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Luka Jurše: What does an illustrator do in the performance of Katja Dance Company

Writer's picture: Katja Dance CompanyKatja Dance Company

Luka, your relationship with Katja Vidmar started a long time ago. You were her student at high school, Katja was your Slovenian teacher. We are all a few years older and our paths crossed again a few months ago. A real collaboration was born from a conversation, and we at Katja Dance Company are richer for the novelty in our production of dance performances. You are a digital illustrator, and the audience will be able to admire your work for the first time in the latest children's theater dance fairy tale - the unique graphic background of the scene. Premiered for the first time in the Kosovelova theatre in Sežana on November 9.


We are really happy to cooperate, as this will enrich the stage design, especially in theaters, where we will be able to use the projection on the screen and thus add some new attractive design dimension for better communication to the audience, and at the same time a completely different environment for our dancers on stage.

Katja Dance Company's projects attract me mainly because of their altruistic vision and general efforts to achieve social benefit in the field of children's education, as well as for general charitable purposes.

Luka, what inspired you to choose a career in digital illustration animation?

I had a tendency to draw throughout my childhood, even though most of us drew in kindergarten, because as humans, we have an innate tendency to creative expression, which is not an immediate indicator. However, this way of expression remained with an ever narrower selection of children upon the transition to primary school. The curiosity to create a non-existent world, which you try to communicate on paper in your own way, continued to drive me. Positive affirmations contributed a lot to this, but the biggest inspirations were Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Japanese cartoons like *Naruto*, and other cartoons from my childhood. In the beginning I mostly drew 3D cars, some graffiti for a while, and after a long exposure to animated series I started drawing characters. This later evolved into portraits. This gravitational pull of drawing was so strong that I didn't keep up with the lessons and was always the kid to whom a sharp cry was shot: "Luka, stop drawing and listen!"


In high school, I developed an initial flair for portraits, with which I inspired my classmates and professors, which made me prefer drawing even more. I also remember Katja, who always liked to admire my sketches in Slovenian classes, which flowed around sonnet wreaths and linguistic rules, and between the words "no", "I will". During this period came the strongest influence on my drawing, which I even quietly whispered to myself: "I want to become a concept artist," and this influence was the game *League of Legends*.


Despite the positive affirmations, I decided to study chemistry because it seemed to me a clearer picture of the future than the future of a freelance artist. Although I sometimes have a wild imagination to create, my future as a freelance artist was blurred, with no clear path. And because the dark and the unknown is the primary fear inherited, like a frightened child I took refuge under the protection of chemistry. But towards the end of my senior year, the picture of everything became a bit clearer for me; I bought a graphics tablet and started creating, drawing 8 hours a day to reach the highest possible level in a short time. That time was running out, but I managed to get to the point where I am today.


You are currently creating scene graphics for the fairy tale Mouse School. How do you see this project and how did you approach it?

This project, as well as the other projects of Katja Dance Company, attract me mainly because of your altruistic vision and general efforts to achieve social benefit in the field of children's education, as well as for general charitable purposes. I think that these types of projects are often overlooked in today's society. Despite the fact that we are surrounded by cynicism, which often clouds our view of the world, I believe that it is worth competing for certain things in the world and contributing to a better future. With my colorful and frank illustrations, I want to move away from pessimism and in this way enlighten our world. When starting illustrations, I imagine a snapshot of the environment in its absolute paradise; I try to evoke feelings of warmth, security, grace and tranquility in the viewers. I want to create each illustration as a self-contained wonder that offers a benevolent mental shelter.

How does your typical working day as a digital graphics illustrator go?

My typical day as an illustrator is to get up around 12, go for a short walk after breakfast to clear my mind and maybe get some more ideas. Then I start drawing. First comes an hour of warm-up sketches to fill my brain with creativity. Then I try to gather as many references as possible that inspire me and are aligned with my goal, and then I start the project. I start with rough sketches or drafts, in English these drafts have a specific name "thumbnails" - they are the basis for every illustration, where the composition of shapes (foreground, midground and background layers) and the distribution of tones for the final version of the image is established. Then, if there are no other commitments during the day, I draw late into the night, because that's when solutions most often come to me.


Which project or illustration you worked on is your favorite and why?

I have quite a few projects behind me that are close to my heart, but if I have to choose one, it would be the slot game that I drew for three months at work. I drew Egyptian symbols and two characters. Here I achieved a kind of excess in the technique of shading and designing characters. It's always been difficult for me to establish an appropriate color palette for any drawing, especially for a character concept, because with each color you can illustrate subtle nuances of his psychology. Right here, I captured the perfect essence of the adventure character, from the legibility of the silhouette, the exaggeration of the anatomy, to the color harmony that perfectly matches the character of the fictional protagonist.

How do you deal with creative blockages or lack of inspiration?

Blockages are unpredictable. Sometimes they occur if I create within the same bubble or category for too long, but sometimes blockages and lack of inspiration are the result of deeper psychological factors. It's best to take a break for a day or two, sometimes even a week. Sometimes I need a boost, so I look at the works of my idols. A different approach often helps - I use a different brush, a different style. If I spend more time drawing anatomy, I switch to faces, clothes, another part of the body, or even landscapes and animals, and study the work of other professional artists to reactivate that creative part that can be quite elusive.


What are the biggest challenges you face when illustrating complex scenes?

The biggest challenges, as I mentioned in the previous question, are capturing the correct color harmony of the subject I am drawing. Although there are often small accidents in the process, such as when I accidentally draw a wider curve and the silhouette is suddenly readable, or accidentally apply a color that unexpectedly elevates the palette and the overall design, the in-between stage when the colors do not match perfectly is inevitable. The combination can be muddy, boring and desolate. Such complications are part of the daily work of an artist and sometimes it seems as if the life of an artist is a work of Sisyphus. Another big problem is the composition of shapes - how to stylize the subject so that it is unique, and how to distribute large, small and medium shapes so that it is not too saturated or monotonous. What is needed is uniformity with just the right amount of variability.


How important is collaboration with other team members when creating?

Collaboration enables the exchange of ideas, which can improve the creative process and lead to a more coherent final product. It also helps divide tasks such as composition, color schemes and technical details, ensuring that the project runs smoothly and efficiently.

How do you see the future of digital graphics animation and what trends do you expect in the coming years?

With the sudden development of artificial intelligence, it is sometimes difficult to look at the future from a positive point of view. Already today, it can be seen that, due to the need for mass production of artwork in the gaming industry, creativity and the need for artistic expression of individual artists have been put aside, and I fear that things will not improve at all in the future.


The fact is that in many areas, AI has made previously very complex processes much easier for companies, and this is especially true in the area of ​​the "gaming" industry. The capitalist system and the need for profit is not the only reason why artificial intelligence has a negative impact on the development of art. For many, the mentioned technology represents a shortcut to the final product, while neglecting the entire process of learning and practice, which is of vital importance for every artist who wants to improve in a given field.


Already today, I notice that the Internet is flooded with dismal products that are the result of mass production. The mentioned products are emotionless, not only from the point of view of the process of their creation, but also due to the absence of any individuality, which is the result of the "copy-paste" approach of artificial intelligence. I'm afraid that with the advancement of AI, we can therefore expect even more non-creative works.


The reality is that we artists find ourselves in extremely precarious circumstances, but I hope and believe that for the most die-hard among us, AI will further stimulate creativity as higher standards are demanded, perhaps tested and exceeded the limits of human creativity.


I believe that artwork is not just the final product that we see on the canvas, but the entire context in which the artwork is created. Every stroke made by a human hand on an image has its own purpose, vision and message, which AI cannot replicate. AI can be a useful tool that speeds up production time, but in the long run it will not contribute to what makes art an important part of our society - HUMANS. The void that AI will leave behind will always be filled by the human touch.


What advice would you give to young people who want to start a career as a digital illustrator?

If drawing makes you happy, don't be discouraged by the current dystopian nature of replacement artificial intelligence. Instead, find inspiration in freelance artists who inspire you, and make steady progress towards your life's goal every day. But don't look at it as a final salvation - enjoy the long and rich process that brings you growth, learning and fulfillment throughout your life.


Luka, thank you for the conversation and we look forward to the fact that viewers will soon have the opportunity to see our new creation, this time also with your great cooperation!


These are some of Luka's visualizations:





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