DuncanW

Charles Winslow is an inspiration. His RB portfolio shows extraordinary consistency, with one quality work after another. Whether Charles is creating an out-and-out fantasy, or sticking closer to reality, his skills are evidence of a craftsman of substantial ability. Spend even just a few minutes browsing his work, and you quickly realise that you are looking at something out of the ordinary, in both his choice of subject or theme and his technical expertise. I don’t often use the word awesome – it is becoming overused and in danger of having its meaning diluted – but I am more than happy to apply it to the work of this particular redbubbler.

As I studied yet another amazing upload recently, I found many questions coming to mind; I also felt sure that I couldn’t be the only one to wonder how he does it: the 20-hour labours, working with a squillion layers and umpteen images, all brought together in a seamless demonstration of how it should be done. Happily, Charles agreed to divulge some of his secrets, so I asked him first where his inspiration comes from:

CW: My inspiration comes from my family, friends, clients, and websites like this one. To witness the smiles on faces, tears of joy, laughter, and satisfaction, as well as reading responses of the same, tells me I touched someone in a way that brings a moment of happiness in their life. A few days ago an artist wrote that she looked at the image and started crying but didn’t understand why. Wow, made me tremble all over! To me, that’s inspiration.

A good photographer should be able to see the finished work, before the eye meets the viewfinder – a skill that I always had trouble with! I wondered therefore, how much of the finished work Charles ‘sees’ in his mind’s eye first:

CW: What a question! My mind and imagination has stored so much energy it’s about to implode. Most of my work consists of a memory, dream, or idea from a movie. It is my imagination and control of thought which has kept me alive and I think I use it well. I have served my country as an Army Airborne Ranger, a Criminal Investigator, a Forensic Investigator and working for the Department of Defense and seeing death was always part of my life. You cannot bring your work home to your family, so you must learn to train your mind, which means you must learn to use your imagination and control of thought. I have trained my mind well.

If you have a finished work previsualised, how often do you veer away from that, and end up with something quite different?

CW: Often! Normally I load up three sections on three different monitors, broken down into sections starting on screen one with background, screen two with objects, and screen three with models. After deciding what my theme is I choose the background, the objects and then the best model for the scene. Many times I will work 16 hours or more on an image and it just doesn’t catch my eye, so something’s got to go and I might replace the model or background. If I am not satisfied then I have to run out and take some shots or scrap the whole project, keep it in a folder until my mind comes up with a new idea for that image.

You have remarked on the fact that you have yet to master photography (“If I ever get my photography down packed, watch out world!”); how do you think this affects your work? Would you be creating similar art to that at which you currently excel, or would you go on to astound us even further with a wider variety of subjects?

CW: My problem is understanding the concepts of lighting on portraits and models in a studio setting. Currently I am assisted by 2 professional photographers whom I consider two of the best in the World. Mehmet Turgut from Turkey has worked with me providing me with the most professional highest quality portrait images for my work which includes Idol Thoughts, Time’s Passage, Transformation, Overtime (below),



Bronze, and Deliver Us from Evil. Once perfecting photography myself, along with 3d rendering, my style will change completely. [To save Bubblers asking, Charles is keeping the other photographer’s name secret, for privacy reasons – DW]

The skills that Charles employs would be impressive enough if he had undertaken formal study, but I suspected that he might be self-taught:

CW: Yes I am; a friend gave me Photoshop CS two years ago and asked if I could use it because I was designing t-shirts for different organizations using Photo Impact. I played with the different filters, colors, and shapes for about 3 months thinking I knew everything there was to know about Photoshop. Then spotted the book Photoshop for Dummies at a garage sale and checked it out. Damn I didn’t realize how much of a dummy I was! But by the time I completed the tutorials and classes in the book, I pretty much knew what I was doing.

What were your artistic endeavors before photography and/or Photoshop?

CW: I learned photography in High School, along with black and white photo developing. While in the military I started playing with an airbrush, which I am pretty good at also.

Which of your RB images is your favorite? Why?

CW: My favorite image is Wishful Thoughts



I met the Barnes family on another website and heard about their son Rhys, who has a severe bone infection called “osteomyelitis” (bone death and degradation). I asked for several family photos to create several images for them, this was one of four. The images were made strictly from my heart and soul to this family.

One of the hallmarks of a Charles Winslow image is the rendered 3D scenes that he sometimes builds his images around. Having used 3D software for product & furniture design, I was curious about what Charles uses for his 3D work:

CW: I have 3d Max, Poser, Vue6 and Bryce 7. Mainly 3d Max and Poser, the other two are so complicated.



Had you used 3D before, for other than ‘pure art’?

CW: I am still trying to get my feet wet. I started using rendering software about 6 months ago, never touched it before that, and have a great teacher Stewart Wood, a computer engineer and rendering master. He is also here on redbubble and a great friend.

By now, I’m starting to feel like a real underachiever…

Do you have a day job, or are you a starving (or well-fed) artist?

CW: I do have a day job and my wife keeps me very well fed, lol. Presently I am working for the US Department of Defense on assignment in Germany. I have been serving the US Government since I was 18 years old, and have a BA in Police Science, and Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. Recently I have been offered a job with Paramount Pictures in the Graphic Design Department, I love it, and I am considering it, but also I feel like a fish out of water.

It’s confirmed – I am an underachiever!

Do you ever get itchy to create, but find you have nothing in mind to work on, or is there a backlog of projects?

CW: I have rarely enough time these days for my own creations; last year I finished two contracts with Sony Records, and one for Loyd Records, presently I have two more contracts with Sony, one with Idol Records in Texas, Death Row Records in New York as well as private clients in the US and Europe.

Take that Paramount job, Charles, I doubt you’ll be out of water for too long :-)

What’s your favorite time of day for working?

CW: Lunch time and late in the evening, it’s the only time I have to myself beyond work and family.

If you could give someone 3 tips for creating a masterpiece in PS, what would they be?

CW: First tip, get comfortable with your software. Learn it, understand it, and learn about the plug-in software that will help you achieve your goal in creating an image. Second, handle constructive criticism! There is no perfect artist, but if an artist tells you that something might be wrong in your work or in creating an image, listen to it, even if your view might be different, listen anyway and give your view as to why your work looks the way it does, or correct it. I have told several artists who were learning from me, that they should stop cutting and pasting so much; they were hurt, insulted, and posted me as a tyrant all over the net. Very childish, but also very entertaining on the readings. Don’t always think because you get criticism it’s because someone doesn’t like you. The final tip on creating a masterpiece, and the most important to me is “be original” Photoshop is like chemistry and you are the scientist, come up with your own mixture of textures, colors, plug-ins, layers, masking techniques, and ideas that makes your image like no other. Something that draws attention to the viewer. I know a well known artist who has made original masterpieces combining HDR imaging with High Key techniques … who would ever think of coming up with something like that? – but that’s why his work is in major galleries around Europe.

I have to ask: do you get much sleep?

CW: Not much I guess, normally in bed before 1am and up at 6:30 and ready to go. Sundays I sleep half the day to catch up.

Impressive, by any standards. Here is an artist, family man, and highly educated & multi-skilled public servant; someone who is thoughtful, sensitive, caring and highly creative; who has learned to use complex software – and use it very well – apparently in a rather short space of time, and he does all of this on less than 6 hours’ sleep a night! I look forward to seeing the results of Charles getting on top of photography … should be about June 2008 …

Eve

“I have put together many images, and I never try to make something that the public would consider tasteless or disrespectful to anyone. This image was created showing how God sculptured Eve with the lights of Heaven.“

Thank you Charles.