Interviste con Mykola Lomakin

The Book Illustration Prince John is part of a large project. The project objective is to convey the atmosphere of the book full of dramatic events: love and hatred, friendship and hostility, dignity and dishonor. According to my plan, the project should consist of 21 illustrations on a full page, including 3 double page spreads. In addition to the illustrations, the text of the book is going to be complemented with initials and small decorative elements in the same style as the illustrations. At the moment, I have done about 20% of the total project volume. There is still a lot of work ahead! I try to follow the classic examples of Hans Holbein, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, whose artistic value is considered absolute. Work on the current project made me study more deeply the work of these great masters. And I will continue to get acquainted with their pictorial manner. The source of inspiration among modern artists is works of Ukrainian illustrator Vladislav Yerko.

I focused on revealing the image of Prince John and on implementation historical authenticity in details. This illustration belongs to this lines of chapter 7: "The condition of the English nation was at this time sufficiently miserable. King Richard was absent a prisoner, and in the power of the perfidious and cruel Duke of Austria. (...) Prince John, in league with Philip of France, Coeur-de-Lion's mortal enemy, was using every species of influence with the Duke of Austria, to prolong the captivity of his brother Richard. (...) In the meantime, he was strengthening his own faction in the kingdom (...) he proposed to dispute the succession, in case of the King's death, with the legitimate heir, Arthur Duke of Brittany, son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, the elder brother of John.This usurpation, it is well known, he afterwards effected." With reference to the historical sources, the events described in the novel date back to 1194. At that time, Prince John was 27 years old. Later he became John, king of England. His nickname was Lackland. During his reign, the reputation of John Lackland was so bad that since then no one English monarch has ever named his successors with this name. In 1215 rebels made him sign Magna Charta Libertatum. As a hint to this historical document, Prince John holds the parchment in his hand in the illustration. He stands with the haughty face against the wall where the flag of his royal house of the Plantagenets hangs. The wall has two exits. This detail hints the viewer that when people run out of patience and rebel, Prince John and his followers will escape through them. There are soldiers in the foreground, who keep a close eye on a viewer. This psychological accent made the viewer involved in the events. Coin purses are depicted on the top of the illustration, these are for rich. Food wastes are depicted at the bottom of the illustration, these are for poor.

The most important thing for me is to continue and finish the project.

This illustration was completed in 6 weeks between April and June 2018. She is one of two completed illustrations of the project at the moment. I also have 4 illustrations in the process and at the stage of completion. I would like to recall the first steps of working on a project. the search process took quite a while, during which I quietly raised the bar of responsibility and quality of future illustrations. And when I finally got a satisfactory sketch, I decided to show it to my friend. He looked carefully and said: “Walter Scott wrote best chivalrous novel Ivanhoe. Maybe you will try to draw the best illustrations for this novel?" His words were totally unexpected for me. It was a challenge to a duel with yourself! Will I be able to do that? Do I have the strength to take such a height? And I decided to try. But it’s not up to me to judge how good are my illustrations.

The readers from 12 years and older. Fans of the historical genre in literature and highly detailed illustrations.

I am a military man by nature. After graduating from children's art school, my desire was to become an officer in the army and not an artist. But when I was in the army, I was convinced that the real army is very different from the military romance that I was in love with in propaganda films. And then I, the sergeant, the part-commander of the chemical defense, picked up a pencil and a notebook again and began to sketch. I tried to use every free minute to paint. And finally, the time came when I had a need to show what I draw to a specialist. This specialist turned out to be a corporal from the propaganda department, who was drafted into the army from Kharkiv after a year of study at the Academy of Design and Fine Arts. He became a key figure in my future destiny. “Throw doubts and stupid thoughts about the army out of your head,” he said, “go to Kharkiv, go to the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts! You will succeed!" After completing my military service, I did so. After a year of preparatory courses and work as a janitor, I entered the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts at the Graphics department.

I want to wish young designers to find their way and go to their goal. Overcome all difficulties along the way. Don't get sloppy. Freed from their sins, the first of which is pride. Increase your virtues, the first of which is love. And the most important thing on this path is not to give up! It’s better to do your best and lose than give up. Per aspera ad astra - through difficulties to the stars!

Ukrainian illustrator Vladislav Yerko.

My friend and artist Oleg Shchekotihin. He was the first to whom I showed my sketches from the Ivanhoe project. He carefully looked and said: "Walter Scott wrote best chivalrous novel Ivanhoe. Maybe you will try to draw the best illustrations for this novel?" His words were totally unexpected for me. It was a challenge to a duel with yourself! Will I be able to do that? Do I have the strength to take such a height? And I decided that I would go forward and I would not retreat and give up.

To work quickly means to work slowly, just without breaks.

I am a military man by nature. After graduating from children's art school, my desire was to become an officer in the army and not an artist. But when I was in the army, I was convinced that the real army is very different from the military romance that I was in love with in propaganda films. And then I, the sergeant, the part-commander of the chemical defense, picked up a pencil and a notebook again and began to sketch. I tried to use every free minute to paint. And finally, the time came when I had a need to show what I draw to a specialist. This specialist turned out to be a corporal from the propaganda department, who was drafted into the army from Kharkiv after a year of study at the Academy of Design and Fine Arts. He became a key figure in my future destiny. “Throw doubts and stupid thoughts about the army out of your head,” he said, “go to Kharkiv, go to the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts! You will succeed!" After completing my military service, I did so. After a year of preparatory courses and work as a janitor, I entered the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts at the Graphics department. After studying at the Academy for 6 years, I chose the design branch, which I dedicated my life to - Book Illustration.

Special look at ordinary things.

The first thing that comes to my mind is the Volkswagen Käfer (Beetle). He is the most massive car in history, produced without a revision of the basic design. Its popularity, first of all, is due to a perfect, unique design.

That was a very first illustration of Ivanhoe project. This is an illustration of Brian. It refers to the second chapter of the novel. "A man past forty, thin, strong, tall, and muscular; an athletic figure, which long fatigue and constant exercise seemed to have left none of the softer part of the human form, having reduced the whole to brawn, bones, and sinews , which had sustained a thousand toils, and were ready to dare a thousand more. (...) His keen, piercing, dark eyes, told in every glance a history of difficulties subdued, and dangers dared, and seemed to challenge opposition to his wishes, for the pleasure of sweeping it from his road by a determined exertion of courage and of will; a deep scar on his brow gave additional sternness to his countenance, and a sinister expression to one of his eyes, which had been slightly injured , " - Sir Walter Scott wrote about Brian de Bois-Guilbert. Well, the look was written clearly and convincingly, it remains only to draw! But the search process took quite a while, during which I quietly raised the bar of responsibility and quality of the future illustration. And when I finally got a satisfactory sketch, I decided to show it to my friend. He carefully looked and said: "Walter Scott wrote best chivalrous novel Ivanhoe. Maybe you will try to draw the best illustrations for this novel?" His words were totally unexpected for me. It was a challenge to a duel with yourself! Will I be able to do that? Do I have the strength to take such a height? And I decided that I would go forward and I would not retreat. Now, thanks to the A Design Award and Competition, I looked on Brian in different angle. He is not finished. He is needs to be improved.

Pencil and paper, all kinds of paints, Adobe Photoshop. And also I'm starting to like the graphics tablet more and more.

At the very beginning of the work on the illustration. At the time of her conception.

When I begin to work, I feel stress and responsibility. This is for me the same as taking the first step on a rope stretched over an abyss. In the process of work, emotions change, all seven human emotions that I have feel for my work. But basically it is passion and tension.

Satisfaction, because people need it, and I put all my strength and experience into the finished work at this stage of my development. Relief, because I took off the heavy burden of responsibility. And disappointment, because I did not achieve perfection in this work. Could be better.

Designer's ability to think creatively. Whatever project the designer is involved in, he must look for non-standard solutions, namely those solutions that will help reveal the nature of the project and satisfy the needs of the client.

Good design evokes positive emotions, attracts and fills. Poor design, on the contrary, causes negative emotions, frightened off and destroys.

The designer must understand that his work affects the consciousness, subconscious of people, their lifestyle. He must be a co-creator, a little magician, to give humanity comfort, love and harmony.

Yes of course. Design develops thanks to the work of many generations of designers and artists, expands and grows like a tree in the Magic Garden. Once this tree was a small sprout. But the first people appeared, among whom the first designers appeared. Who were they? Maybe it was a man who decorated his hunting spear, or maybe a woman who made a necklace? We will never know. But because of their irresistible desire for beauty and harmony, this little sprout in the Magic Garden began to turn into a tree.

It’s hard for me to imagine the design of the future. But I know for sure that designers of the next generations will be obsessed with the desire for beauty and harmony, like those unknown ancient designers.

I had a period while studying at the Academy, when I was very interested in the classics of world cinema. For such a serious period that I even wanted to transfer to the camera department of the Institute of Cinematography. Tarkovsky, Parajanov, Felini, Greenaway, Kalatozov, Yusov, Urusevsky, Dovzhenko, Buñuel and other prominent directors and cameramen became a source of knowledge and inspiration. Their work helped me in the future to form a special approach - cinematic, in drawing Book Illustrations.

I work in the manner of the late Renaissance. I try to follow the classic examples of Hans Holbein, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, whose artistic value is considered absolute. Work on the current project made me study more deeply the work of these great masters. And I will continue to get acquainted with their pictorial manner. But at the same time I do not reject other styles in art and design with my conservatism.

I live in Ukraine. I absorbed Ukrainian culture, Ukrainian songs, Ukrainian history. I really love my homeland - Ukraine. This love came when I was 10 years old. During this period, I, my parents and my other relatives arrive to the village to help my grandfather and grandmother collect the potato crop. There was a lot of iron in the earth, which remained after the Second World War. Machine-gun and rifle cartridge cases, fragments of shells and bombs ... And so, I dig up potatoes with a shovel, discard the ground and see another rusty piece of iron. I took it in my hands, cleaned it from the ground, and to my amazement it turned out to be an ancient arrowhead for a bow! How did he get to the surface? Maybe his 20th century bomb pushed from the depths of centuries into the upper layers of the soil? I held this tip in my hand and felt something like lightning hits me. I realized that this arrowhead is part of me, part of my ancient forefathers who were born, in love, fought, died. I felt that I was part of this arrowhead, part of trees, grass, clouds, rivers and oceans. I am part of all people living on Earth.

I can highlight two of the most important qualities that a good designer should have. This is honesty and creativity. At the same time, honesty should come first. Honesty implies a subjective belief in the rightness of the matter, sincerity in front of oneself, the company and the client. William Shakespeare he wrote that "no legacy is so rich as honesty".

Before I start drawing the first sketches, I carefully consider all the details. I’m thinking about the connection with neighboring illustrations, image planning, angle, rhythm, tonality, color. I write in a notebook what I need to pay attention to. In general, I mentally create a visual form and fill it with content. When a pencil enters the process, then the paper tells me what to do next.

My pencil, my work chair, my coffee cup and two pots, which my wife made by her hands for plants.

I want to wish young designers to find their way and go to their goal. Overcome all difficulties along the way. Don't get sloppy. Freed from their sins, the first of which is pride. Increase your virtues, the first of which is love. And the most important thing on this path is not to give up! It’s better to do your best and lose than give up. Per aspera ad astra - through difficulties to the stars!

To work quickly means to work slowly, just without breaks.

The most important thing for me is to continue and finish the project. According to my plan, the project should consist of 21 illustrations on a full page, including 3 double page spreads. In addition to the illustrations, the text of the book is going to be complemented with initials and small decorative elements in the same style as the illustrations. At the moment, I have done about 20% of the total project volume. There is still a lot of work ahead! I also want to visit England, to touch its ancient culture. This should affect the quality and speed of work on the project. And I want to learn English, which, to my shame, do not know yet.

I work myself. But showing my work to close friends - artists. Their criticism is very important to me.

The use of traditional artistic techniques gives the images a sense of material authenticity and a diverse,rich texture that is very difficult to achieve with digital methods. However, at a certain point, this method reaches its limit in terms of further enhancing the image. This is when digital painting becomes essential. It allows for fine-tuning the image and refining small details. Since the illustrations are meant to be part of a printed book, the final digital processing enables them to be as close as possible to the author’s original vision.

The principle of dividing the image into three conceptual spaces with a central narrative in the middle wasborrowed from the Bayeux Tapestry. This work of art is a historical monument that demonstrates the use of multi-layered imagery as a means of multi-story narration. This approach is characteristic of the perioddescribed in the novel Ivanhoe. The illustrations subtly reference the original source of this techniquethrough decorative, intertwined animal figures.

Painting the paper surface with strong black tea creates a convincing effect of time’s influence on thematerial, while not damaging its structure. The color turns out very natural. Achieving the same effectwith regular paint is quite difficult. To obtain the natural texture, I used a special technique. A piece of crumpled fabric, soaked in tea, was forcefully thrown onto the stretched paper surface until randomimprints formed the textured surface of the desired tone. The sense of an antique image isenhanced by intentionally made scratches and partially worn gilding.

The composition of this illustration is meant to reflect the social relationships in medieval England. Money pouches are raised upward, ending up behind Prince John’s back. On the lower level,symbolizing the common people, only scraps remain. Guards with spears form a tight barrier, separatingPrince John’s figure from the lower level.

Works of art from the past served as aesthetic references and a source of interesting and almost forgotten artistic techniques. Studying them influenced the style of the images, which aims to helpthe viewer immerse themselves in a different era. To this historical foundation, elements of contemporary art were added, such as the emphasized individuality of the characters and their emotions, as well as acinematic approach to the composition of the images. It was important to maintain a balance between thesense of historical authenticity and modern expressiveness.

Starting the work on paper gives a awareness of the illustration as a real object, providing an understanding of the scale of the image’s elements. Traditional techniques allow for the use of the unique qualities of real materials. However, at a certain stage, the work can only continue digitally. When transferring the image to a digital form, it was important to preserve the characteristics of the varied textures and the correct color balance. Some of them, after digitization, appeared differently, so the image had to be adjusted further. In the subsequent work, it was crucial not to lose the feeling of a true painted surface. I also had to refer back to the drawing on paper to avoid overly fine details.

Work on each illustration begins with studying facts, literary sources, and museum exhibits. In addition to historical accuracy, these materials help shape the character’s image and provide ideas for additional visual elements. Thanks to this approach, the illustration offers the viewer a kind of game in searching for and reading symbols and references to historical facts. Examining the vibrant and detailed image becomes a process of exploring a historical reality that extends beyond the novel’s plot.

The character of Prince John can be read from the expression on his face. It’s full of contempt and distrust. Beneath the bright clothing adorned with gold and jewels lies a weak and feeble figure. The scroll that the prince holds in his hand hints at the Magna Carta, which he will be forced to sign in the future.

In Walter Scott’s novel, Prince John is a secondary antagonist. The author’s focus is not centered onhim, but he shapes the circumstances in which the plot unfolds. The prince’s personal flaws influence thestate of affairs in the kingdom. His opposite is the idealized figure of King Richard, who will appear later.

Combining several painting materials allows each one’s unique qualities to be utilized. Transparentwatercolor provides soft tonal and color gradients while preserving the texture of the paper, creating aneffect of soft lighting and a sense of air. A textured primer was used for the stone arch, with paint applied over it to naturally convey a rough stone feel. Thick or vibrant silhouettes are filled in with acrylic paint. This base makes it convenient to add soft mid-tones with translucent layers of oil paint. Acrylic is used for the finest details, with metallic paints applied in some areas. Thanks to this combination of materials, the original artwork features a rich variety of textures, a sense of transparency and lightness, along with deep, vibrant tones and numerous small, intriguing details.