<![CDATA[Benk - Blog]]>Sat, 23 Sep 2023 05:51:06 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[Interview and Collaboration with Sabrina Mati]]>Sun, 17 Sep 2017 03:38:30 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/interview-and-collaboration-with-sabrina-mati
I'm excited to share this! I interviewed Sabrina Mati. She's worked on some of my favourite animated shows including Adventure Time and Rick and Morty. Sabrina is currently working on Matt Groening's new show Disenchantment. We also collaborated on this Princess Mononoke illustration!

]]><![CDATA[New Project! .... on YouTube]]>Sun, 10 Sep 2017 11:49:47 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/new-project-on-youtubeI’ve been quietly working away in the background on a new project and am excited to announce that the first instalment is finally here!
]]><![CDATA[Paint (new illustration)]]>Thu, 08 Jun 2017 01:00:00 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/paint-new-illustrationAfter having artist's block (like writer's block) for months and months, I spent half of a day finishing off this piece.
​The changes I made were subtle but made a world of difference to the balance and mood of this image. ☁️✍🏼👩🏻🎨

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'Paint' [ Benk 2017 ]
Maybe one day this will be how digital drawing/painting is done. 
The series of works Digital Nostalgia explores the way we interact with technology, sitting somewhere between my hopes for the future and nostalgia for the past.

​Prints available inprnt.com/profile/benk 🎚🏠🌳
]]><![CDATA[Sketchbook Paintings]]>Tue, 30 May 2017 05:21:01 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/sketchbook-paintingsIt's been really fulfilling getting back into experimenting with colours, ideas and techniques in my sketchbook. 
The great thing about working in a sketchbook is taking risks, feeling comfortable with getting things wrong and learning from it all.
Here are some recent pages.
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]]><![CDATA[Crunch Bubbles Massacots (animated Loop)]]>Tue, 06 Dec 2016 00:45:42 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/crunch_bubbles_massacotsThis is a collaborative short animated loop I created with the talented animator Hayden James Browne [haydenbrowne.com]. It's part of the 'Breakfast' themed Loopdeloop which is screening around Australia tonight and around the world on dates seen on loopdeloop.org.
Animation and Character Design: Hayden James Browne
Concept and Background / Object Illustration: Benk
Stock media from Pond5 (music)
]]><![CDATA[9 new works (2016)]]>Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/9-new-works-2016
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]]><![CDATA[New works coming]]>Wed, 13 Jul 2016 04:55:24 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/new-works-comingI've been spending a lot of these cold winter days in my little studio, one step away from the computer, learning new skills...
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My paint workspace. Work in Progress.
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Feels like: Cold - I miss Summer
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Sounds in the studio
]]><![CDATA[Lost At E Minor - Interview]]>Wed, 13 Jul 2016 01:13:22 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/lost-at-e-minor-interviewSee original post here.
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These illustrations ponder on the interrelationships between humanity, nature, and tech

Melbourne-based artist Benk gives us something to reflect on by creating surreal illustrations of gems and humans-turned-birds.

Benk’s work is centered around the themes of humanity, nature, and technology. Using a combination of traditional and digital techniques, he depicts strange realities and scenarios that reflect the interrelationships between the three.

For instance, his previous series featured people wearing bird masks and having webbed feet. According to Benk, these illustrations show the connection (or the lack of it) between man and animal. Another series, entitled Power, shows how the human body’s posture contains, well, power.

We recently interviewed the Australian artist to know more about him and his art.
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Why the enduring fascination with birds?“
I guess it has a little to do with what birds are and a lot to do with what birds mean to me.

“It all started in New York, 2010. Something about travelling in a huge city made me think about all the great reasons we have cities, but also their side effects. It seems to me that we as a species are slowly disconnecting both mentally and physically from the natural world.

“I’m well aware that there are still some wild animals living in the cities but they tend to hide away while birds freely soar the skies. We probably see hundreds per day. Birds, to me are a symbol of all the animals that we live among yet hardly notice. They represent our simpler natural past that we conceal, our similarities and biological links to the animal world.

“My work as an illustrator since then has continued to revolve around my fascination with the interrelationships between humanity, nature and technology. Birds find their way into the mix every once in a while — I can’t see that ending any time soon.”


How tightly knit is the creative community in Melbourne and how active are you in it?
“This city is full of creative talent. It feels like not just one, but many welcoming creative communities. I love that there’s always so much going on in Melbourne, there’s constantly more to discover.

“I’ve had animations screened at many great venues including Federation Square and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. I’ve screened video art at gigs, co-organised and participated in live art events and exhibited in group shows around town.

“I love to meet and collaborate with fellow artists. I go to drawing meet ups, creative hang outs, animation screenings and exhibitions. I love to spend time with my creative friends, housemates and family to draw, paint, make.”


Tell us about your Power illustration series.
“Before embarking on a new series of illustrations, I’ll usually curl over a notebook, writing pages and pages. It’s not always related to my work, just thoughts, observations of the world. ‘Power’ began differently. There were many concepts flying around my head. Instead of focusing on an idea, I began with a strong aesthetic in mind. I wanted to create the type of image I’d love to see.

“Usually I’d refine words and get to the concept before drawing. This time I did a test illustration every day for a week, each one becoming more detailed and feeling more ‘right’. By the end of the week I felt prepared.

“I found the process to be emotive rather than conceptual, there are themes embedded in the images for the viewer to create their own narrative. The images are about humanity, the power we hold in the posture of our bodies and our connections with nature and technology.”


Do you tend to gravitate towards certain colours and if so, which ones and why?“Yes! I sure do. I find the more I understand about colour, the more passionate I get. I’m pretty sure my favourite colours haven’t changed since I was a kid.

“It’s the entire purple spectrum, from pink to blue. When used well, the combination of these colours really does it for me. Any good colour scheme is best used in moderation. Like a favourite meal, joke or YouTube video, I try not to overdo it. That’s not entirely true, I over watch my favourite YouTubes and regret nothing.”


Who are some of the local and international artists you respect?
“There are just so many. When I’m sitting in my studio, I have an extensive illustration book collection just an arm’s reach away. Influential artists at my fingertips. I also use social media daily to check out illustrations from around the world. There are parallels in the works of all the artists I respect, so anything I say about one artist will apply in some way to the others.

“I love illustrations that utilise the sense of lighting to strengthen the concept and mood. The work of Guy Shield (Melbourne, Illustrator) pulls me in with its great understanding of light and shadow. I particularly like his separation of cold and warm areas and the subtle summer afternoon glare found in his images. Sergi Brosa (Barcelona, Illustrator) attracts your attention to his characters’ faces using illumination. The expressions set the mood of the image. He often uses coloured light to guide the way around his crowded compositions.

“Colour is really important to me. I appreciate different colour schemes and styles. From realistic colours found in paintings by James Gurney (Hudson Valley, Painter) to the bright neon colour schemes of Young Earl Grey (Sydney, Illustrator). I have adoration for the Illustrations by Loish (Utrecht, Illustrator) that takes from both extremes to create combinations of colours that are semi-natural yet bright and intense.

“Another thing that’s really important to me is the line, form and texture within an image. The work of James Jean (Santa Monica, Artist) often contrasts sharp thin lines against soft shaded areas. I love the style produced by this combination. There’s something special about the illustrated book ‘The Arrival’ by Shaun Tan (Melbourne, Artist/Author). When you look close you can see the pencil lines, the crosshatching, individual marks against each other but as you move away it all blends together, creating the form, texture and the illusion of a real world.
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“As an artist who spends many hours per day working on illustration skills as well as freelance work, I respect all creative people that devote all that they have to develop and utilise their talent. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by so many.”
]]><![CDATA[Dream It Time-Lapse]]>Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:57:48 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/dream-it-time-lapseThis time-lapse of my illustration 'Dream It' is my first video on my new BenkArtist YouTube account.

I can't stop watching it on loop, I love following the progression of one point like a knee or a small spot of sand or water. Even though I’m the one who made it, I still learn a lot from watching my process. It also helps me get past that early stage of any illustration where things just don’t look right. It’s important to work through that and not give up. 💪🏽 
★ ‘Dream It' [time-lapse] ★
Prints Available
[Music: Arcade Fire]
]]><![CDATA[COLLABORATION with Jim Tozzi]]>Sat, 28 May 2016 06:38:38 GMThttps://www.benk.com.au/blog/collaboration-with-jim-tozziSometimes the internet is just the best. 
This is an illustration I made with Jim Tozzi of PFFR.
Jim has co-created and worked on some of my favourite weird and wonderful TV shows (Xavier Renegade Angel, Wonder Showzen).

After I suggested the idea, Jim started us off by emailing me a photo of a sketch. I printed it off, drew all over it, scanned it and sent it back. The next few stages were kept inside the computer / iPad so to keep it looking consistent, I printed it off and sketched some pencil lines to go over our digital characters.

After six or seven versions, here's the result:
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jimtozzi.com
benk.com.au
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