For over 25 years The Upper Deck Company has been at the forefront of quality and innovation. We are proud to maintain an award-winning portfolio of gaming and entertainment products that contain some of the industry’s best original works of art. We are excited to share exclusive interviews with some of our top artists bringing a look at the amazing people behind these amazing works. This is the Upper Deck Artist Spotlight Series.
Upper Deck: Rudy, would you like to introduce yourself?
Rudy Siswanto: Hello, My Name is Rudy Siswanto, I am an Illustrator and Concept Artist based in Surabaya, Indonesia. I specialize in creature based animal illustration and concept art.
I am a self-taught artist. There was no proper education for art in the entertainment industry available in my country until recently. The closest education that I could get was graphic design.
I work for my clients such as Upper Deck, Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Marvel, and many others as well.
UD: What does “being creative” mean to you? How did you create your own style?
RS: I personally think that everyone has the capability to be creative; it doesn’t belong only to artists.
I think being creative is about problem-solving. In my case, I am fortunate to use my creativity in the entertainment industry and I am happy doing it.
I think artistic style develops by itself as we keep progressing on our art. Art style is a representation of our experiences in life.
UD: What made you decide to pursue a career in the art world?
RS: When I was little, I often read a book by an illustrator named Tony Wolf. In the book, I see he explores a world that he creates; I recall it as a world of Gnomes. He explores how things function and work within the world of Gnomes. I think it was the first time I saw “concept art”, although I am pretty sure the term wasn’t coined yet. Fast forward to when I was in Elementary School. I usually played video games such as Breath of Fire, the Final Fantasy series, and Diablo. Furthermore, I realized through Internet research that there were actual people drawing and designing all those characters and environments that were being implemented in the games. That was when I discovered that these types of fun jobs existed!
UD: What kind of creative patterns, routines, or rituals do you have?
RS: I have a simple creative routine. Although it is simple, it is challenging to stick with it.
- I wake up at 8:00AM and prepare by scheduling my day ahead
- I begin to work at 10:00AM.
- I eat lunch at 1:00PM
- Resume working until 6:00PM
- From 6:00PM to 7:30PM, I have dinner with my wife and do some chores around the house
- I continue working from 7:30PM to 9:30PM.
- From 9:30PM to 11:00PM I usually take a break (playing games or watching a movie)
- After the break I resume working and usually wrap up the day around 2:00AM.
UD: Who are some of the artists that have inspired you?
RS: Rein Portvliet, Tony Wolf, Jason Chan, and Gerald Brom.
UD: Who is your favorite comic book hero or character?
RS: Rocket Raccoon
UD: What were/are some of your favorite games to play?
RS: Rockman, Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy Tactics, Zelda
UD: What type of work do you most enjoy doing?
RS: I find stylized and humorous illustration and concept artwork to be the most enjoyable.
UD: What’s your favorite piece of personal work you’ve ever created?
RS: I think every personal piece I have ever done is a learning experience, But if there is one personal project I really like it’s my collaborative art book titled MIX. Besides really enjoying creating it, I also learned a lot by exploring elements within the world I created.
UD: What is your dream project?
RS: My dream project is one where I can explore my own style and make something out of it. The output of the project doesn’t really matter as long as I can put my heart in the work that I am doing.
UD: What was your favorite part about working on this product?
RS: I enjoyed exploring the visuals and composition while adding storytelling narrative to it.
UD: What were some of the challenges that you faced?
RS: I had to be faithful with the source material because the character designs already existed.
UD: What character(s) was your favorite to illustrate?
RS: The Leprechauns were my favorite.
UD: What character(s) was your least favorite to illustrate?
RS: None. So far I have really enjoyed illustrating each character because each one offers different challenges.
UD: Anything else you would like to add?
RS: I think it’s been a very good learning experience. Upper Deck has taken care of me very well.
If you’re interested in looking at more of Rudy’s art, you can find him on various social media and art platforms below;
The “Return to Alamyth” Upper Deck Gallery fine art print is available for pre-order now on the Upper Deck Store!
