Odd (Oscar) (Italy)

Odd (Oscar) (Italy)

Merry Chrismas to all italian readers and artists. I discovered this year that Italy was maybe #2 poster country, just after the US, hope this will boost the competition for other countries. A very special Merry Chrismas to all the Italian Poster Rock Art team ...

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

These days I'm listening to Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys. Mainly. But there are always five minutes free for NIN.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is Oscar, aka Odd, I'm a graphic artist and illustrator from Italy.

When did you start drawing?

I started drawing when I was at school, my diary used to be crowded with funny pictures and teachers' and schoolmates' caricatures.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

I started as a self-taught in high school then I attended the International School of Graphics in Venice, and here I learned the basics. But most of the things I do are the result of hours of personal research.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

Fortunately I live from my art, sometimes it works great, others a little less, but the satisfaction of receiving appreciations for what I do is priceless.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

Not much, but maybe i will increase in the future.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

I particularly like Shepard Fairy (Obeygiant) and Andy Warhol, I'm heavily influenced by pop art and comic books, but I must say that recently, surfing the web, I've found many talented artists that push a little forward my point of view.

What are the principal steps in your work?

The band or artist, or the management contact me, most of the times they don't set limits and expect me to surprise them. Other times they come with their own ideas and I have to realize them with my style (but it's no so frequently). Then (with the band music in background) I start drawing on paper, scan, retrace all in Illustrator and insert final details to complete the composition, then I choose the color palette. When the work has been approved, we print it.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

First by hand, a final on computer. But I also use a Wacom to draw directly on my computer.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

Sometimes it takes 4 hours, sometimes it takes days. It depends on the complexity of the artwork and on how much I'm inspired by the job.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

If I could put skulls everywhere, I would do it... In general, I don't have preferences, but untill now I've not been drawing something I didn't want to draw.

For which band have you already worked for?

I've done poster for Knut, Carla Bozulich, Karma To Burn, Ojm, Vessels, Damo Suzuki, Planet Funk, Premonition 13 (Scott Wino), Heraclite, Aleuchatistas, Zu.

For which band would you love to work?

I'd like to draw something for Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanegan or Foo Fighters. But I'd love to work with all the bands that I love, and their soooo much.

Do you choose the artists yourself?

No, I get commissions by promoters or band management.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster?

Trying to render visually the inner soul of an artist or band and making the poster eye-catching and unique.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

There's a scene even if one doesn't know he is part of it. Thanks to the web is very easy to confront with each other, to be influenced by the work of talented people without knowing their name. I think I'm part of it without being to much involved.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

You can find quite everything I've done, on my website http://www.odd-house.com/

The best praise you received lately?

My son.

What can we wish you for the future?

To keep drawing good stuff and get rich with it. If not rich, I'll settle for a hot meal a day.