This post features the exclusive interview with special art features of the amazing photoshop artist Ingo Lindmeier.
Introduction about yourself
According to my birth certificate I was born in 1969 but I never really grew up and have always remained a child. After several important steps in my career, in 2008 I dared the leap from media designer to what I would call today a pixel scientist . Since then I have been active under the name spiel-sinn. spiel-sinn is a German play on words and I think the best translation could be the sense of playing to immerse into the creative process. An extended sense somehow.
I am based in the South of Germany in a little town named Lörrach close to the Swiss and French border. It’s at the foot of the beautiful Black Forest.
In addition to working as a freelance graphic artist and web designer, I started to play with digital art (image processing or composing) in 2016.
Initially just out of fun and curiosity to create new realities, I use my know-how in the field of digital art now also for many customer requests. Inspired by life, I always understand my own creations with a wink.
Nowadays people will most probably be aware of compositing art, which can be created with Photoshop. A lot of my artworks are more surreal so you can call those works surreal compositing. This is just one of my playgrounds. I’ve been creating music for many years, drawing, graphic & web design, writing … looking backwards my whole life is a mixed media process 😉
With respect to creativity I constantly dream of the freedom to create … and I am already living that dream in many of my days. Since I started working as a freelancer, the creative space has changed and grown where I experience a gift of potential to develop myself.
Your works bring a smile to one’s face. Can you let us know how did you start creating such fun images?
I’ve always had a tendency towards humor and surrealism in my pictures. Many of them are based on word games that unfortunately cannot always be translated into English but some as the “Fruitfly” for example have the same meaning in german as in english. Since March 2019, many characters have also been created for our fable book Fabuleon in whose world over 40 mystical creatures live. We are close to finish the first book for Fabuleon.
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While creating, do you sketch and then do your photo manipulations? Or do you just work directly on the photomanipulations?
In my work, sketching and image editing are a fluid process. With some of my beings there is already the idea of what properties these should have because they have to fit a story. But sometimes it is also the simple shape of a spray bottle or a fire extinguisher that act like a sketch on which I build my character.
Can you show any favorite work from your portfolio? Why do you like it in particular?
My own favorites change constantly depending on what mood I am in. Sometimes I just think it’s cool how easily some pictures get to the point or when the result has exceeded my expectations. Sometimes it’s just fascinating when my own work irritates me in its own way. And some days I just love the colors.
Here are some of my today’s favorites: Lion and Zebra, Insectcello, Cameleon, Pasta Mumy, Mother Earth, Feathermouse, The red panda warrior.
By looking at your works, it shows that you have a lot of fun in creating those cool images. How long does it take to create an image?
There is no general answer to this and varies from 30 minutes to several days. Depending on how complex the picture is and how well the individual elements fit together beforehand. Since I am quite in love with details, the final retouching with a small brush is an additional step that can take a few hours. For example, my work with the lion and the zebra took about 14 hours.
Which software do you use for your projects?
I’ve been working with Adobe Photoshop for a very long time. I think I started with version 3.5 which obviously shows I am an old guy…;-). In addition, I use 3D objects from Pixelsquid. In combination with my Wacom Cintiq 24 Pro, these are my tools for everyday use.
Do you create all this just for fun or do you create for brands too?
Most of the work that I show on Facebook or Instagram is freelance work. Here I can develop completely freely and implement the craziest ideas and show my own handwriting. But I also work for various companies and brands. Beside I did a video for Adobe Stock and some articles for the German DOCMA magazine.
Anything else you want to share with the new artists who are learning still?
It is important to know the tools and how a picture works. But I think it’s even more important to set out on my own path at some point and find my own handwriting. One should not orientate oneself too much on what is already working, but rather we should be open to new and so-called crazy things… and for me the most important thing… keep your inner child alive.
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