Thumbnails: Daniel Dociu

Thumbnails: 30 Second Interviews

Daniel Dociu is an art director and concept artist for the video game company NCSoft. I am attempting to lure him into the high paying and glamorous lifestyle of a book cover artist. He’s done a few covers for Tor this past year, hopefully the first of many. Like John Berkey and Stephan Martiniere, his painterly, expressive style is perfect for giving the viewer a glimpse of a world without spelling it out, letting us feel that if we could just squint a bit and step a little closer, we might be able to fall into that world -- that kind of engagement with the audience is priceless.

Here is a CGSociety profile on Daniel.

Favorite painting you did in the past year?
I don’t have one. I always have mixed feelings about my recent work. It’s a mix of excitement for the aspects I feel I handled well and disappointment for missed opportunities. It takes a long time for my feelings about a piece to cool off before I can label it as acceptable or a failure.

Do you have to like the book to be excited about the project?
It sure helps, but it’s not indispensable. If the book is less than inspiring it just takes extra mental effort to extrapolate the missing layers of depth.

How do you balance personal time with work?
Quite poorly.

What are you working on now?
I’m splitting my time between concept art and art direction for the next big title from Arenanet and overseeing the visual quality for all of the NCsoft’s North American development studios.

Advice to a young illustrator?
Take on all the work you can get your hands on and approach every assignment as a portfolio piece, even if you feel underpaid or downright ripped off. Over-deliver for your own good and don’t rearrange your standards according to the price you’ve been forced to accept.

Dream assignment?
“How about traveling around the world on your motorcycle along with a good writer equally crazy about riding, and illustrating the story of your journey? All expenses paid, of course. And then some.”