Interview with Oliver “Fantasio” Wetter

Written by Chris Kapzynski on March 8, 2010 Categories: Interviews

Oliver “Fantasio” Wetter

Oliver Wetter, also known by many as “Fantasio”, is an exceptional and well published illustrator from Germany. Oliver has a strong passion for creating Retro, Steampunk and Victorian inspired sci-fi and fantasy characters. Over the years he has made himself a household name amongst those with a love for fine fantasy (and sometimes a bit freaky) art, so naturally I was ecstatic when he agreed to an interview.
I hope you enjoy reading about Oliver “Fantasio” Wetter and take the time to check out more of his awesome work at:

Fantasio Fine Arts

KDS::

To be able to find yourself amongst the ranks of the elite and published artist’s of the world is a great achievement. Since creating art is more than a profession for you, and you’re as you say “an addict”, has your rise as a recognized artist come easily or along with a pricey tag?

FANTASIO::

From a little objective viewpoint, I find myself rather in a great adventuresome challenge with other addicted and creative minds alike.
Sure being featured in international publications leaves its marks in terms of prestige, but personally I wouldn´t overrate it in any way.
Being “recognized” as an artist is definitely NOT something that comes with FedEx for free when you order a bunch of art books or tutorials. A lot of training, dealing with wicked ideas, trial and error, patience and time on study while others play football or do parties -that can be considered the pricey tag.

KDS::

Your approach to what you do has not always been accepted by those around you, such as by teachers and professors who poopooed your ideas of how to bridge the gap between “art and design”. What encouraged you to keep experimenting and doing what you’re doing amongst all the discouragement?

FANTASIO::

When applying to find a center for arts that supported these ideas back in 2000 my approaches were maybe a little naive. It took me 3 attempts of applying to other Artschools to find that they cannot teach me what I want. The 4th try got me into the Ibkk art center in Bochum/Germany. There I had finally found a school to study physical airbrush-design, better my technical abilities, trained perception and the ideals of market situations were taught. With that knowledge, the valuable feedback of teachers and students alike, it took me some time to healthfully incorporate both interests ideally into my workflow. I found out that Illustration is the only way to do both in a mix that allows me to produce applied arts and fine arts.
I cannot say what kept me experimenting with such discouragement in the early days, maybe it was the bad habit and feeling of “don´t care what others say about me”.

KDS::

As a popular illustrator and artist you’ve most certainly been faced with a decision every aspiring artist is faced with at some point in their career, which is to either stay stuck within a style or genre which made you popular or adopt a “don’t care” attitude. Which of these do you subscribe to most and why?

FANTASIO::

I prefer a balanced mix of both attitudes. When I started out and was gaining only little feedback the “don´t care” way helped me to do what I liked most, regardless of what and how many things others said. Nowadays a popular demand cannot be ignored so easily, but I have started out with at least 4-5 different styles, so if any of these is demanded I´m glad to work into that direction, while it can be a nice change to do a personal project in another style or technique. Also I try to work and experiment in new areas. Chances are that it takes time to get a demand for the “newly acquired style” but that´s important for the personal creative growth. People´s nature is to ”take” and as a “giver” that behavior can make you empty as an artist -the result is a “stuck within a style” and “art-blocked” creative that possibly even hates what gets him to success.

KDS::

You have quite a following and are an inspiration to many artists. Are there any artists, whether past or present, that have either been an inspiration to you or that you admire for some trait?

FANTASIO::

There are a lot, indeed too many to list here. Those that I admire for their insights, others for advice and friendship, it would be wrong to list just these that I admire for visual inspiration.
And since you are not asking which artists have had influence in my style, I´d take the chance to thank the closer friends and those that make it possible for me to grow as a person / artist through friendship -virtually and in real life.
In terms of inspiration it would also be wrong to just refer to any artists, as its often a very complex and intuitive process, collecting input, arranging ideas, finding the right output or medium is equally important I´d say.

KDS::

Over the years you’ve grown as an artist. During the times when you look back and critique some of your past work have you gained any great insight or new found inspiration and if so can you explain a bit?

FANTASIO::

There are many insights for sure, the main thing with what I have had to struggle with is my own precision and perfection.
That’s where the eternal fight of “art vs. design” begins: Art is playfully allowing failures and deciding which ones to keep but also to decide when a piece is finished, while design is telling clients (and even myself) “down to earth” what´s possible or what is not in a given time frame.
No easy lesson, but a important one for sure.
Enhancing settings and using shortcuts on the keyboard of my workstation is likewise important as is replying immediately to emails and filtering the importance of everyday tasks – when it comes to the more technical side of being artist.

KDS::

You not only work digitally, but you’ve also produced some amazing collage work, such as both the “broken and fixed” and “say no good/see no good/hear no good” series. Has working as a digital artist helped you to grow and gain new perspective when working on canvas or building collages?

FANTASIO::

Thanks! Well, actually one benefits from the other unconsciously. First got into the traditional area, with results which I was not quite happy with in the beginning, contact with Photoshop and digital camera´s back in the beginning of my study opened new dimensions of creativity for me, but were overwhelming too. Sure there was the barrier to get into the software and hardware like graphic-tablet / camera, etc. But this all helps me to enhance the traditional work out significantly while in return the digital derivates of a traditional work gave me the position of a director to have others see my sculptures the way I’d like them to be seen.
When I compare myself to others that do work strictly in traditional media or digital I think sometimes they are so much further / better while in truth I have only the personal claim to be equally good in both media.

KDS::

Your credo, which is deeply poetic, states:
“There is no art without practice; the practice of pure exploration until the deep boundaries of the mind, to finally redefine the possible.”
Can you give me some insight into what this means to you personally?

FANTASIO::

Its something that reminds me: That solutions are often behind the corner, that the mail can only arrive if you send it and that there is no ruler that cannot be beaten.