Interview with Tomas Duchek

January 25, 2023

Summary: Tomas Duchek is one of the featured fantasy artists of our Collection #1. We interviewed him to better understand his artistic inspirations & thoughts on the current state of technology in art.

Article available on Medium

Introduction

On November 24th, we released the first art collection of the Faerian gallery on the theme of “Light”. 6 artists participated conjointly with 22 unique artworks, all opening a different window to the realms of fantasy worlds.

We recently spoke to Tomáš Duchek, a digital illustrator and concept artist from Prague. Tomáš has been an artist for over a decade, and his work has been featured in one of the most popular trading card games “Magic the Gathering” and the popular video game “Kingdom Come: Deliverance,” and has been enjoyed by millions of fans. His work encapsulates the true essence of fantasy – from heroes and villains, to more abstract themes such as “Ruin” which highlights the devastating impact of the war in Ukraine.

His attention to detail is remarkable, which allows him to clearly communicate the emotions in his art to the viewer. In the piece “The Straggler”, we see a dwarf holding some type of light or fire in his hands, which illuminates his face. If you look closely, he isn’t looking at the light – but instead staring straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to the light in his hands.

To me – this piece illustrates the human tendency to at times ignore what’s in front of us, whether positive or negative, and always be looking for what’s next. Even though the dwarf has the light in front of him, this symbol of beauty and hope – he stares resolutely forward. I believe this really demonstrates our tendency to not live in the moment, and a theme that I think we can all relate to.

We first checked in to see how Tomáš is doing, and what kind of fantasy race he would like to be!

Faerian: How are you doing?

Tomáš: I’m doing great, thank you.

Faerian: If you could be one fantasy race (elf, human, dwarf, etc.), which one would you pick? Why?

Tomáš: I like dwarves for their stubbornness, strength and resilience.

Faerian: I love that! Dwarves are consistent in their portrayal through the various fantasy worlds. They are definitely not someone you’d want to have trouble with, and really do embody strength and fortitude.
Everyone has a different type of fantasy world they’d like to live in, whether it’s a bustling city, or a quiet forest.

If you could live in or visit the fantasy universe of your choice, which one would you pick? Why?

Tomáš: Probably Middle Earth. I think living there would be tough, but it seems easier to navigate there in terms of good and bad. And to find meaning for oneself.

Artistic Inspiration

Faerian: What themes do you most enjoy exploring in your work and why?

Tomáš: In my work I mostly explore color and light. I use people and their story and emotions as a subject to practice it on.

Now, each artist has a different origin story. A different reason why they wake up and create, and different influences that have helped them along the way. Things that have inspired them, challenged them, and furthered their conviction that being an artist is what they were meant to do.

We explored this with Tomáš, as well as why he decided to focus on the Fantasy universe.

Faerian: What made you want to be an artist?

Tomáš: I studied industrial design, but I felt a little too constrained there. So I decided to shift into entertainment design and painting, where I felt like having infinite space for creativity.

Faerian: Why do you focus on fantasy universes? What do you love most about the world of fantasy?

Tomáš: I do enjoy not being restricted while painting from imagination. I want to paint things that are not possible to see in our world.

Just as each artist has different reasons to be inspired, and different themes to explore – they also have different people who inspire them. People they admire, and people who have supported them through their artistic journey.

Faerian: Who are your artistic inspirations?

Tomáš: I am inspired mostly by nature. Also there are tons of artists that I admire. Most notably, I enjoy the work of Russian realists like Shiskin, and Levitan.

A Walk in the Forest - Ivan Shishkin (1869)

“A Walk in the Forest” by Ivan Shishkin (1869)

“Autumn Day” by Isaac Levitan (1879)

Artistic Technique

Now that we know the what, the why, and the who – it was time to learn about the how and the why. How Tomáš makes such exquisite art, and why he decided to share his talents with the Faerian Gallery.

Faerian: What tools/techniques could you not live without, to do your art?

Tomáš: I paint almost exclusively in Photoshop. I use a graphic tablet and I make my paintings in approximately five days. If I have an exciting idea and the painting goes in the right direction, I can’t do anything else, but paint.

Collaboration with Faerian

Faerian: What made you choose to work with the Faerian gallery?

Tomáš: I liked the personal approach and felt like my work really belongs here.

Faerian: What made you trust to sign with us?

Tomáš: It was probably the personal call with Cynthia. I saw the passion 🙂

Faerian: That’s wonderful, and something we both share. This is one of the reasons I joined Faerian as well!

Opinion on NFTs & AI art

We then moved on to a tricky topic, AI generated art. Some are for it, some are firmly against it. Everyone has a different opinion, and Tomáš has a clear stance on it’s place in the world.

We also asked more broadly about the NFT space, and his thoughts on the space as it stands today.

Faerian: What are your thoughts about AI art? Good thing, bad thing? Why?

Tomáš: I am not happy about the technology, because it oversaturates the world with visuals. But I am trying to see it as a new way of creativity that can enhance our potential in visual exploration.

Faerian: What are your thoughts on the current state of the NFT world?

Tomáš: NFTs seem like a great way fans can support their favorite artists.

Faerian: I agree. I think being able to use something as ubiquitous as the internet to allow for greater distribution and sharing of great art, is one of the things the internet was originally intended for.