How did you start with photo manipulation, and what do you enjoy most about it?
I started editing pictures at a very early age when my father once installed an editing software on my computer. He showed me some fun things you could do, and I was just blown away by the sheer endless possibilities of what you can do with pictures and graphics. That was when I met my future tool of expression.
I started manipulating class photos in a fun way and watching YouTube tutorials explaining how to create different effects. Since then, I have never stopped editing pictures, playing around with colours/contrasts and letting my imagination run wild. What I love most about photo manipulation is that I can put my surreal ideas into artworks without limits and inspire others with them.
“What I love most about photo manipulation is that I can put my surreal ideas into artworks without limits and inspire others with them.”
What did it take to hone your skills to this level?
I think tutorials played a big role, especially at the very beginning of my editing path. They were good at teaching me how to solve different editing problems. Also the practical editing, new challenges I set myself and ideas I’ve wanted to implement have brought me further. Every problem I encountered helped me a little bit. How do I match images so I can merge them well? What role does light and perspective play? All questions that I still ask myself and that I will never stop learning to understand properly.
Where do your initial ideas and concepts come from? What inspires them?
I am often inspired by other artworks and artists I see on the internet. For example, on Pinterest or on other social networks. People who inspire me are Salvador Dali and my favourite visual artist Erik Johansson. I am also inspired by situations in my life, by feelings, by the music I am listening to or by things I see when I’m looking out of the window. I also get a lot of ideas during the editing process itself; when something doesn’t fit the way I want it to, and I have to use alternative images. Often, a completely different picture emerges than my concept originally intended. Then I just let myself drift in the creative flow and try to create something beautiful.
Can you talk us through your process for creating an image?
Before I really sit down at the computer, I first draw my idea quite analogically with a pencil. I often drink a cup of coffee, listen to music, browse the web, look out my window and let myself be inspired by what I see and hear. All this also depends on my mood at the time and various other factors.
Back to the sketches: they are usually very rough and imprecise. I use them to find the right images. Sometimes I make notes underneath or draw a few guide lines for the right perspective and light direction. Then I look for suitable images on stock websites that can be combined as effectively as possible in terms of the lighting, colours and perspective. If I don’t find a suitable image, sometimes I simply create an object, a person or a texture myself. When I’m stuck, I look at pictures on stock websites and think about what I could combine well.
Which tools in Affinity Photo do you find the most useful in your process?
I especially like the user interface: that everything is intuitive and I can customise a lot of things for myself. I also like the ability to easily switch between the different programs in the Affinity suite and automatically take the file with me. That has already saved me a lot of time. One particular feature I like is the smart scaling and all the possibilities with the non-destructive adjustment layers, which make my workflow much more pleasant. Without the many different layer effects that can be applied, my way of creating art would not be even possible.
How long, on average, do you spend creating an image, and which stage do you spend the most time on?
Sometimes I sit at a single work for days and don’t know what is missing. Sometimes a collage is finished in just a few hours. It depends on my surroundings, the events in my life and the time of day. I have found that I create best in the evening when it is dark and I can fully concentrate on the process of editing. The editing time also depends on my mood and various other factors. I spend most of my time editing on the computer, looking for suitable images and then matching them up.
What makes a good composite picture stand out from an average one?
This is a very subjective question. In my opinion, a composite image is good if it touches me, tells a story or triggers a feeling in me. Furthermore, for me personally, it is well done when it is as realistic as possible and yet surreal. When the light matches the shadow, when the perspective is right and the colours are harmonised. I find this mixture very exciting.
“In my opinion, a composite image is good if it touches me, tells a story or triggers a feeling in me.”
Do you have any tips for anyone who wants to start producing surrealist images like yours?
I would recommend anyone who wants to compose images to just give it a try. At the very beginning, I also used a random generator that spat out words, and I then set myself the challenge of visually merging them into a collage. It’s fun and exercises your skills at the same time. If you have problems or just don’t know what to do, I have had very good experiences with tutorials on YouTube.
Is there an image you’ve created that you’re especially proud of?
I am especially proud of my artwork called “Dreamer” because it was one of my first major edits.
“I am always happy when I can inspire others. When I can break the rules of reality and take the viewer into a different, mystical and surreal world of imagination. ”
What are your ambitions for the future? How would you like your art to progress?
I am always happy when I can inspire others. When I can break the rules of reality and take the viewer into a different, mystical and surreal world of imagination. I would love to create even more on my own, use my own photos and be even freer as a result. My dream is to reach many more people. To arouse many more emotions and to stimulate the imagination.
To see more of Lukas’ surreal image compositions, check out his Instagram or visit his website inoubli4ble.art.