Gerald de Dios Sketch Card Artist Interview
How did you get into drawing sketch cards?
One of my passions is “Plein Air” painting. That’s the French expression for painting outdoors and working in natural light. I’ve been painting since 2009.
Before every piece of work I would paint these small thumbnails because it was a great way to see if the composition or colors would work before committing to a larger painting. I noticed I was putting a lot of time into these thumbnails. Almost the same amount of time as a larger painting.
In 2010, I was looking for another media outlet to share my paintings. So I created a deviantART gallery. Somewhere down the line I came across artists posting these incredible “sketch cards”. I really wanted to be part of this community of artists and began researching online.
I took the old fashioned route and sent samples to multiple companies. Out of the handful of sample sheets sent, I was thrilled to hear back from Breygent Marketing. So the first official set I worked on was “The Golden Age of Comics: Heroes and Villains”.
What is your favorite subject to draw?As much as I love painting landscapes I really enjoy illustrating anything Star Wars!
What is your favorite character to draw?
Hands down….Boba Fett! My first exposure to this character was back in the 80’s when watching “Empire Strikes Back”. At that time there wasn’t much background info on Boba Fett. So the mystery was always there. And now with the updated info on the Fett’s, he’s even more exciting to illustrate. He’s just one of those characters that seems to have an infinite amount of ways to draw.
Do you prefer black & white sketches or color sketches?I’ve always been a fan of color, tonal work and texture. I love taking the simplest lines and shapes then bringing them to life with color.
What kind of materials do you prefer to work with?
As much as I hated using watercolors in college… it’s now my favorite medium to use! But some sketch card sets won’t take my watercolors too well, causing the card to warp or buckle. One time I received a set of blank cards with a waxy layer and it didn’t take my watercolors at all! In this scenario I’ll use markers, brush pens, gouache and colored pencils instead.
Who is your favorite sketch card artist?
I have an infinite list of sketch card artists that inspire and motivate me…you know who you are - LOL! But if I had to pick one that always leaves me in awe, it’s Mark McHaley. His watercolor techniques for portraits are so mesmerizing to look at. He has a great minimalistic approach to his line-work and he’s just brilliant with the use of white space.
What are you currently working on?
Recently wrapped up “Red Sonja” and currently working on “Vampirella”. Both sets will be released by Breygent Marketing. In between sets I’m completing several illustration and sketch card commissions.
Has your career as an artist benefited from doing sketch card work?
Yes, I’ve been very lucky to work on many licensed sets and I’ve gained new customers and fans along the way.
Do you collect trading cards for yourself?
I used to collect both Sport and Non-Sport sets during my childhood. Nowadays I collect really unique sketch cards made by other artists. I was part of a trade off last year involving 20 artists. Each artist chose one character… in my case I chose Astromech Droids. So I proudly own 20 unique cards… some killer R2 units and some original designs! My favorite card that I own was created by Jen Gubicza. She created a Jabba the Hutt sketch card completely made of fabric.
