Daryl Mandryk interview
Daryl Mandryk is an illustrator living and working in Vancouver Canada. Originally a 3D modeler and texture artist, he switched over 2D art and is now a widely recognized digital artist. He has worked on several titles at Electronic Arts, and is currently heading up the concept art team at Propaganda Games. In addition he does freelance work for many clients, including Privateer Press. As Daryl’s art is such a prominent part of the Hordes game we thought we’d ask him a few questions about himself, working for Privateer Press and art.
How long have you been producing artwork professionally?
I got my first professional job in 1999… so I’ve been at this about 7 years. That job mainly involved 3D modeling and texturing. Around 2001 I started moving towards more 2D artwork, and by 2002 that’s all I did.
Are you a traditionally trained artist? Or are you self-taught?
I took a lot of art courses in school which focused on traditional mediums, and I also went to school for 2D and 3D animation. I am always looking for new things to learn about art though, and I continually try to teach myself new things.
What medium do you typically work in? Are your drawings and paintings actually done with oils etc. or do you primarily work electronically?
Right now I primarily work in digital medium because of the speed it allows me. Deadlines are tighter than ever, and directors often want to see multiple versions of things, so working digitally gives you a lot of flexibility.
How did you find your way into creating art for the game industry?
I was approached by a producer at Electronic Arts who had seen my 3D work online, and wanted to hire me for a new project. I was working in television at the time, but since I always wanted to get into the gaming industry I decided to give it a shot.
What is your reaction to seeing your artwork in a commercial product on a shelf? Do you think that there is any difference between art produced for “arts sake” and art created for commercial purposes?
It’s always exciting to see work you’ve done - it gives you a good sense of accomplishment. I think commercial art is different only in so much that it is managed more. You have more cooks in the kitchen telling you what to do.
The nice thing about producing personal work is that you don’t have to answer to anyone but yourself. The goal is to get to a point where clients trust you so much they just let you do what you want. Then your commercial work reflects your personal style that much more.
How did you get involved with Hordes and Privateer Press?
They saw my work online and emailed me about doing some work for their upcoming hordes book. When I saw the style of work they were doing I knew it was something I’d be interested in.
Was there anything in particular about the art produced for Privateer Press that attracted you?
Its very well done, and has a strong style too it. Its something that I think is strong enough to stand on its own in a crowded marketplace.
How many pieces did you create for Hordes?
I created 3 cover pieces, and 3 internal illustrations.
Did you do work for any of the factions other than Trollblood and Everblight?
Yes, I did a bit of work on the Skorne as well
How long were you working on the pieces you submitted?
Its really hard to say since I worked on them off an on for several weeks. Probably about 2-3 days of work for each image. The cover images with multiple characters took a bit longer, since there is more detailing to be done.
Do you have a favourite image or work that you produced for Hordes?
Not really. They all were equally fun to do, and I’m happy with all the results.
Did you work to specific specs for the artwork for Hordes or did you have a freer hand to produce work?
The artwork had to be done to match the concept art which was very detailed. The art director also provided a lot of reference and color palettes to work from. My job was basically to illustrate what they had already created, not to provide new ideas.
Is that typical of other freelance work you’ve done? Or does Privateer Press have a more defined art direction than other companies?
Privateer Press has a very defined designs, so you have to stick pretty close to them. As an artist you are basically representing their product, so its important to portray it as accurately as possible. The amount of freedom you get really depends on the company, and the project. Sometimes you are asked to come up with ideas, and other times your job is to help define what is already there.
Is there any game (electronic or otherwise) that you haven’t produced work for that you would want to?
I would love to work on Diablo and Starcraft, they are two of my favorites. I also have a huge desire to work on a new version of the classic X-COM computer game, and do it right. That’s one property I think has really fallen from grace.
I notice that your gallery is populated by a large number of rather evil looking machines and alien creatures. Is that the X-COM influence?
Haha yeah I suppose that could be part of it. I remember that game being really creepy, and I like to infuse some of that feeling into my work. I guess I am influences a lot by videogames in general