Artist Spotlight & Interview With Halil Ural
Halil Ural:
There’s just something about fantasy that other genres just can’t seem to replicate. Fantasy, whether it’s on the big screen, via computer games, or provided in the form of art, evokes all manner of feelings and emotions and provides the ultimate in escapism.
Those of you with an interest in the fantasy genre when it comes to your art will likely be familiar with the works of renowned concept art and illustrator Halil Ural.
Halil Ural is one of the most respected illustration specialists in the industry today. While he specialized in fantasy, you’ll also find sci-fi, Western, horror, cult movies, mainstream TV, steampunk, video games, retro pop culture, erotic, and even humorous elements to his work.
Yes, Halil Ural is an artist who has many fingers in many pies creatively, so it’s easy to see why he’s such a well-respected concept art and illustration specialist.
Sensitivity breeding creativity
Halil Ural is a concept art and illustrator specialist hailing from Vantaa, Finland.
While Halil specializes in creating his masterpieces via Photoshop, he is also familiar with other applications including Art Studio Pro, Painter, Blender, Substance Painter, and traditional methods including Ink, Pencil, and watercolor.
When he was growing up, it was clear that he was creative at heart and was a sensitive soul. Halil claims that it was his sensitive nature as a child which helped him put paint to canvas and start creating art from a young age.
He graduated from Avni Akyol High School of Arts, before going on to become a graphics design major in Istanbul’s prestigious Marmara University. While he of course picked up a lot while studying, he is also self-taught as many of the skills and techniques he uses today he picked up via online tutorials.
Halil resides in Finland but was born in Turkey and states that he often gets homesick.
A man of many talents
As stated, Halil Ural is a man of many talents. Rather than focus on just one genre, he instead focusses on numerous ones, creating visually striking, yet very different images. This talented illustrator may knock up a concept art piece featuring zombies and soldiers one second, and the next he’s creating an epic battle scene featuring wizards, elves, sorcerers, mages, and more.
From his days as a freelancer to his days as an established artist, he has created numerous images which he is immensely proud of. He’s worked on: book covers, board games, compilation art books, and more. One of his proudest moments, however, was working with Chris Huelsbeck, where he was hired to create pieces of art for his music album ‘Turrican Soundtrack Anthology. This was a Kickstarter project that enjoyed huge success.
Which creation of his caught our eye?
In truth, we like all Halil’s illustrations, yet there is one that really stands out to us, particularly with current events.
Entitled ‘Yellow Fever’ we see what looks to be some sort of containment camp at night. Scattered throughout are busses and men, likely soldiers, wearing yellow hazmat suits and equipped with flamethrowers.
Some of the soldiers are burning people alive(?) as they exit the bus and flee. The people being incinerated are likely infected with something, so the soldiers are most likely attempting to prevent the spread of a mysterious infection. Likely a classic zombie outbreak scenario, with the events of 2020 still far too raw in our minds, it certainly does make you stop and think of a “what if” scenario.
ARTIST INTERVIEW:
What City, State & Country do you currently live in?: Vantaa, Finland
What is your primary art application?: Photoshop
What are some of the other mediums, or applications you use?: Blender, Substance Painter, Art Studio Pro, Procreate
Traditional: Watercolor, Pencil, Ink
What are some of your favorite reference materials?: Sci-fi / Horror / Cult Movies, Fantasy Art, Comics, Video Games and Retro Pop Culture.
Do you have any artistic weaknesses that you're actively working on to improve?: Yes, I need to improve my fundamentals and line work. I also have to work on improving my visual memory to have a stronger skill of creating unique patterns and structures.
What made you want to become an artist?: I guess I was a sensitive kid and I always had a soft spot on compelling visuals. So I always wanted to become a creator of visual arts.
What are some of your favorite things to draw and paint?: I like drawing scenes of characters showing off their strength / weaknesses,which are usually in a power struggle in moody environments.
What artistic accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?: Maybe completely focusing on personal projects and possibly selling some art for living, if I somehow get to be well-known enough for that at some point.
Who are some of your favorite concept artists, or illustrators that you draw inspiration from?: There are too many to list them all and my favorites list is constantly changing but lately I was into:
Phil Hale, Ashley Wood, Mark Schultz, Adrian Smith, Frank Frazetta, Ilya Repin, Zdzisław Beksiński, and Egon Schiele.
Did you have any professional training? If so, what schools, or classes did you attend? If not, what process did you use to achieve your level of artistic talent?: I have some artistic training from high school and collage. I have graduated from Avni Akyol High School of Arts and later on graphics design major in Marmara University in Istanbul. But most of my skill have been achieved by the tutorials wherever I can find online.
What is an interesting bit of personal info about yourself you could share with our readers?: I was born in Turkey and moved to Finland in my early 30s. I sometimes feel homesick.
What is one bit of advice you would give to an aspiring artist like yourself? Something you've learned from experience along your journey?: It's tempting to go with some cliches such as: never give up, work hard, etc. but probably people heard that a lot already. Maybe one good advice is: to be wary of the danger of burnout on the way to your goal.
I think it's healthier to work with small milestones than obsessing on one particular goal.
Artistic achievements? This could include jobs, projects, awards, accolades, etc... Anything you consider significant in your art career. Please also include any links to process videos, or anything else you'd like included!: Throughout the years of my growing artistic career I had chance to work with plenty of projects both as a freelancer and full time. My artworks has been featured in many board games, book covers and compilation art books.
In 2012, I have worked with Chris Huelsbeck to create artworks for his music album: "Turrican Soundtrack Anthology". The project was funded in Kickstarter with a great success.
here's a brief selection of art book publications that featured my art:
“EXPOSÉ 6”(2010),“D’Artiste Character Design” (2011), “Exotique 8”(2013), “#hardcover vol.1” (2019),“#hardcover vol.2” (2021), “ImagineFX - Sketchbook” (June -2020)
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