This interview has been edited for format and clarity.
PR: Tell me a bit about your artistic background and when you first started using rendering software.
T: Ever since I entered the world of making comics twenty years ago, my main goal was to create better comics in as fast of a way as possible. Through this quest of mine it became obvious that I had to incorporate the 3d technology into my work. While still learning the world of 3d, I stared using Poser 6 to create my first comics with 3d models that I had customized to tell my stories. Poser, I just loved this software because it was targeted for artists that wanted to use digital technology to achieve their artworks, and that was just fantastic!
The artwork looked too generic to other 3d visuals you could find on the internet. At first I found a semi-solution by incorporating a set of actions that I had created in Photoshop, and that offered a brief solution for a time. At a certain point I concentrated more on Photoshop and the image manipulations I could do with it and of course continued to explore and learn more about the realm of the 3d.
PR: Pulp magazines and golden age comic books are prominently featured in your renders. What is it about this bygone era of print media that inspires your work?
T: I grew up with movies and series such as Planet of the Apes, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Rocketeer, the Ray Harryhause movies etc. All these images and stories gave me the first sparks to start imagining and drawing.
PR: Your “breath of fresh air” series is a unique spin on pinups. Where did the idea for this line come from?
T: Well, I was influenced by the Covid pandemic and with the wearing masks and all, so I wanted to create a line of images that had the use of masks and that would project a sense of hope and simultaneous despair.
PR: You pull inspiration from American comic books and pulp fiction, but occasionally bridge European subjects into your work as well. In your view, how (primarily) does European comic media differ from American?
T: Firstly, let me just say that I love America and it’s Pop Culture. To me, America is 100 years ahead of the rest of the world. This American Pop Culture has influenced the way I design and draw. At the same time, I love the European culture. The European culture, including comics, focuses more on the concept of things and has more cerebral and refined visual depictions. The American counterpart is more straightforward and designed to visually impress the audience. I like them both!
PR: You work in both Daz Studio and Poser. What do you like about each program’s unique rendering capabilities, and how do you choose which program to use when creating a new piece?
T: I use Poser whenever I want to design a classic looking comic book style. Daz is more versatile, and I usually make use of it when I want to create more painterly effects. Most of the time I combine the two. I like them both!
PR: When creating advertisements or magazine covers, what programs and techniques do you use for after effects, text, and backgrounds?
T: I use Poser, Daz, Zbrush, Haxagon and Photoshop. Most of the times I just paint over the 3d render.
PR: You produced art for the highly ambitious comic book The Traveller, which utilized both renders and traditional comic book inking techniques. What has the trend been like in recent years for render art in comic books? Is the medium still mostly relegated to online content, or are print books finally starting to embrace it?
T: Well, there are some traditional artists who look down on these kind of techniques. Perhaps they feel a little bit threatened by this new medium? I don’t know. But the more time passes the more it seems that editors and publishers are willing the embrace this approach of designing comics.
PR: Can you elaborate on your artistic process for The Traveller? It looks quite different from the “sketch” render styles you typically see used in comics. Why did you choose to approach the art from this angle, and what sort of work was involved in the post-processing or inking/colouring phase of the drawings?
T: I do my composition in Poser and then I draw over them in Photoshop. It’s a simple method with no secrets. And if I am going to expand further on this, I believe that there are no secrets to succeeding or achieving what you want. People can read as many books as they like about how to be successful and the only success they will see is that of the authors who wrote those books and became rich.
My philosophy is keep things clear in your mind and keep doing and experimenting what you like and what you are good at and the solutions will come eventually.
PR: Are there any projects you’re currently working on that you’d like to share?
T: Right now I am working on The Traveller Volume 2 and few others, but I am under contract and cannot talk about them yet!
…the more time passes the more it seems that editors and publishers are willing the embrace this approach of designing comics.
You can see more of Tanarel’s work on his Rendersoity gallery, as well as his Facebook page.