Interview & Tips With Kurt Papstein

Interview & Tips With Kurt Papstein

We've done quite a few interviews so far here at Cubebrush and we still can't believe the level of talent we've come across. Once again, we had the chance to chat with an artist on top of his game many of you will likely know already - Kurt Papstein.

We're excited to show you a small yet impressive selection of his artworks and share our interview below. We also highly recommend you pay his Cubebrush store a visit - he's got some fantastic stuff on there!



Q. Could you start with your entire life story as an artist in 1 sentence?

I've been drawing since I was very little, parents encouraged me as well as teachers all through school and stayed focused on what I wanted!

Q. Where does your love for creepy-sci-fi creatures come from?

Watching movies, and having a love of animals. I became more interested in the unknown of our own world with deep sea life and other planets. The Alien franchise really grabbed me at a young age, so did Jurassic Park. Both of those films were so real for me, I was really immersed in those movies and they stuck with me. Nature documentaries and old vhs tapes of scuba diving in deep waters probably helped a lot too. There were a few of them I watched every day on loop.

Q. Can you come up with a few qualities artists need to be at least moderately successful (money-wise)?

The ability to take in feedback and new direction from a client, and still be really excited about the product you're making. Artists commonly disconnect from the project and become difficult to motivate when they no longer feel an ownership to the piece they are making. Being able to always find that excitement and deliver on the requests in a way that still surprises and thrills the client is a huge advantage. When it comes to personal art and making a name for yourself, it's about knowing your audience and finding your place in the crowd of "fan art" so to speak. Or you present something so new and exciting that you build your own audience over time. It's hard to put your finger on what is right. Whatever you do, do it very well. Everyone can respect hard work and talent.

Q. What is the best tip you have for younger artists looking to do what you do for a living?

Draw every day, sculpt all the time, think about your craft even when doing the most mundane daily activities. It's a mental state and way of being, to push beyond the average talent, you need to be digesting your world daily to be fully prepared to work with form and design. I've heard a saying: Animation is the study of life. I really feel that sculpting is just the same, you're capturing a moment in time, freezing that motion and successfully making it feel balanced, real, and filled with life.

Q. If you could master a skill instantly, which one would it be, why?

Tailoring. I want to be able to make real clothing for figurines and fine art pieces. Marvelous Designer wet my appetite for real clothing in my characters, it's a great feeling to know that the clothes you make in cg could actually work. I got tired of faking it.

Q. What's your favorite way of life, freelance or in-house?

That's a hard one. I love working with the team and having a place to be. A group that is set on a common goal. However I also love having my space, and my own creative freedom in the home office. I think if you're disciplined you can make the latter work for you, but if you have a hard time managing yourself and bringing in work, the studio life is the way to go. Right now I'm enjoying in-house work, I don't need to juggle so much outside of the job itself, and taxes are easier.

Q. Bacon or tofu?

I've been trying to cut back, but bacon every day.

Q. Finally, any big plan or project for 2016?

Toys and collectibles! They've been on hold for a while, but my personal 3d printer is arriving in the coming weeks and the first round of prototypes will be on display soon.