More than a decade ago, my wife started a website called "Cursed with Oblivion", which contained interviews and concert and album reviews from various metal artists. The site went offline years ago, but thankfully we still have the content. In the upcoming days I'd like to posting some of it. I'll start with an interview with cover artist Kris Verwimp, done in November 2003.
Interview with Kris Verwimp
Kris Verwimp is one of the most famous and most inspiring cover artists in metal music. He has designed artwork for a many great black metal albums. Here's an interview with my favourite artist:
- What was your first passion: drawing or music? And what were your first artistic inspirations?
Kris: I guess my first real passion must have been drawing. I've been doing it for as long as I can remember! In the beginning I was mostly inspired by comic books like Prince Valiant or movies such as Conan The Barbarian. I was mainly interested in creating stories, so I started drawing my own comic books… I actually started listening to Heavy Metal because I was fascinated by the cover artworks. I bought some albums just because of the covers and found out that I enjoyed the music as well! So that's mainly how I got into Metal…
- Before you started designing metal covers, you had been already busy with comic books artwork (the famous Odoric comic). How did you get involved in creating album covers? Was it your childhood wish or did you first get some offer?
Kris: I had just finished drawing my first full colour Odoric comic book when I was asked by underground record company Midian Creations to do an LP cover for Ancient Rites. I admit that it was like a dream come true when I was asked to do an album cover. Though I never really pursued that dream… I never believed it to be a realistic dream. Anyway, after I did the Ancient Rites cover I got a phone call from Osmose Productions to do a cover for Enslaved ( Frost ). That didn't happen eventually, but Osmose contacted me again to create covers for Marduk and Absu ! So after those CD's were released, I started getting lots of artwork requests.
- What are the most important factors that determine what an album cover will look like?
Kris: It depends on lots of things! There's the concept (if there is one), the lyrics, the musical style, the atmosphere, etc… All these elements influence the creative process of creating a fitting cover artwork!
Sear Bliss - The Haunting (1998)
- Are the album covers usually your own ideas or does it also happen that some bands have already clear visions of what their album artwork should look like?
Kris: Some bands have very clear visions ( Absu, Melechesh, … ) and others just give some directions ( Sear Bliss, Marduk, … ) or give me total freedom to create whatever I want ( Suidakra, Deviser, … ). So everything is possible! With the Absu covers, I received lots of directions and information. Everything in an Absu artwork is well thought about and all the elements have meaning. Fortunately I'm very interested in Celtic mythologies, so I've found each Absu assignment to be highly inspiring. In other cases, I prefer to create my own vision because often bands don't understand what works or doesn't work for a CD cover. You know, there are 3 to 6 people in a band who sometimes all want to have some of their ideas on the cover. In that case it gets very difficult for me to do a good composition.
- While working you use mostly acrylic. Why have you chosen this technique? What are its advantages?
Kris: Well, the main advantage is that it dries fast, so I can get more work done. I also have to say that I try out new materials or alternative ways of working all the time. The new comic book pages are done partially in oils! I also use airbrush techniques and watercolours in my paintings. So there actually are no limits for me. I think what counts in the end is how good the painting looks, not how it was created. So I just use all means to create the best possible artwork!
- What do you think of the use of computer in art? You are probably one of few cover artists who hardly make any use of it in their work. Do you think it might change in the future?
Kris: Actually, I make use of the computer to scan sketches, make them larger or put separate sketches together, etc… So I use the computer, but I don't use it to create the artwork itself. That's still done with brushes and paint! I did a few experiments in the past to create some artworks on my computer, but it never worked out the way I wanted. I know there are lots of computer-generated covers around these days, but I think most of them lack something. There's no soul in them…or something like that. I think a lot of people are afraid of getting their hands dirty with real paint and the easy way out is the computer. If you own photoshop, there's almost always something you can do with a few photographs or an old newspaper… Also, I still think that a painting is "timeless", while a computer generated image ages very quickly and looks outdated pretty fast. Just look at those painted covers from the '80's ! Those covers still look up to date, but when you turn over the album and look at the photographs you can see how old it really is. So as more and more people turn towards computer art, I am more and more determined to keep painting in the traditional ways.
- Would you ever make a cover for a band whose music you don't like at all? If so, has that ever happened before?
Kris: I'm not sure if I would… I haven't really done any covers for music I don't like. I'm not sure if it would be possible for me to find the creative inspiration… The bands I've worked for were all very good in my opinion. I like most kinds of Metal… I also like to listen to soundtracks or atmospheric music while I'm painting… I just don't like most modern popular music too much ( like R & B, hip hop, techno, Jazz … I really don't like those musical styles). But I don't think I'm in any danger of doing covers for that kind of music.
- Have you ever refused some band to design a cover for their album?
Kris: No, I haven't really refused any band so far. I try to write back to everyone who contacts me about a cover... I've never been contacted by a band that I didn't want to do a cover for.
- Do all your drawings come from your head or do you also use models/ photos while creating your work?
Kris: Most of my drawings come from my head. I have never used models; but I do use photographs from time to time. In some cases it's really necessary to use a photograph, just to figure out how something looks in reality. I always tend to look around very well though… Observation is the key! If you don't know how something looks, how can you draw it?
- Most of your album covers look like the illustrations to fantasy books. Are books or fantasy illustrations any inspiration for you?
Kris: Yes Indeed! I've read lots of Conan novels by Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, etc… I also like to read Michael Moorcock's Elric, Corum and Hawkmoon novels. And then there's of course Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.P. Lovecraft and the incredible Dune saga by Frank Herbert ( the original movie by David Lynch is also very inspiring! ). I'm also inspired by Historical books or Art books though… This is why you can find me almost every weekend at old bookstores or fairs to look for something special! I guess I don't need to tell you that I have a really large collection by now…
Absu - The Sun Of Tiphareth (1995)
- What do you think is your best and your worst album cover?
Kris: I think my best cover has yet to be made, but for now I guess the cover for Absu's "The Sun Of Tiphareth" has been the best one. Even if it was done back in 1994… it's Odoric on that cover and there's something about it… My worst cover… I think there are many covers that didn't turn out to look like I intended. I didn't like the Amsvartner cover too much. Maybe the Entropy cover had a few too many anatomical mistakes in it. The first Cirith Gorgor cover should have looked much better, but I only had one weekend to get it done. The same goes for the Arch Enemy cover. Actually, a lot depends on the amount of time I can put into an artwork. Sometimes you just need to be too fast to do a great job.
- What is the last metal Cd that you bought? And what are your favourite metal albums?
Kris: The last CD's that I bought were Lord Wind "Rites Of The Valkyries", Bathory "Nordland I" and the soundtrack for Star Trek "Nemesis".
Lord Wind is really great ! Takes me back to ancient times while painting… Also the Bathory CD is really great ! I don't understand why it hasn't received better reviews in the magazines. I think it's an instant classic and I wouldn't want to miss any song of it. It ranks up there with "Hammerheart", "Twilight Of The Gods" and" Blood on Ice". Most reviewers are complaining about the vocals, but I think Quorton has actually improved his vocals on "Nordland"…
I bought the soundtrack of 13th Warrior a while ago and it is truly amazing ! It's my second favourite soundtrack ( Conan The Barbarian is number 1 of course ). The music was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, so that's why I also bought the new Star Trek Nemesis soundtrack. It turned out to be a rather slow and dark soundtrack, but after a few listens it started to get better and better and I love it as well ! Great epic stuff…
I guess the bands that I like the most all have in common that they write epic Metal. Be it Black Metal, Heavy Metal, etc… I like bands such as Doomsword, Domine, Bathory, Hell, Windir, Warlord, Falconer, Graveland, Juvenes, Sear Bliss, Forlorn, Absu, Mithotyn, etc… there's just too much to name them all.
To end this interview, I would like to thank Marta for her interest in my work and for sending me these questions. Also hails to everyone who has taken the time to read these words ! See you in Valhalla !
- Thanks a lot for the interview and good luck with all your future plans!
Hope it doesn't interfere with work too much.
