Bored Panda reached out to the artist:
"I’m an Australian living in Sydney. I started photoshopping things on my phone about 3 years ago as a part of Reddit photoshop battles.
Star Wars has always been my favorite movie series and the whole old portraits and paintings thing started with the Ewan McGregor 'General Kenobi' over a year ago, which was a play on the meme. It was later reposted, which prompted me to make more of them, and it’s just snowballed from there into other pop culture characters, but always seems to come back to Star Wars.
These portraits take on average around 2-3 hours to do. I make them on my iPhone with an app like photoshop and they involve a lot of work on texture layers and lighting to fit into the original pictures.
These past few months have been crazy and the response to everything has been mind-blowing. I’m very grateful to all the people who follow my work and glad I bring some enjoyment to others with what I do.
Having had people like the guys from The Boys and Rosario Dawson share my art has just been phenomenal and I’m very honored and grateful for those opportunities to have come about."
Is it hard coming up with ideas so frequently, especially Star Wars-themed ones?
“It can be really difficult. Sometimes I’ll have 3 or 4 ideas going at once and then other times I have artist's block and can’t think of anything.
The great thing about Star Wars is, there are so many characters to draw inspiration from. With all the Legends, comics, and now with all the new Disney+ shows, there’s almost always something to make from it.”
Do you only use your phone to do all of the photo editing?
“Yes, I do! I make them on my iPhone with an app like Photoshop called SuperimposeX and they involve a lot of work on texture layers and lighting to fit into the original pictures.
I actually like the convenience of it as I can edit on the train, waiting somewhere, in bed, etc.”
Do you ever feel burnt out by doing creative work?
“Sometimes. I think anyone that does art can get that burnt-out feeling, especially in the social media and digital art side of it. Most content really only lives for a day or two before it’s old and there is a need or drive to come up with a new piece or series. You have to push past that, though, and do what you want to do and use what motivates you to make more.”
What would be your tip for those who are getting into photo editing/manipulation?
“Practice, practice, practice, and light! Understanding how light works and using color and contrast makes all the difference.
I learned from doing photoshop battles on Reddit. The community there is amazing and very welcoming. I learned a lot from the other users there.”
What part of the creative process do you enjoy the most?
“I like the challenges of exploring different art styles. Replicating them can be really difficult and there I definitely get a kick out of it when it works. There are also those rare magic moments when you make something and it just blends perfectly.”
Do you have any other advice for beginner digital artists, especially potential emerging talents who feel a bit unsure of themselves and putting their work out there?
“No one ever succeeded without failing. It’s a part of life and art. You have to remember art is so subjective and what 5 people love, 3 will hate. Negative comments will happen. Always. You just filter them for what may be valid criticism and use it to grow and improve.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other artists for advice, I still do! It took me 3 years to be where I am and I still know that I don’t know everything, could learn more, get better.
These past few months have been crazy and the response to everything has been mind-blowing. I’m very grateful to all the people who follow my work and glad I bring some enjoyment to others with what I do.
Having had people like the guys from The Boys and Rosario Dawson share my art has just been phenomenal and I’m very honored and grateful for those opportunities to have come about.”
