Interview – Elena Dudina

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?

My name is, Elena Dudina. I was born in Russia, my childhood and youth I spent from one place to another. My father was in the military, a fighter pilot. So as you might undertand, we moved a lot. From Estonia to Latvia, even from the Arctic to the Ukraine and seven years in Siberia.

Now I´ve settled down with my husband in Spain, where we have lived for eight years now. Since my husband is spanish and I love this country, we figured it were the best for the both of us.

2. How long have you been designing?

I started almost two years ago with Photoshop Elements, were I at first devouring tutorials. Trial and error. When I felt I was ready, one year ago, I went to two photomanipulation courses (130 hours) and got Photoshop CS3. So in rough counting, we can say that I´ve been designing for about two years.

3. Where do you get your inspiration from?

It´s not always the same, sometimes I have an idea in my head and when I find the appropiated stocks I begin to develop it. Other times I start with a stock that I love (especially a model) and begin to try things, to combine them until I´ve got that “I have something here”. This is the hardest part of the process. Then the rest flows naturally.

4. When you aren’t creating beautiful art, what do you do for fun?

DeviantArt takes me several hours a day, I like to look after feedback with other artists, discover new talents etc. Apart, I love reading, I´m starting to do photography, a couple of good trips each year. Since I am a very homely person, like my husband, we spend many hours together doing nothing.

5. When creating a new file, could you describe your workflow for us?

When I´ve decided what to do, I usually make a general composition. I start looking for different elements, and combine them to get the flow going. It´s like a puzzle, It´s a long process to make it perfect. I do a lot of tests, combinations and so on, until I´ve considered that this is what I was looking for.

When I know that I’ve got it, I begin with the artistic side. Such as the lights, colors, contrast, level etc. Each step for the process, It´s a most enjoyable time. And finally, the retouching and details, this is the part I love the most.

6. Do you make any money from designing?

Very little for the moment, I do get many proposals, but since I´m a very demanding person I´ve rejected numerous. But I think that are starting to change, and hopefully I can make my profession as a photomanipulator, since I feel more safe now than before.

7. Besides yourself, who is your all-time favorite artist?

Hieronymus Boch are my all-time favorite artist. I live ten minutes from the Prado Museum in Madrid, I have him and the other big artists very on hand. And Salvador Dalí, I do not like contemporary art so much, but he is one of the exceptions. I look forward to the tour of his places (Pubol, Cadaqués etc). Next summer, I hope.

8. Which one of your files would you say you are most pleased with?

I’m very picky with my work, and although I do not like to resume my works once I think they are completed, I get rid of those I stop to like so, I can not cite one. Either that I keep in my DeviantArt gallery.

9. Thank you again for providing BeCreative Magazine, the opportunity to interview you. Any final words/thoughts for our readers?

Thank you! Just create with much love, hard work and patience. That´s what I consider basic to begin. Find your own style and feel like telling stories is as follows.