Your Full Name
Roberto Campos Moura, but betocampos is more recognized.
Tell us about you
I was a traditional artist. And was not so bad – released my first solo exhibition when I was only 14 years old. One day I decided to replace the old canvas with a Wacom Cintiq, and brushes for Photoshop. Since then, the press has ceased to consider me a great artist, but at least I never more soiled my hands with oil paint. I had an academic background in graphic design, and post graduate studies in design, marketing and advertising, with over 12 years of experience working with concept art for games and advertising.
In your opinion, what would be the secret ingredients to become a great illustrator?
I think the most important for an illustrator is a natural ability. Nobody can choose to be an illustrator. But to become a great illustrator is needed more than natural talent and love what you do.
As in any profession, to stand out, the trader must have discipline. And discipline means to us training the vision, need to be watchful eye to see beyond the obvious.
Where are you located?
Currently i´m working for Platinum Studio in Rio de Janeiro, and lives in rural zone of Minas Gerais state, with my wife and daughter, fishing in the river and raising chickens in the backyard.
What is the most fascinating part of being an illustrator?
Is that an illustrator does not need to grow up. An illustrator should not become an adult. The illustrator has to have eyes of a child, that is to remain always creative and unusual.
Where do you get inspirations from?
In general, comes from the details of everyday life. Life is always creative, for good or for evil. In this profession all you need to do is enjoy the show and not miss anything. Then just recycle everything and let go to work.
Do you promote/ sell/ showcase your work? If so, how?
I do not usually have a very busy public life. But I maintain my digital gallery at deviantart.
What is your long range goals in your life?
To be honest, I do not have big goals. I’ve always been very immediate, I know it’s not very healthy, but keep me alert. Over the past 15 years, I’ve changed for each city I liked on vacation. But until a walker have
dreams. I would one day be able to actually choose the projects that work, without regard to financial need. In other words I would be stupidly rich and just work for fun.
What types of assignment/ project are you attracted the most? Why so?
What attracts me most is the concept art. It is the maximum exercise of creativity, when we create new worlds. It is in the conceptual art that the inner child is strong and plays at being God.
Who is an illustrator that you look up to? Why so?
Many, of course I admire many classical artists, especially the work of Rembrandt. But keep the mind fresh, following the new artists in Asia, such the Imaginary Friends Studios.
Describe a difficult work/ project situation and how would you overcome it?
As some may know, I´m working for Platinum FMD, the Brazilian studio hired by Adobe to create the release image to Photoshop CS5. I did the concept art and put my hands on photo manipulation, although this is not my specialty.
Even though this is not a perfect job, was very fun to have worked on this project.
But I think the biggest trouble/challenge of my career was when I accepted to work for Platinum Studio as a photo manipulator. The first 3 months were terrible. The level of the guys were miles apart from mine. Until then I was a guy of concept, I was never very close to final art. And Platinum, with its hyper-realistic work really gave me a lesson. The head is the photographer Leonardo Vilelao, one of the best. And that was the biggest benefit of working in Platinum, train our eyes to incredible heights.
Two years have passed since then, I’m still learning the magic of them. At least now the distance has diminished, and only the fact of working closely with great photographers, has brought great benefits to my drawings.
What do you think about the Internet and how it is affecting our lifestyle?
The internet is a beautiful thing from God. It’s what allows me to work today to any city in the world without having to leave my chickens inside the country
If you could turn back time, how would you do things differently?
Perhaps I would have accepted the offer from EA games to study in their art school, in the California, about 15 years ago. At the time I lived in the jungle in the Amazon and was very interested in some female species of the tribe …
How do you keep your work fresh? Do you need to consciously adapt your style or does it progress naturally?
Every job brings new challenges. As a designer, I’m always adapting my style to best suit each project. So the search for references is essential to keep the work fresh.
Name 3 of your favorite (art) books/ magazines.
I like the Exposé series and others stuffs from CG Society.
What is your life motto?
I always need to remember: Dreams can come true, but the reality is not a dream.
In what kind of a work environment do you do your best work?
I like a relaxed environment, working in teams. But it has a stage in the projects when I really think and generate alternatives that would rather be alone. Only with the wildlife for company.
What do you like the sound of? Why so?
I love the sound of the sea, waves crashing on the beach. This to me is inspiring. The beach really calms me, perhaps because of the 12 cycles per minute waves, exactly the ideal cycle of human breathing … or maybe they are really girls in bikini from beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
If you have online portfolio, what is the URL?
I keep a digital gallery on www.betocampos.deviantart.com
And put something on Picasa
—–
—–
[.]
