The beauty of art is that it can transcend the reality of the world we live in and take us to places accessible only through our imaginations. Swedish artist Erik Johansson has made a name for himself turning dreams and ideas into magical works of art in Photoshop. I recently met with Erik to discuss his experience in retouching, his creative process and what makes his brilliant (and eccentric) mind tick. Chatting with him fired up my creative brain and I hope that reading this will do the same for you:
Your image creation process is part photography, part** Photoshop magic** and part prop handiwork. Can you describe your evolution as a photographer?**
**I’ve always been interested in computers and drawing. When I got my first digital camera, I discovered photo manipulation by accident or chance. I always saw those interests as separate things, but now I could suddenly combine them. I started playing around with photographs, changing them to create something different because reality was just too boring. To me, photography has always just been a way to collect material. I want to create and realize what’s in my mind; capture an idea instead of a moment.
Where does your inspiration come from?
It’s from everywhere, I think it’s more about trying to look differently at the world. Trying to see how you can combine visual elements into something new and unexpected to create art from items that are normally not combined. I get inspired by all things I see, you just have to keep thinking and be open to the unexpected.
When you create commissioned art, does it interfere with your creative process?
Well, it can be a bit different. Sometimes I get a concept from an agency and just create it. It’s an interesting challenge as well, trying to realize someone else’s vision. But I think the main difference between the commissioned and personal work is the time pressure. I normally spend months on each image, from idea/sketch to final image. With commissioned work, I normally don’t have that luxury but it’s a lot of fun as well.
Which Photoshop tools or processes play the largest role in turning your imagination into reality?
It’s all about stacking layers. I mostly use simple tools to create my images and the material is what’s important. Cutting, masking and blending layers together is how I create my art. I usually use the magnetic lasso or pen tool to cut things out, apply a layer mask which I adjust with the smudge or brush tool and then blend the different layers together using curves and hue/saturation.
Tell us about your favorite photo project. Where did you get the idea? How did you create it?
Every new project is a new challenge and a lot of fun. I like to challenge myself to come up with harder projects to make the impossible look possible. It’s hard for me to pick a particular project that’s my favorite, but I love working with real models and miniatures to create my images. I love mixing the analog world with the digital.
