Interview with the artist: Titan of Tsunami

Introduce yourself! What’s your name? How long have you played Tibia?

Hello, I’m Titan, I am a self-taught artist and illustrator and a long-time Tibia player.

I started playing when I was 9 or 10 years old. I never took the game seriously until after the 8.10 update, that’s when the whole gang of Titans came along, may the gods bless their souls.

I have stopped and come back about a hundred times already, but I just can’t stay away forever, Tibia has always been there for me in my darkest times, so whenever anything goes sideways IRL I just come back, resume my adventure and find myself in it, and then with my Tsunami strength regained I just go back to the real world. I have very fond memories of this game and it’s kinda hard to imagine where I would be right now without it.

How did your artistic adventure start?

I have always been creative and art has always been a part of my life ever since I was a little kid. I have dipped my toes into almost any form of art, failed graciously a few times, of course, learned a lot from everything.

Pixel art, for example, is something I never imagined I would do, I started doing it for Tibia contests, and then because of life and its many turns, it became my main style and basically the only kind of art I do now.

What was your motivation to learn (drawing, pixel art, etc.)?

Well, I learned to draw because I liked it all my life and I wanted to be good. I learned to paint because I wanted to do more abstract “relaxed” art. I learned to do Pixel art because I couldn’t draw traditionally anymore. In 2018 I was diagnosed with a disease that affects my nerves and lessens my dexterity along with causing cramps and pain when I hold a pencil or a brush, that was rough, a lot of things to adjust, and there was Pixel art which didn’t require such things so I decided to learn it, for real this time, and ever since I have tried to polish my style and my art until it feels like what It used to be even if it is something completely different.

How long have you been mastering your skill?

The first sprite I ever made I made in 2016 for TibiaTome Fansite Item Contest, but I have actively trying to get better at it since 2019, most of my progress however has come during quarantine, lots of free time to practice and learn, study references and try new things.

How would you describe your style (drawing, pixel art)?

I used to do comic/realistic drawings. My pixel art I would describe as cute and edgy. I love to add details to things, to get a view of a fantasy or an idea and push it as far as I can, which is why I usually go through dozens of variations of something before settling on a final idea.

What is the next milestone you’d like to achieve in your art progress? Any art-related dream?

I’m trying to learn to do landscapes and background art but that’s taking some time. A dream? Maybe working in a game, that would be great. I always wanted to do character concept art, kinda out there now but well I would love that. Maybe be able to produce full pieces as I used to but in pixel art. And most importantly hopefully one day being able to draw by hand again and redo some of my pixel artwork in traditional format.

Is there someone who inspires you in Tibia or out of the game?

Well yeah, I don’t think you can get anywhere without seeing what’s already been done. Lupus Aurelius and Makadamia jump straight to mind, because for obvious reasons but there are a lot of great artists in this community. I’m also greatly inspired by the classic pixel art games and game art in general.

What would you advise someone who’d like to start their adventure with creating tibia fanart?

Here I will solely talk about sprite work.

Do not try to measure your steps and results with someone else’s, everybody walks their own path and it would be foolish to think you are going to start today and be at the level of people that have been doing it for years. Take your time, always find ways to improve, study other people’s work and how they solve the issues you struggle with, and in time you will be great, trust me… I still feel weird when I look back at my old work.

Have you ever won any tibia art-related contest? Tell us about it.

I have taken a few second places…

Which one of your works are you the proudest of?

I only put out there things that I feel proud of but obviously, Banor Doll is at the top of the list, it was a long time dream of mine to have something I made make it into Tibia and he’s perfect,  it’s connected to Tibian lore, it resonates with everyone because of the Dragon Scale Set, and I feel like it really translates the “Divine Warrior” aesthetic in its golden dragon version and it has sparkles which I love.

My entries to TibiaGallery and  TibiaHome Fansite item contests are something I really appreciate because they are proof of my progress, the animation complexity and the quality of them is a testament to my journey and makes me excited to see what I can do next and how my art would be in a year or two…

Do you think that art should ever be discussed and compared or it is rather a subjective project of an artist?

I guess it depends on the context in which it is spoken and compared, art itself is supposed to be subjective but when it comes to a competitive environment with certain technical requirements, quality and fidelity to such requirements should always prevail. For me, the “subjective selection” works for fan art and crafts or writing but not for sprite making.

Are you working on anything currently? Could you spoil it for us a little?

I’m actually kinda uninspired at the moment, but a long project of mine that I really haven’t spoken about before is my “Chronicles of The Coven” Which is a compilation of texts I have written within the Tibia universe, about the adventure of my character and every turn and adventure, every person that has made an impact on my Tibian Life, every victory, every defeat, every betrayal… Every mount, every secondary character I have created, and how they thread into the formation of the Titan of Tsunami. I am an avid roleplayer and this is something I would like to show the world one day, with drawings to accompany each chapter but I just don’t feel like my art is quite there yet.

What is the most impressive tibia fanart you’ve seen?

Hands down: Roshamuul Hunt by Phsilvente. It’s just perfection, the depiction of the avalanche rune being cast, the ambiance of it. Chef’s kiss.

If you do art away from Tibia, how did Tibia influence your works?

By showing me possibilities, endless possibilities and amazing art, mounts, outfits, items, and the new ways they do things each update keeps me on my toes, providing a much-needed challenge of keeping up with what’s coming next and I have applied that to art outside of Tibia, there is always a way to do something in an unexpected way and keeping yourself open to that almost always results in great art.

artist: Titan of Tsunami

prepared by: Divine’Angel

If you want to see more of Titan’s artworks, visit a subpage about his body of work in our “ARTISTS” section!