Interview with illustrator & Painter Eduardo Sá Carneiro

Hey everyone, I'm Marcin Migdal coming to you from Mad Artist Publishing and today we're chatting with the multidisciplinary artist, illustrator and painter Eduardo Sa Carneriro. Eduardo is an instructor at an WarpZone Saga : School of Art, Game and Animation in Brazil, where he teaches applied art for game development.

Marcin: Welcome Eduardo.

Eduardo:Hello everybody! I have no words, especially in English, to express how happy It is to be here and part of this fantastic entirely awesome initiative.

Marcin: First is first, tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up, how you got involved with the world of art and illustration.

Eduardo:I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Recife, in Brazil and I started drawing still very young. I did not have the privileges of attending an art school or learn from an art teacher because I did not have the enough money. Instead, I bought all the magazines I could find that taught how to draw, and I did the exercises. Some of them helped me with the fundamentals, others with techniques. People always praised my drawings, even as a child, it was really kind of them, that always kept me motivated.

Later I studied Design at Federal University of Pernambuco, and in parallel I began learning digital art, doing some thankless freelancing. At least lack of money was no longer a problem and I could join a class of 3D character creation for cinematic, which happened to be the same school that I teach at today. There, I learned about the workflow, I met professionals and friends. I started to make better commissions and my work was being more and more known, so the school invited me to become a teacher for its new course. Now I`m teaching Art development for games in Minas Gerais, a state far away from Pernambuco enjoying my exciting career.

Marcin:  How would you define your style?

Eduardo: Very-ultra-special-high-quality-1080p-dynamic-and-too-much-cool-style. Could it be? Of course, I`m joking! I like the “Cutie” definition, but not all of my paintings are like that…I think. If you visit my illustrationVAULT profile or my blog you’ll notice it too. Sometimes my designer side speaks louder which allows me to adapt to any project,  I think I still have a lot of learning to get a precise definition of my style.

Marcin: What are your favorite drawing tools? Computer or Pencils?

Eduardo: I like both. Each one has its own rules and fun and also, its magic. The pencil brings precision for the mind and freedom for the hand. The computer opens the curtain of the resources increasing the possibilities of experimentation and techniques, especially for the industry.

Marcin: Have you always been artistic as a child, did you ever want to be or do anything else, like fly out to space as an astronaut? :)

Eduardo: I didn't know I would become an artist. As a child I remember that I wanted to be a scientist. Later I decided to make video games and I began to study game development. Only once I failed computer science, I discovered that art was what I was most interested in.

Marcin: Now you teach art for game development at WarpZone Saga, can you tell us a little about the school and what exactly your duties are as the instructor?

Eduardo: Saga is an art school which operates in several states of Brazil. The school trains professionals to work both domestically and in an international market. Warpzone - the course which I teach, is an entirely new course designed to meet the large and growing demand for skilled art professionals in Brazil. 

The WarpZone mission is to show the way that the artist must travel to become a professional in the gaming industry, directing their skills to meet the diverse situations of art project for gaming. During the course I teach concept art, 3D modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, level design and interface design. At a certain point, the students choose one of the simple game mechanics available to work them graphically. At the end of the course, the students have working games with their very own art.

Marcin: Aside from school, do you freelance?

Eduardo: Yes, and it`s a really good part of my job. The school allows me to improve my skills by taking parallel projects, if I have time. Also, I can do art for myself. I think this kind of motivation is important for an artist as to be financially stable.

Marcin: What one image or project are you most proud of? 

Eduardo: The art project of Cookie Rush, from Mobjoy Studios, because it helped to prove myself that I am capable of to start a project and take it to completion.

Marcin: Now we chose to interview you because your work showcased quite a lot of cuteness, can you tell us what inspires you to come up with such cuddly characters for your illustrations?


Eduardo:I think it is as they say, that art reflects the artist in some point. As a person, I always loved video games and I`m addicted to cartoons. I had many pets as a child and I really enjoy the natural humor of children; I can play on equal terms with them. Artistically, I am a big fan of animation of Pixar and Dreamworks studios, both for aesthetic quality, as the context of their stories. Bobby Chiu`s work influenced me a lot , too. My otaku phase also left marks on my style, especially in bodily expressions of my characters and in my trace. I think the sum of all these factors results in my style.

Marcin: What’s the best part about being an artist and what is the worst part?

Eduardo: The best part is not working, because there`s such passion involved that you don`t feel tired or stressed because of your job. The worst is the difficulties of to get a really satisfying art job.

Marcin: What do you think is the best way to self promote?

Eduardo: I echo the words of Bobby Chiu. Meet people who share of your appreciation for the art is the best way to self promote. This includes attending conventions, art forums and join an art school. Be nice to everyone and humble to accept the criticisms of those who understand certain aspects of art, better than you.

Marcin: Why did you join Sketchoholic and why do come back?

Eduardo:I joined Sketchoholic to participate the sketch-o-daily contests promoted by Bobby Chiu. At the time, the intense training made me really feel like the name says, a sketchoholic (:P), which made me improve a lot in digital painting through daily practice. As a result, not only managed to win one of his sketches, but I got speed and method in painting. Sketchoholic is a powerful ally for those who seek perfection in the art world, besides being a great place to connect with other artists. Marcin: What’s your greatest fear?

Eduardo: The lost of confidence of the people in themselves.

Marcin: If you could have any skill or talent what would it be?

Eduardo:I would like to sing like a pro! lol

Marcin: If you could meet 1 person dead or alive, who would it be?

Eduardo:There`s a lot of them! Meet Takehiko Inoue, for an example would be totally awesome!

Marcin: What are the top 3 websites you visit? 

Eduardo:Deviant ART, ConceptArt.org and Game Artisans.org.

Marcin: What would you each do with a billion dollars?

Eduardo: First I would travel to meet noble hearted persons which treat education as priority to change the reality in their places. Second, I would create some initiative based on what I learned in those journeys, connecting the dots between art and my thoughts about human being. 

Marcin: Sounds like a super worthy cause, so we've reached the end of the interview, do you have any final words of wisdom for our readers? Eduardo: Learn the true meaning of love and make it the center of your life. Nothing should end in itself, but in love. Put it in practice and you will be on the way of the true success, even by recognizing that certain things you want isn`t the best for you and for others. Trust yourself and know that the only person who can knock you out is yourself. Such as that?

Marcin: Oh yeah, so what are the best 3 things about Brazil, besides soccer, beautiful women and the beaches ;)?

Eduardo: Very smart people, good music and human warm.

Marcin: Well said, and on that note we’ll wrap it up, thank you so much

Eduardo for being part of our artistic movement that  Mad Artist Publishing & Sketchoholic is starting. For more info on Eduardo find him at illustrationVault.com/eduardo-sa-carneiro and on his Blog www.educarneiro.blogspot.com, thanks again.

Eduardo: I am the only who should have to thank, here. You guys are upsetting the flawed structures of the traditional media. Keep rocking!

Marcin: Awesome compliment! Thanks you for taking the time to chat with us.  
Eduardo:Thanks again.

More From Eduardo Sa Carneiro's Portfolio Gallery

Learn with Eduardo - Browse Eduardo's Portfolio and Print Store