Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, dc comics, Disney Princesses, entertainment, illustration, Marvel Comics, Mike Roshuk

Mike Roshuk Turns Disney Princesses Into War Goddesses

By José Luis del Río

Mike Roshuk is a digital artist and photographer based in Edmonton Alberta, creating works of art combining real images of models with illustration. He is famous for his illustrations of Disney's Princesses dressed as warriors. Also he makes amazing pin-ups based on Marvel Comics. We had the opportunity to chat with him and asked him some questions about his process and his own fandom.

José Luis del Río: First, congratulations on your work. It's amazing how you can transform Disney princesses into warriors and your illustrations of characters from Marvel and DC are stunning.

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into illustration?

Mike Roshuk: Well, art has always been a big part of my life. I think this influence primarily came from my mother, who was quite an artist herself. I grew up in a small town in northern Alberta (Canada) where there is not much focus on the arts; there is lots of pressure to choose a line of work in the Oilfield, construction or other trades (such as welding, plumbing, etc). But I decided to go to Art School and focus on becoming an artist (or musician!).

It wasn't until after college that I discovered computers and digital art. In the beginning, it was a constant struggle to find enough work in the arts to make ends meet. But ultimately I was lucky enough to get some design work creating technical illustrations. I soon branched out into graphic and web design, and was able to make a living as a freelance designer and illustrator for over ten years. It has only been a few years now since I decided to focus primarily on the type of artwork I do now, combining photographs of models with illustration.

JLR: How often do you create these and how long it takes to make one of these illustrations?

MR: By day I work as a multi-media developer, and my main focus is spending as much time as I can with my wife and two children. So I typically only focus on my artwork after they are asleep. One illustration can take anywhere between 10 to 40 hours to create. So you can guess I don't sleep much!

JLR: What would you say to readers who are thinking of starting in the world of illustration but are hesitant to take the plunge?

MR: It can be incredibly rewarding and frustrating all at the same time. On hand, you could be making a living doing something creative; something you love. However on the other hand, it is not always glamorous. You will end up working on some very boring projects where you will have no creative input at all. You will have to take on certain illustration jobs only for money, which can leave you creatively drained, with no energy (or time) to work on personal projects.

JLR: Increasingly, art and illustration are related to computer resources. What do you think about this?

MR: I think advances in computer technology have been great for art and illustration. From a creative standpoint, mobile apps and computer design programs have become so easy to use, it is enticing more and more people to be more creative with their images and get more involved in graphic design. Of course, this 'ease of use' tends to promote a lot of low-quality artwork as well, but I think it is great that more people are getting involved in the creative process, and makes people appreciate it more when they do see artwork of high quality.

JLR: What software and hardware you use for the artwork?

MR: I mainly use Photoshop CS6 on a PC. I'll also use Adobe Illustrator to create certain elements in my artwork as well. I built my computer about 4 years ago, and it desperately needs an upgrade right now. I also use a Wacom graphics tablet. I'm actually still using the same tablet I purchased over 10 years ago! For the photography side, My camera is a simple Canon Rebel, with a 28-70mm F/2.8 Lens. My studio is set up with a few different paper backgrounds and two studio strobes.

JLR: Can you give advice to novices about using Photoshop?

MR: Try to never use Photoshop filters. Images done using effects in the Sketch, Stylize, or Artistic options – these are usually clear signs that someone is a beginner. Instead, focus on achieving different effects through the use of layer properties and masking.

JLR: Are there any tricks you suggest?

MR: A good 'trick' or technique when creating images in Photoshop, is to paint in subtle color tones overtop your image on a new layer set to 'soft light'. This is a good final step to the process, allowing the colors of the image to become more uniform and vibrant.

JLR: Of the ones you've done, what is your favorite illustration?

MR: Thats a tough question, but I would have to say my favorite I've done so far is the one of Wonder Woman and Supergirl saving a city under attack, seen here.

I made this one specifically for the Calgary Expo back in April, and was the culmination of about 40 hours of work.

JLR: Who are your favorite artists?

MR: So many! Luis Royo, Boris Vallejo, and comic book artists such as Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, J. Scott Campbell, and Michael Turner.

JLR: Do you know the work of any Spanish artists? Who are your favorites?

MR: Actually, my absolute favorite artist, Luis Royo is Spanish!  I first came across his work in Heavy Metal Magazine over 20 years ago, and have been following it ever since. His artwork has been the biggest influence on my creative style.

JLR: Is it difficult to break into the world of comics?

MR: There are so many brilliant artists out there, so there is fierce competition. But I guess I am not really trying to 'break into' the world of comics in the traditional sense, which would mean working for Marvel or DC. Instead, I enjoy creating comics independently with my own style, my own stories, and hopefully I can keep growing to reach a wider audience!

JLR: I have to ask: DC or Marvel?

MR: Marvel! X-Men and Spider-man were favorites of mine when I was young, but if the question wasn't just focused on Marvel or DC, I would have to choose Image.

JLR: What's your favorite movie?

MR: Superman, Man of Steel!

JLR: What kind of music you use while working?

MR: I often listen to Tool, Nine Inch Nails, or KMFDM. Other times will be Trance or Dubstep mixes.

JLR: What's your favorite book?

MR: What's a book? Haha, the only books I read these days are the ones I read to my kids at bedtime!

JLR: Who's your favorite painter?

MR: Luis Royo!

JLR: Thank you Mike! I hope to see you sometime soon!

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