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(See it on DeviantArt)
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This is dedicated to all the victims of the recent Fukushima disaster in Japan. God bless them. I took the photo in a park close to my home (Brussels, Belgium). I also made the quick miniature sketch based on the Fukushima nuclear plant site (see some details and more info below).
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See the whole "Pencil Vs Camera" album.
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Random details:


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More facts:

The "Fukushima nuclear accidents" are a series of ongoing equipment failures and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors maintained by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). Reactors 4, 5 and 6 had been shut down prior to the earthquake for planned maintenance. The remaining reactors were shut down automatically after the earthquake, but the subsequent 14 metres tsunami flooded the plant, knocking out emergency generators needed to run pumps which cool and control the reactors. The flooding and earthquake damage prevented assistance being brought from elsewhere.

Evidence arose of partial core meltdown in reactors 1, 2, and 3; hydrogen explosions destroyed the upper cladding of the buildings housing reactors 1, 3, and 4; an explosion damaged the containment inside reactor 2; and multiple fires broke out at reactor 4. In addition, spent fuel rods stored in spent fuel pools of units 1–4 began to overheat as water levels in the pools dropped. Fears of radiation leaks led to a 20 kilometres (12 mi) radius evacuation around the plant. Workers at the plant suffered radiation exposure and were temporarily evacuated at various times. On 18 March, Japanese officials designated the magnitude of the danger at reactors 1, 2 and 3 at level 5 on the 7 point International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). Power was restored to parts of the plant from 20 March, but machinery damaged by floods, fires and explosions remained inoperable.

On 25 March, Japan's nuclear regulator announced a likely breach and radiation leak in the containment vessel of the unit 3 reactor, the only one at the plant using MOX fuel. World wide measurements of radioactive fallout released from the reactors were reported by New Scientist to be "nearing Chernobyl levels". It reported that the preparatory commission of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization had measured levels of iodine-131 at 73% and caesium-137 at 60% the levels released from the Chernobyl disaster. Food grown in the area was banned. Tokyo officials declared its tap water unsafe for infants for a short time. Plutonium has been detected in the soil around the plant in five locations. The soil samples were taken on 22 March 2011.

The IAEA announced on 27 March that workers hospitalized as a precaution on 25 March had been exposed to between 2 and 6 Sv of radiation at their ankles when standing in water in unit 3. The international reaction to the accidents was also concerned. The Japanese government and TEPCO have been criticized for poor communication with the public. On 20 March, the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano announced that the plant would be closed once the crisis was over. Read more.
© 2011 - Ben Heine

Since you appear to be a one million-talent man, we have to ask: do you cook; do you play an instrument and can you knit? Just for our female audience. J

Haha, unfortunately I don't knit, I cook from time to time. I love music, I used to play many instruments when I was a teenager: piano, guitar and drums. I would have become a musician for sure if I weren’t a visual artist.

To set the right mood, what kind of music do you listen to? Favorites?

I like all sorts of music: rock, reggae, electro… I must say I have been listening to loads of modern electronic sounds recently, it really helps me being focused on my projects and keeping a good rhythm and energy while working.

How does a potential journalist mutate into a digital artist, combining design, photography and illustration? Bad pedagogical approach and counseling or just creative stumbles upon the way?

I would say it was a wrong direction I took when I was younger. I candidly believed I would be able to manage 2 full time activities, one as a journalist during the day and the other as an artist during the night. After trying a few jobs as a journalist, I realized it would be impossible to live like that, my interest for visual arts was always there and I couldn’t get rid of it. I was going to fail everything. So I had to start over again and find opportunities in the art industry. Which wasn’t very easy because I’m mainly a self taught person as a graphic artist and don’t have prestigious diplomas in that field. I mainly have a degree in Journalism and that’s it, academically speaking. It didn’t really help me to be exhibited in art galleries. Anyway, I don’t regret anything; I’ve had the chance to meet several extraordinary persons during this strange progression.

More than ever, knowledge is web accessible and for almost everyone. Do you believe that institutional and college knowledge has made you a better professional? Or, in a nutshell, do you believe that colleges and universities have good creative and artistic teachers in design and photography?

The fact that knowledge is being shared online is something really good. But many learners will always need some real professors, real humans to grasp important things. I think it’s possible to find online almost all the information that’s being taught in art schools. Motivation and determination is the most important element. As far as I’m concerned, I mainly learned what I’m doing by "trial and error”, it takes a bit more time than reading ready-made tutorials, but it’s achievable.

Designers are frequently seen and work well as photographers, as we see across the web. It seems that the opposite isn’t so plausible. Do you think it’s a genetic issue? What’s your angle on this?

Haha, I really don’t think there is anything genetic in this observation. I guess it’s a bit easier to use a camera than to make a design or a drawing. That’s my only explanation.

Who are your creative top influencers? And how about the creative process? Do you have one method to think? Do you believe alternative substances spice up the brain?

Oh, yes, I tried all kinds of substances, lol. It’s always nice to be in a secondary state when starting a new creative task so that I can work in a more “intuitive” way, especially when doing abstract stuff. When I’m on a project that requires many details, my concentration is always at it’s best. The persons I admire a lot are some well-established artists like Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami, Wim Delvoye, Banksi, Panamarenko and many others…

Speaking of brilliant ideas: do you have your shiny moments outdoors, indoors, or in the bathroom?

Cool ideas often come when I’m alone in a quiet place, it might be indoor, or outdoor… this isn’t the important fact. My inspiration works better when I’m in peace, when I feel good.

Someone (we don’t know who) said: “copying is the best compliment you can give to an author”. Do you feel everything is a remix or are you copyright oriented?

I think the community of artists is similar to the community of scientists; both have a few individuals working more than others and doing completely amazing things. Both evolve at a certain rhythm, making some new discoveries and innovations all the time. But in the end, everything affects everything and everybody influences everybody, I totally agree with that.

What’s your favorite photographer? And designer?

Henri Cartier Bresson is one of my favorite photographers. And Shepard Fairey is a great designer.

What’s the best photo ever taken?

I don’t have a very objective point of view on my own work. So I’d pick a photo by someone else. I think the famous portrait of Che Guevara “Guerrillero Heroico” taken by Alberto Korda is an extremely powerful photo. Everybody has seen it.

If some of the creative genes in your DNA failed, and you had to choose between disciplines in your work, what would you prefer?

o Photography

o Graphic Design

o Illustration/Painting => I’d choose that option

o Would you run away for a distant island?

Modern days are a “visual overdose”. How do you see the unique success of pieces such as “Hope”, from Shepard Fairey? Do you believe it’s all about agenda setting and politics? Probably, we won’t have brilliant propaganda posters that will stamps us, from the future generation’s point of view, such as the Cold War graphic approaches, that still remain as communication icons.

As I said above, I really like Shepard Fairey… Well, I think the success of this poster is due to different reasons. No doubt the publicity given by the Obama campaign was a huge booster. But even without this, I think it still remains an excellent and influential poster, simple, aesthetic and right to the point.

3 tips for newbies and beginners in design…

- Confidence
- Originality
- Perseverance

“Computers are to design what microwaves are to cooking”... Is there – or not – an overwhelming dependence on technological tools to create design?

Technology and computers often help doing better stuff than traditional tools. So why not using them?

The design and creation process – all around the world – is frequently influenced and owned by clients and not by the artists or agencies. The sentence “A camel is a horse designed by a committee” is an expression that reveals the usual client interference. What’s your angle and how do you manage the client participation?

That’s the problem with commissions for client. As soon as there is an order with money involved, there will be” clients’ interference”. Artists and designers have to accept it. It’s part of the job.

Portugal … ever been there? What was your feeling to be contacted by a Portuguese blog?

I’ve been there 2 times. I visited Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Faro, Obidos and some other well-known cities. It’s a beautiful and warm country, the perfect place to enjoy life! I was happy to receive an interview request from Zoomzine because it helps me to remember all the good moments I had in Portugal.

(*) Zoomzine is a blog based in Portugal focusing on Art and Design

Ben by Patrick Strogulski

(*) ToonPool is an online art platform (focusing on
illustration and cartoon, based in Berlin, Germany). The
following interview appeared in May 2011. © toonpool.com


Which movie/tv character you see yourself as and why?
May be The Joker, because he is the opposite of what he pretends to be.


What are your New Year’s resolutions?
I have the bad habit to not follow my New Year’s resolution… So I don’t take any…

What bores you the most?

I hate doing administrative stuff, you know… I’m very bad at it and never understand why it’s important.


Do you like your place or would you like to live somewhere else?
I’d love to move away, very far. But may be if I was living somewhere else, I’d want to come back…

What are you able to do that Superman can’t do?
Die, sadly.

If you were sleep walking one night, where would you probably wake up the next day?
50 km away, in the countryside… where the air is fresh.


What would you wear to be kicked out from a black tie cocktail party?
I’d come naked
J

Tell me the biggest prank you did on a friend.
I’d better not reveal it… Too dangerous.

How to ruin your vacation?

No sun, no girls…


If I gave you a giraffe, where would you hide it?
I’d cut it in piece and eat it, lol.


What do you do when you see the glass half empty!
I’m usually somebody optimistic, so I’d be cool and happy until the glass is totally empty.


(See another interview for ToonPool)

(See it on DeviantArt)

This portrait took me some 9 days of intense work (please see some details and the making below). It is exclusively made with "flat circles" on a black background. I first made a photomontage using several references, then a digital painting and I finally applied my digital circlist technique (I placed each circle one by one, there is no automatic process). Every circle has a different color, a different tone and a different size. It's a time consuming method.

I wanted this image to reflect Eminem's personality. He may be a controversial and provocative singer, I think he's an extremely clever and interesting person, he always comes up with some completely amazing stuff, with new, powerful and unexpected lyrics and melodies. He is a poet of modern times.


Making (click to enlarge):


Some details:


© 2011 - Ben Heine
Pencil Vs Camera
for "BBC Breakfast"

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(See it on DeviantArt)

I just travelled to London... This is what I came back with. It's my special gift for the "BBC Breakfast" main presenters. From left to right: Bill Turnbull, Sian Williams, Susanna Reid and Charlie Stayt (some details below).

See the whole "Pencil Vs Camera" album.


More facts
: BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London (United Kingdom), and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items. The programme is broadcast seven days a week, every week of the year, including weekends and public holidays, which are presented from the BBC News channel set. Running time: 195 minutes. Audience: About 4 millions/day.

Details:


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Het Nieuwsblad (Belgium)
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Pop Photography (USA)
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Photoeidolo (Greece)
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3e Millénaire (France)
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Eingana (France)
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(See it on Flickr)

A picture I took in a parc in Brussels a few days ago. I know, it's
quite a strange title for such an image. It is dedicated to someone.


Lol, this is one of my paint pallets,
which I covered with golden painting...
(it's kind of big)
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(See it on Flickr)

Here is another abstract paintings (large canvas,
colorful, spontaneous and decorative, 70 x 90 cm).
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Random details:
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http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5497676447_388b8c38a3_o.jpg
© 2011 - Ben Heine

Totally confused... Quick study, mixed media.

I just spent a few days working on some new abstract paintings on large canvases. I wanted them to be very colorful, spontaneous and decorative. Here is one of them (70 x 90 cm). I love flashy colors and heavy textures!

If you wish, you can see some details of the above image HERE
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I just spent a few days working on some new abstract paintings on large canvases. The above images (click to enlarge) show some details of them. I'll share the full versions of each work shortly (when they are dry...). I used 2 different techniques and I wanted them to be very colorful, spontaneous and decorative. Please see the evolution of some of them below...



I took this picture in Brussels recently.
Such an expressive model...
Tour & Taxis - Belgium
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A selection of my creations ("Pencil Vs Camera" and "Digital Circlism", printed in limited editions - visible in photos 2-3-4) were exhibited from the 25th till the 28th of February 2011 at the Affordable Art Fair in Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium. My works were presented by the Gallery Garden. Many other artists and galleries participated in this event.

Good news, I'll be participating in the next AAF in London with another gallery!

...And a few other photos showing artworks made by other artists, which I found particularly striking. For the artists' and gallery owners' names, please go directly to the AAF website...