Interviews

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations: Unusual ‘Cephalopodoptera’ Insect Collection

Vladimir Stankovic is an illustrator and graphic designer who was born in Serbia, in the town of Nis. He is 27 and is currently studying in Finland, a beautiful land of lakes and snow. It was a pleasure for us to take an interview with Vladimir Stankovic and we wish you a pleasant reading and viewing of Vladimir Stankovic illustrations.

AP: Hello Vladimir, we are very happy to see you here and we hope you’ll enjoy answering the questions we’ve prepared for you. Could you please tell me what got you started?

Vladimir: Well, as a lot of kids, I started being creative very early, as soon as I could hold a pencil. But a bit later, at the age of five, I started making very detailed and complex plasticine figures and drawing inside old books. Some of those doodles were very “x rated” and luckily, or not, they still exist inside a couple of old encyclopedias, and make me laugh whenever I think of them.

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

Loligo Pavonia

AP: Yeah, that’s really funny and great. It’s a very good start, I think because being a child you found out what you liked to do the most. Do you have any formal education in visual art or were you self-taught?

Vladimir: I enrolled in a secondary art school at 15, and it is where I gained a lot of my artistic skills, which I only developed further on through my higher education at the Faculty of Arts in my hometown. Right now, I’m finishing up my master’s degree in graphic design here in Finland, so yes I guess I do have formal training.

AP: What genre are your illustrations?

Vladimir: I’m not really sure what the genre of my work is, but I guess I’d say it’s very fairytale-like with a touch of surrealism and a bit grotesque. Also, it has a lot of nature’s elements as biology as a science has a big influence on my work as well… in general, I like to experiment and combine different genres and themes and I like to be surprised by the results.

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

AP: Yes, your illustrations are very attractive. How would you describe your works?

Vladimir: They can be characterized as unusual that’s for sure, but whether they are unique or original, I guess that’s for others to decide.

AP: What kind of equipment and techniques do you use to draw your illustrations?

Vladimir: The materials I enjoy using the most are the traditional ones: watercolors, colored pencils, and markers. With the use of traditional techniques I kind of get the results I want in the fastest and most fun way. On the other hand, I also use software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, but up to now, it was only to add some final touches or rearrange the elements I draw by hand, though In the future I would like to create solely digital and software illustrations as well.

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

AP: That is a very interesting idea. Tell us more about your latest “Cephalopodoptera” project. Is it a fictitious or scientific name? Where did you know about this newly discovered species?

Vladimir: The name of the project sounds scientific but it is pure fiction, unfortunately… I grew up with this old, huge Russian encyclopedia, which was a gift from my uncle, and it contained all orders of animals with their common and Latin names, therefore I was familiar with the classifying system of living things and it always intrigued me, because I like to think that it’s not complete yet and maybe even not 100% correct. So, as I love insects and I love mollusks, I came to the idea of making a new species as a combination of both. It came to be very spontaneously, and by adding the flickering and moving effects I wanted to make it more amusing and engaging to look at.

AP: Vladimir, that is very cool! You did a very wonderful job. What is the formula for success in your activity?

Vladimir: Besides doodling all the time, I take part in different projects and exhibitions, ‘cause it is always fun and fulfilling to get feedback and see work from your peers.

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

Loligo Lucanus

AP: Is there someone who supports you in your creativity?

Vladimir: My biggest support is my girlfriend, and my family, of course, and I think it is really important that people around you have an understanding and appreciation of what you do because it will definitely show in the final results of your work.

AP: Could you give any piece of advice for those who try to discover their talent and cultivate it?

Just practice your craft as much as possible and don’t mind the obstacles, see everything as a challenge and not a threat, and you’ll get to where you want to be sooner or later! A bit cliché but it works!

Vladimir, thank you very much for sharing such an interesting story about your illustrations. We wish you more great projects, brilliant ideas and of course continued success.

To learn more about Vladimir Stankovic illustrations, please visit his personal page on Behance.

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

Vladimir Stankovic Illustrations

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