider heading on down to your island’s Able Sisters’ tailor’s shop, it’ll be easy to find a new look now that Marc Jacobs and Valentino released a number of new designs for our in-game avatars.
After that, we continued to traverse the colourful world of art movements by taking a closer look at impressionism. This is a movement that had to fight for its place in the art world, and even if no one questions the impressionists’ masterpieces anymore, the artworks were actually seen as “lesser” back in the 1800s. Masters like Monet, Renoir and Cézanne had to make waves with their art in order for the movement to stand out—one of the most important moves being their organizing of an exhibition in 1874. It had no state involvement, no jury and no hierarchy of subject matter. An approach that would change Paris and its art scene for the better.
Lastly, we spoke about Spirit of the North (2019), a game about two foxes that allows you to explore the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland. If you’re a fan of mythology or would like to learn a thing or two about any of the exciting topics from Tuesday’s show, tune in for the reprise!
Featured Artists:
Nightwish, Big Big Train, Evan Rachel Wood, The Beatles, Visions Of Atlantis, Gareth Coker, Whoopie Cat, David Bowie, The Amazing Devil, Regina Spektor, Cosmograf (and more).
Limited Slots
Cyberpunk Is yet to Reach Its Zenith
The recent influx of cyberpunk works has led a number of people to think that its static vision of hi-tech dystopias must evolve if it means to survive, but this reimagining doesn’t seem like a good idea to fans of the genre. After all, the cautionary tale it offers its audience is only just beginning to be relevant now that a Blade Runner-esque world has become one of mankind’s potential futures. As Eddie Mendoza says, “I think that we are already kind of living in that cyberpunk era.” With this in mind, it might be fair to say that cyberpunk’s unchanging message is yet to reach its zenith—something that’s bound to happen if we ever begin to see its many worlds morphing into ours.
Mendoza is a concept artist from Manila, currently working for Apple in Cupertino. Those of you who frequent ArtStation would have seen his key frames grace the front-page before, and as it turns out, that’s how Vox Groovy first found out about him and his incredible contributions to the cyberpunk genre. Of course, you’ll find that his portfolio has a little bit of everything, from neon-lit streets to opulent gardens, Mendoza has thought up a number of incredibly detailed digital paintings for admirers to enjoy. Of all the concept artists that the Internet has offered up, he quickly became a favourite of ours in this particular niche, and that’s part of the reason why we’re so excited about our exclusive interview with him.
Mendoza’s understanding of world-building is something every concept artist could learn from. His answers shed light on the thought processes behind the worlds he is constantly creating, highlighting things like: the Five Ws, imagining what it’s like to live in the place you are painting, reference photos, etc. And as you might expect, there’s lots to learn about his artistic past and his many inspirations (Akira and Ghost in the Shell, among others). Lastly, we’ll finally learn why this artist’s work boasts such an abundance of futuristic bikes! Here’s hoping that you all get something useful out of this one when you finish reading it!