MyDesyㄇㄞˋ點子 | 部落格

出生在象牙海岸，成長於比利時布魯塞爾的設計師Ben Heine，是一位充滿幽默極度有熱情的設計師，既是一名插畫家，也是攝影師、藝術家，他的創作多元又富有詩意，作品展來尋回歐洲各大城市中。

最新的一系列創作鉛筆與相機，讓他這一富有幽默的複合媒材結合的創作，一炮而紅；如此生動可愛的創作，除了多點觀賞選擇，更有豐富的想像力與會心一笑的幽默。

請跟ㄇㄞˋ點子的讀者介紹一下你的設計和藝術背景，以及是什麼讓你成為一個藝術家和設計師的呢？

我從事專業的繪畫、攝影已經快要十年了。我曾經在英國的Hastings學過雕塑、傳統繪畫。我其實是一個自學的視覺藝術家。我也擁有新聞學的學位，這讓我對於我居住的地方更有世界觀。

*Please tell MyDesy readers about your art and design background and what made you become an artist and designer.

I have been drawing, painting and taking photos as a professional for almost 10 years now. I briefly studied sculpture and traditional painting in Hastings (England). I'm mainly a self taught visual artist. I also have a degree in Journalism which helped me having a global view of the world we live in.

我們可以在哪裡找到你？

你可以在很多網路上的地方看到我的作品。我很熱衷於使用Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, DevianArt, Facebook等等。你可以透過在各個網站搜尋我的名字找到我。我也正在準備到一個新的網站叫做「The Artistery」上面展示和販售我的作品。

*Where can we find you (Twitter/Site/Blog/….)

You can follow my work on many online networks. I'm an active member on Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, DeviantArt, Facebook, etc... you may just find me by searching my name on any of these social websites. I'm also going to show and sell my creations in a new website called "The Artistery" (coming soon).

你是在辦公室裡工作嗎？而你的例行工作像什麼樣子呢？

嗯...不一定。我工作的方式比較像是一個在家裡的自由創意工作者。我常常花大部份的時間在發展新的點子以及個人專案，我也專注於某些特定的工作。 

* Do you work in an office? What is your routine like?

Well, not really. I work as a freelance creator from home. I usually spend most of my time developing new ideas and personal projects. From time to time, I also focus on specific commissions.>

你的工作總是很有創意且幽默地把很多照片混合在一起，你有沒有曾經遇到撞牆期呢？你怎麼渡過的？

非常感謝你的鼓勵。我從來沒有遇到過什麼撞牆期，因為我總是嘗試著不要去停留在某種單一的視覺規律。只要幾個禮拜做同樣的工作就會讓我感到非常無聊。所以我盡全力去找到新的視覺呈現方式、新的視覺風格、有時候把很多我所知到的不同技法合併在一起。這對我來說非常刺激，而且可以幫助我透過不同方式傳達創意與概念。

*Your work is full of creativity mixing painting with photos but with a sort of humor. Do you ever get stuck with creativity block? What would you do to get out of it?

Thank you very much. I've never had any kind of creativity block because I always try to not be stuck in one single graphic discipline. I get bored very quickly when I do the same type of work during several weeks. So I just do my best to find new forms of visual expression, new graphic styles, sometimes merging together various techniques I've already experimented. This is very exciting for me and it really helps to convey ideas and concepts in a different way.

你可以說明一下你的設計工作流程嘛？

這真的要取決於我正在做的工作性質。相片重製和修片對我來說總是最容易且最快的。蒙太奇則需要多花點時間。數位繪畫對我來說總是最具挑戰性不過也最有成就感。我總是要多花點時間去準備速寫和創作流程。一幅Circlist肖像至少需要花我幾天的時間來完成。

*Could you describe for us your typical 'start to finish' workflow when working on a design?

It really depends on the type of graphic work I'm doing. Retouching and improving photos is usually the easiest and fastest task for me. Complex photo-montages are a bit more time consuming. Making full and inventive digital paintings is the most difficult and challenging but also the most rewarding. It takes more time and usually requires preparatory sketche/studies and a step by step creation process. One circlist portrait takes me several days of work at least.

對你個人來說，做為一個設計師的優缺點有哪些？

我看到很多好處。從事視覺溝通領域有許多專業性的可能，而且設計總是需要表現各種創意和概念。但是視覺藝術上面也有些限制。我想應該就是它沒有辦法像音樂表現初強烈的情感。音樂絕對比較有力量。

*What, for you personally, are the pros and cons of being a designer?

I see lots of advantages. Working in the visual communication field offer many professional possibilities and designs are always needed to express any kind of ideas and concepts. But graphic art also has clear limits in the impact it can have, I think it will never be able to generate strong emotions as music can do for instance. Music is definitely more powerful.

成為設計師有沒有改變你的生活呢？你有沒有覺得你看事情不太一樣呢？

我真的覺得比較像是一個每天都做一樣事情的普通人，ㄎㄎ。每一件在我周遭的事情都影響著我，這是真的。我總是嘗是要用我身邊的簡單元素來作創作。

*How does your job as a designer influence your life? Do you feel that you see things around you differently for example?

I really just feel like a "regular everyday normal guy" (Jon La Joie), lol. Everything around me influences me, that's for sure. I always try to make art with the simple elements that surround me.

你用什麼工具來創作，包含軟體和硬體？

我用一部很好的Mac還有一些軟體，像是Photoshop, Alchemy, Illustrator, Painter等等。我有個基本款的Wacom繪圖板，還有一部老Nikon D70相機。（我等不及要趕快換一台更好的相機和繪圖板了！）

*What are your tools of the trade, both hardware and software?

I work on a nice Mac and use simple but useful softwares such as Photoshop, Alchemy, Illustrator, Painter... I have a basic Wacom digital tablet... and an old Nikon D7O camera (I'll soon have a better camera and more powerful tablet, can't wait...).

你未來有什麼計畫嘛？有沒有什麼是你現在正在做的計畫而且你覺得很興奮的？

我正準備要完成我的「鉛筆搭相機」系列。然後我要再去做更多Circlist肖像。接著我會在未來的幾個禮拜做些新的創作。但是我還不知道那會是什麼。 

*What are your plans for the future? Any creative work coming up, or that you're currently working on, that you're excited about?

I'm going to finish my "Pencil Vs Camera" series. Then I intend to make a few more circlist portraits. And I'll be working on new creative series in the coming weeks. But I can't already reveal precisely what it will be.

你的「鉛筆搭相機」的點子是怎麼來的呢？

我已經攝影和繪畫將近十年了。這個系列其實就是把我這幾年來的一些視覺創作上面的發現還有我的藝術生涯作些整合的結果。但是真的點子是來自於當我幾個禮拜前某一天同時在看電視和寫信的時候，我正在做最後檢查，然後我透過紙看到了電視影像的透視。然後我發現這會是一個很棒的表現方式。

然後我就出門去開始進行我的「鉛筆大戰相機首部曲」，剛開始很簡單，而且就是把兩張椅子和一張小桌子放在一起。裡面有四分之一是用紙來表現，另外的四分之三則是用相片。這就是故事的開始。在我其他的「鉛筆大戰相機」的圖片中，我試著介紹紙上面奇怪的元素（例如說恐龍、飛碟、四眼生物等等）用來和真實照片形成對比。

How did you come up with the idea for Pencil Vs Camera?

I’ve been taking photos and drawing since almost 10 years. This « Pencil Vs Camera » series is nothing but the result of several years of graphic exploration and a logic consequence of my artistic evolution. But the real idea came while I was watching television and writing a letter at the same time a few weeks ago. Reading my letter before putting it in the envelope, I saw in transparency the television behind the paper. I then realize it would be great to make something similar in a single image showing 2 different actions.

I went outside and Drew « Pencil Vs Camera 1 » which is very simple and shows 2 chairs with a small table. About ¼ of the scene is represented on the paper, the other ¾ happens on the photo. So this is roughly how the project started. In my other « Pencil Vs Camera » images, I tried to introduce weird elements on the paper (such as dinosaurs, ufo’s, double pair of eyes…) to contrast with the realism of the photo.

你怎麼挑選你要的照片？

相片和繪畫總是從我自己的創作中挑選出來。我都把影像的表面當作是畫畫和攝影雙方的戰場，而雙方所採用的武器就是我的「鉛筆」和「相機」。所以我總是挑那些引人注目且有特定動作的照片。這可以讓我很容易去使用一些簡單的效果來讓所有的事情在一張小小的紙上面發生。

最棒的是攝影和繪畫雖然是兩個不同的表現方式，但是兩者卻可以完美結合，而且他們絕對會呈現相同姿勢：分享點子、情感、概念、或者訊息。

How do you pick the photos you use?

The photos and drawings always come from my own stock/production. I somehow consider the surface of the image as a battle between drawing and photography and the tools of this fight are my « pencil » and my « camera ». So I usually choose photos with a striking subject and a specific action. It can also be nice to use a background scenery with a very simple or low semantic effect and make everything happen inside the small piece of paper.

The great thing is that photo and drawing are 2 different ways of expression but they go well together and they definitely have the same purpose: share an idea, an emotion, a concept or a message.

你怎麼決定要加哪些東西？

沒有什麼準則啦。也沒有什麼絕對不行，想像力和創造力是主要的旋律。這也是為什麼這個系列對我來說這麼有趣。你可以選擇用寫實的方法畫某些事情，或者是採用瘋狂一些的方式。我個人比較喜歡在紙上面秀一些不真實的東西，因為相片就是反射我們真實生活的一部份了。

我發現到在紙上面表達有些強烈的觀點（像是第四或第八集）能夠提供些很棒的想像以及很好的視覺衝擊。這對於觀看的人來說會促使他們忽略紙張背後真正的物體。對我來說，這真的是在繪畫與攝影中間的戰爭，這就是這系列的全部意涵。

*How do you pick what to add?

There are no rules. There mustn’t be. Imagination and creativity are the leitmotif. This is why this series is so amusing to do for me. You can choose to draw something in a realistic way or to rather go crazy. I personally prefer to show unreal things on the paper because the photo is a mere reflection of the world we live in.

I noticed that representing a strong perspective on the paper (for instance in Pencil Vs Camera 4 or 8) gives a good illusion and generates a nice visual impact when it matches the main lines of the background scenery. It is very exciting for the viewer to ignore what’s really behind the paper. It is clear for me that it really is the battle between drawing and photography that is the whole message and purpose of the series.

到目前為止你最喜歡的是什麼？

我並沒有真的最喜歡的，我讓觀賞者自己決定他們喜歡什麼，我只是在想下個作品要做什麼。

*What are your favourites so far?

I don’t really have favourites. I let the viewer decide what he prefers and I’m only thinking about my next projects.

你對這個系列有沒有什麼回應？

這個系列已經有非常正面的的成果了，我真的沒有想到會這樣。我很高興接收到來自世界各地的回應。我想我希望這個技巧能夠變成大家的一種新的表現方式。祝好運啦！

*What reaction have you had to them?

This series has had a very positive outcome. I really didn’t expect that. I’m very happy of the good feedbacks I’ve received from all over the world. I think and I hope this technique will become a new form of expression for everybody. So good luck!

你現在正在發展一種新的技巧叫做「Circlism」，可以跟我們介紹一下嘛？

喔，是啊。我最近在嘗試「digital circlism」，用來做了幾張名人的頭像（例如Bob Marley和Lady Gaga，現在正在做貓王的創作）。這是一個全新的創作技巧，而且我還繼續在改進當中。Cirlism是種結合點描派和譜譜藝術的技巧。我的每一個Circlism創作都採用好幾千個小圓和黑色的背景組成。每一個彩色圓環都用數位的方式一個接著一個組成。

*You’re developing a new technique called Circlism, would you please introduce us what is this?

Yes, I have recently been working on "digital circlism", making several portraits of famous people (such as Bob Marley and Lady Gaga among others, I'm now making a circlist portrait of Elvis Presley). This is a totally new technique and I'm still discovering and improving it. Circlism is a mix between pointillism and Pop Art. Every of my circlist creation is made with several thousands of little circles on a black background. The colored circles are digitally applied one by one in a non automated way. The most important for me is to focus on the dynamic lines of the represented subject and to generate a nicely textured image with a 3D illusion.

你可以列出5個你最喜歡的網站嘛？為什麼？

我喜歡Abduzeedo, CGArena, Flickr, DeviantArt 還有 ToonPool。前兩個總是可以提供一些有趣的藝術訊息還有高品質的內容，其他三個則是有成千上萬的知名藝術家的作品在裡面。對一個新聞工作者來說，我真的很喜歡找到一些有天份的人，而且我現在會更常跑去看一下我最近發現的ㄇㄞˋ點子(MyDesy)喔。

What are your favourite 5 websites, and why?

I like Abduzeedo, CGArena, Flickr, DeviantArt and ToonPool. The first 2 always bring interesting art news and exclusive updates with quality content, the 3 others have another purpose and present the artworks of thousands of famous and less famous artists. As a journalist, I really like finding new talents as well. And I'm now going to visit more often MyDesy, which I just discovered recently...

最後，謝謝你接受我們ㄇㄞˋ點子的採訪，你能不能給一些藝術家和設計師建議呢？

我唯一的一個建議就是用自己的方法來做出自己的視覺創作，而且永遠都不要忘記最初的夢想。

Once again , thank you very much for the interview. As a final word, do you have any tips for upcoming artists and designers?

My one and only piece of advice would be to suggest them to bring new content to the graphic world by following their own path and to never forget their initial dreams.