“I draw. My preference is creating an image from one line per page.” We recently visited artist and illustrator Steffen Seeger in his studio in Berlin, Germany to get to know more about his “one line” concept. See his outstanding skills and techniques and read our interview with the man himself after the jump:
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Q: Please give us a little introduction about you and your works:
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A: “I draw. My preference is creating an image from one line per page.”
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Q: Let us know more about your ONE-LINE working method.
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A: “The One Line method is for me, a response to my reality as I see it, at any one given moment in time. For example if I am drawing a human form with all it’s uniqueness and characteristics in a short period of time, I do this in one spontaneous movement starting from the time the tip of my marking tool hits the surface I’m working on. I study the form and feel, or try to perceive the effect it has on me, or releases from me.”
“I don’t attempt to foresee or anticipate the line before I make it. I absorb what I see in my fullest capacity, then I simply begin drawing and responding to what I have absorbed. There is no pre-detirmined plan, just pure concentration. Occasionaly I look at the body again, to reference it’s nuances and try to re-connect with the origin’s of the process. I have to permantly decide and contemplate:
– what have I drawn, how do I proceed and when is the image finished or complete?
– Regardless, the drawing emerges at the same time very quickly and fluently, without any interruption or breaks recesses, all in a line so to speak.”
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Q: You are well-known for your ability to do fast portraits, how did you develop these skills.
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A: “Even now I still work alot with life models which help me develop enormously and allow me to try out alot of new ideas. Furthermore with this method of working, I give more consideration to my role as veiwer and observer. Just looking and nothing more. Just being the observer. Recording within myself how things sound, smell, taste, their form and how things absorb me as well as I absorb them. To be able to create a drawing fast as a response to what you see, you need to be attentive to what you see. From a technical stand point, drawing fast is realitively easy. However really recording something, for example the characteristics of a face, that requires much more attention.”
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Q: What significance has the color BLACK for yourself?
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A: “Black is absolut, black is pure form. It brings everything to the forefront or lets it dissappear.”
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Q: What is your favourite working place, also which surface you prefer Canvas, Walls, etc..?!
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A: “My preffered surfaces to work on vary in phases. At the moment I am happiest on fine quality, thin paper. A few days previous it was glass, before that it was cardboard. Maybe in a few weeks it will be canvas’s again or direct onto walls? Also in regard to where these things may be, I don’t need a regular or consistant place. I am happily drawing anywhere.”
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Q: Which new possibilies offers the Montana ACRYLIC line for you and your workflow?
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A: “Until now I was only familiar with true ACRYLIC paints in thick/creamy paint consistancies that needed to be thinned with water before I could use them. The Montana ACRYLIC line is already fluid, so I can work with it straight away. I generally use the 50mm markers as they allow me to have a varied application of line bredth and strengths, symiltaniously while I am working with one consistant line . And that’s VERY NICE!”
