Lombi asked this question on the artcone forums: Lombi: Hey there and welcome to the interview. How are you today?
Aleksandra: OK.

Lombi: Alright, let’s start off with you giving us a little bit of background info … who you are, what you do, where you are from, how old is your inner self, what your foot size is… that kind of thing :}
Aleksandra: mm… I do independent work, like web design, and occasionally photography. I’m working at the moment on a CD cover for a Tango singer.
My age is 27, but I feel I(m 19, so lets say I’m 19, ok?
I live in Argentina, South America.
Foot size?? :|

[attachmentid=528]

Lombi: Just silly questions, I guess. Okay, let’s move on … How would you, in your own words, describe your style? What and who were your major influences in the development of that style? Does your soulmate have any bigger influences in what you do? Which artists do you admire and respect for what they do?
Aleksandra: My style, well, I try to bring the best of out the people I shoot (picture). I hate reality so much, that I’m obsessed with making everything look special, unnatural. And of course, I have some sort of passion for what ever is dark related.
I’m also obsessed with beauty, the classic beauty. My big influences towards art are Leonardo davinci and Barbie doll’s beautiful long hair.. yep. All mermaids and angels stories had totally distorted my way of thinking. Also my mom used to read me all kind of terror stories, even when I was too young to hear those things. Stories of talking blood and bottomless pits, yeah, she is my biggest influence. And then of course, related to digital art, it’s Christopher Shy. He kills me.
And also Sea Fairy and Lady Morgana are like my old time favs.
Mark Ryden too.

Lombi: What kind of music do you listen to, when you work? What are your favourite bands/artists?
Aleksandra: I used to listen a lot of sad and dark music, it inspires me so much. Also American Mcgee’s Alice sountrack was a big help. But now, I mostly listen celtic music, you know elvenmusic, like Aenima, Caprice, and some Gothic bands like Diary Of Dreams, and when I felt like, I play some Rammstein when the artwork is getting a bit gory.

Lombi: A question everyone wants to know these days … at what point did you want to become the artist you are now … was there any breaking points or such? How did you get started in digital art?
Aleksandra: I got started in digital art thanks to a friend who shown me his digital paintings. So I started painting my old drawings with Photoshop. Later on I discovered Photo Manipulation.
And Shy, Morgana and Sea Fairy.

Lombi: The second most commont question out there (hehe) … what software do you use in creating your artworks, how does the common process look like when you are creating a piece? Do you just see that software as purely a tool used to create or as something more? What kinds of media and techniques do you commonly like to use when you create a piece?
Aleksandra: arg.. mm.. I use Photoshop. That’s all. Is an instrument, what else? OK, ok, I must confess something, Photoshop had altered my head a bit, the other day I messed up my clothes in the drawer, so I wished I could CONTROL-Z it, so it would be back as it was, instead of having to blend them all over again, Gosh, that was so weird. (don’t laught about that!)

Lombi: Hehe, it happens to all of us. When you create a piece what normally inspires your work?
Aleksandra: MUSIC, a good movie sometimes. My dreams.

Lombi: When you are working on a piece, when do you know that it’s finally done?
Aleksandra: When I think it’s perfect.

Lombi: Tell me how was it like breaking into the digital art scene … i know it’s very hard for young and unknown artists to get their name out nowdays … how was your experience like? What’s the best advice you could give to someone who wants to break into the scene?
Aleksandra: Breaking into the digital art scene? Did I? I don’t know.
I know I was a nobody, and reminded like that for many months, and no one wanted to comment on my work, that was really ugly, my self-steam was very hurt. I couldn’t understand why no one liked my work. And one day I got a today fav, and lots of people started to like me.
How to break into the scene? that’s easy, stay one year non-stop working VERY hard on something, and you’ll make it. It worked for me. Also be honest about your art, and be original. No one wants to see a second and not so good version of another artist.

Lombi: I’ve asked you to choose 5 of your favorite artworks to be featured here along with this interview … so tell me … why do you like these 5 so much, what are the stories behind them?
Aleksandra:
Don’t leave me my shadow (http://www.deviantart.com/view/4800938/): Everybody related it to vampire movies, but I never thought about it. It is about loosing something you cherish, a shadow, but in my head I was thinking that the shadow represented darkness, my creativity. I’ve been feeling very creative lately, but I had some ugly moths when I couldn’t do anything.
Lolita Storm (http://www.deviantart.com/view/6017231/): This is my best friend Maria, we shoot this in my new home, so it means a lot.
The Garden of the Dying light: Oh well, it just came to my mind the idea of this garden guardian. A lonely creatures who’s life depends on keeping all the flowers alive. And one day the light starts to die and with it her precious flowers.
Fortress of Tears (http://www.deviantart.com/view/3216464/): This is totally related to me. I used to live in the 16th floor of a building. And now I moved to a new one, and this time in the 14th. I used to think I was watching the word move and change and that I was an outsider, a beholder, but I don’t feel that way anymore.
Neversweet (http://www.deviantart.com/view/5857035/): is a dear friend of mine, and I tried to portrait her as I see her, fragile and sweet. The photo was taken by her, I only manipulated it.

[attachmentid=529]

Lombi: So tell me … how would you describe the digital art scene roughly around your location? I’ve heard many artists complain about almost complete ignorance towards digital art … especially from traditional artists, galleries and such. Your two cents?
Aleksandra: Here in Argentina? They know a bit about it, but not in the way that you would find exhibitions and things like that.

Lombi: What do you think about the whole online art community thing at the moment? Where would you like to see the future of art go? What are your plans for the future (except of course continuing to make such cool artworks)?
Aleksandra: I find incredible the fact that people would connect into a community to discuss about art, finally internet made something good for a change. I feel so lucky that I found Deviant Art. I wasn’t looking for friends, only art, and I found the most amazing artworks. They fill me with such joy.

Lombi: You have two really awesome websites … tell us a bit about them and what can we find there?
Aleksandra: Pretty Brush, well, if you are brush addicted like myself, you’ll find some of the best brushes out there, They are, aren’t they the best out there?

Lombi: Hehe, the term shameless self promotion comes to mind. Just kidding ^_^ … but yeah, you have some really awesome brush sets there, it’s nice to see your brushes being really popular … both on deviantART and your website … prettySomething has kinda become a trademark of somesort. You also have another site, Night Butterflies. Could you tell us a bit about that?
Night Butterflies, it’s sorta my portfolio. There you’ll find my paintings, manipulations, designs, etc.

Lombi: You wake up one day and find out that you have amazingly cool superpowers. What are they?
Aleksandra: Nah, I just would like to be some cool hacker and get inside every ones computers and take a peek of what they have in there. No bad intentions.
Just curiosity.
OK, I would like to fly.

[attachmentid=530]

Lombi: You find out that you will be relocated on a desert island tomorrow. You can only take one thing with you. What is the one thing you can’t live with?
Aleksandra: My cat.

Lombi: Err … umm… any questions for me?
Aleksandra: yeah, I always thought that the person who writes interviews has a lot of power, you know, you have the power to ask anything, do you feel powerful?

Lombi: No, not really … I mean … I’m no more powerful than God … oops, did I say that out loud ^_^? But … somehow it really does give you that great feeling of “peeking into somebody’s head” … it rocks, hehe. Well, that’s kinda the end of the interview. Thanks for taking the time, my friend. Any final words of wisdom you would like to share with us?
Aleksandra: I just think that there’s a little bit of artist in every one, it just takes time to find it, but once we do, we must not let it go.