Hey jungle painters,
we often have the honor to chat with fellow painters from all around the world on shows like Monte San Savino or the Duke of Bavaria. Often we realize that there are so many other painters, which are not present on shows. Today MV had the chance to have chat with a famous Ukrainian painter:
Sergey Popovichenko.
MV: Hey
Sergey, nice to have you here. As some of our readers will know, you
are a well known painter from the Ukraine. You paint your minis in a
very dark and realistic way. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Sergey: Greetings
my friends!! I´m
also very
happy to have this chat
with you!
What
can I tell you about
myself ...
My name is Sergey
Popovichenko. I
live in Ukraine,
in the capital Kiev.
And I
have been painting
miniatures for
more than seven years.
I get the
most pleasure from it
in my life. I
embody my
ideas. In
miniature, I find my
expression. There is
nothing limiting
me, and success
depends on me.
It's worth
a lot.
At the
moment, I'm not
only an artist, but also a
teacher of the Kiev
National University of
Technology and Design. My
speciality is to design
engineer equipment
for the light industry. It was
the work of
the teacher allowed me
to develop
as an artist. I
had some free time
after school with
students and wanted to
do something other than
designing of
equipment. It
has enabled me to
remember my childhood
fascination with toy
soldiers.
Defensor Romanum
MV: It´s
always interesting to hear the tales of how somebody got into the
hobby. So please tell us your tale of the brush
Sergey: My way
of engaging in
miniature long
enough. When I
was a child, my
family was not
rich, there
was a time when we
did not even have a
TV. I
devoted a
lot of time in reading
books and drawing.
Over time, I
became more interested
in adventure
and historical novels.
I drew
and redrew
the characters from
the books. Of all the
gifts that were
given to me
I'm most fond
of my
soldiers. I
arranged the
war on the floor
of my children's
room, glued
cardboard castles
and siege machines
from wood. Thus, began
my passion for
modeling. Then, when
I was at university I
came over pewter
figurines, a company
unknown to me. And
at models magazine
I saw how they
can be painted
and arranged. I
began trying to
paint. Then, when I got
internet, I
became acquainted with the
works of artists
from around the world.
I was impressed, so my
enthusiasm only
intensified, and the results began
to grow.
MV: As
most of our readers are from Western Europe or the US we are sure they
don´t know a lot about the painting community in Ukraine.
Please tell us a bit about it.
Sergey: Talk
about the community in
Ukraine can be long.
There are many emerging
artists, and
a few guys whose
works inspire
respect. Among them
are Konstantin Pinaev,
Victor Osipenko,
Stanislav Kurilenko.
You could already
see their work
on the P&P
and PF.
However, in
comparison to Europe,
the number of people
who are interested in
miniature is
very small and
there is no organization for it. Far
more people make
models of tanks,
aircraft and ships. A
large number of them is more organized. They
have clubs and they hold
exhibitions on which you sometimes can find a small
number of figures.
However,
it is nice that there are
sculptors who are
collaborating with a
variety firms from Europe. Among them, Oleg
Pogosyan. You
should have seen his
figures in
my painting.
He creates a wonderful
knights. He
sculpts for
Tartar Miniatures,
First Legion, Mercury
models. Chronos
Miniatures.
Arbalester
MV: As we already mentioned, you are famous for your dark and very realistic
style of painting. What´s your philosophy of painting? Where do you
get your inspiration from?
Sergey: My style of painting is
probably a reflection of my philosophy and my view of history. War is
bloody work, and I can clearly see the ancient times in muted colors.
So I imagine these warriors are not as bright as they are usually
drawn. Most of the figures, which are created by sculptors are quite
brutal. So why not emphasize their brutality with a brutal muted
painting. Mud and blood in acceptable amounts will speak about the
environments in which they are fighting.
Just
dyes available
simple
soldiers were
not so bright
and so
stands in antiquity as
in modern times. So
this is another reason
to mute colors.
Of course, the more
noble warriors, I would
draw more
clearly, if required by
the situation. But
I try to choose
simple Slayers
for painting. I
prefer legionaries and
centurions, not
legates. I
prefer infantrymen,
sergeants and knights
in battle rather
than kings.
Bertrand du Guesclin
MV: What
was you greatest success in you hobby-life and of course why?
Sergey: I hope
I have not yet achieved
the greatest success and my
main achievement
is yet to come. I
have several awards
at exhibitions in
Spain, Italy and
Russia. It's
nice, but much nicer
to conceive a
new interesting project
and bring it to
completion. In this lies
the greatest pleasure
and I hope I
have the strength for
the realization of all my
ideas. If I make
them, I think you
would be interested.
MV: At
the moment there are a lot of miniature companies. Which is your
favourite one?
Sergey: I can not name
a favorite company
there are interesting
to me periods
and figures
on these topics from
different manufacturers. If
the figure is interesting
for me, I do not watch
a company
name.
MV: Beside
brushes, minis and colors, what is the most important thing on your
table?
Sergey: This is
of course the
camera :)
But there are things
near the table without
which I can not be.
This is my bike and my dumbbells.
And of course my
computer and books.
Sometimes I
like to play
shooters and
strategy or read
an interesting book.
MV: Do
you have a picture of your table? Please, do not clean it for it :)
MV: Some
short questions: Are
there any painters you admire?
Sergey: Diego
Ruina, Roman Lappat,
Ernesto Reyes,
MV: Do
you lick brushes?
Sergey: Yes
This is done unconsciously. So
I'm using thin
brushes. And
the left hand in
the paint, I remove
the excess paint
from the brush.
MV: Favourite
breakfast?
Sergey: Eggs to shake
with milk.
MV: Favourite
song?
Sergey: Oh ...
a lot of them!
Something heavy!
MV: Favourite
film?
Sergey: Terminator
MV: Favourite
color?
Sergey: All colors,
but only muted!
Crusader
MV: What
is your favourite miniature so far?
Sergey: I can not
choose one. There
are many great figures
from the great
sculptors.
MV: Last
question: please tell us which would be the greatest development in
your hobby?
Sergey: In the past
a great development was
to try oil
paints. Work
with oil on acrylic
- it is
surprisingly pleasant.
It gives remarkable
results. The greatest
development in the
future -
learn to sculpt.
It would be great to
embody my
own ideas.
MV: Thanks a lot, Sergey :)
Follow Sergey on his websites:
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