How many times, when we’re looking at a photo on our mobile or tablet, do we zoom in to take a closer look at something? And what if that something we zoomed into revealed a new world within it, and then another, and another? This game of infinite zoom is dreamt up by Vaskange, an illustrator and digital art creator who has revolutionised social media with his original creations.
The artist went viral last summer when he posted a reel describing his vacation with an animated zoom. The first image in the video is a drawing in which Vaskange shows himself working in his studio. The illustrator enlarges the image with his fingers on the tablet, zooming in on a small photograph hanging of the wall of two people in a room. The zoom continues to transport us through the window of this room, where we see a landscape with a train passing through. Inside one of the carriages a camera sits on a small table, its lens reflecting the surrounding landscape. We enter this image to find a house perched on top of a mountain, then slip through one of its windows to find a photograph in which someone is drawing an underwater scene, in which lies a treasure containing a medallion with a portrait…
https://twitter.com/Vaskange/status/1551885655877246977?cxt=HHwWgoCzqYTys4krAAAA
Reel published on social media in which Vaskange describes his vacation with an animated zoom.
This looped image is made up of ten digital illustrations, accompanied by Vaskange sharing his thoughts about the thrill of travelling, discovering wonderful landscapes, enjoying free time and reconnecting with nature. “In my creations I like to show the beauty of nature, to depict the sense of adventure and joy when we discover new places. I also like to evoke the infinite imagination we have as children. This is especially true in my recent infinite drawing artwork, in which I want to show that everything we can imagine – and more – is possible,” explains the artist.
Creator of universes, stories and characters
Lucas, the real name behind the pseudonym Vaskange, began drawing as a child. Passionate about drawing, illustration and manga, he admits that he loves to create and imagine universes, stories and characters. Perhaps this is why he started drawing comics, because it is a medium in which he could give free rein to his imaginative universe of creatures and fantastic worlds. He made his first comics when he was only 13 years old. Later, while in high school, he was able to sell to family and friends up to 150 copies of three complete comics that he drew and printed all by himself.
He drew his first manga while studying computer science at an engineering school, and before finishing his studies he started doing colour illustrations. He began to train himself as a self-taught artist and concentrated on “doing commissions, exhibitions, meeting illustrators, learning…”, he says. He currently balances his artistic activity with his work as a software engineer in a company.
Creative process
The part of the creative process that Vaskange enjoys most is the moment of conception, because he likes to “have lots of ideas and imagine what the final result will be like”, he admits. He usually jots down his initial ideas in a notebook and draws a few sketches. He also does some research on character, landscape and composition references. When making an infinite drawing video, he draws the storyboard. From there, he starts to compose the final piece, which can take him between five and seven days for an illustration, and about ten days for an infinity drawing story. He creates his illustrations with the Clip Studio Paint app on a graphics tablet, and the infinite drawings with Endless Paper, an iPad app that allows him to zoom in infinitely and work in large formats without losing definition in the images.
His style is inspired by everyday life experiences, as well as nature and science fiction stories. He draws portraits, landscapes and characters, often fantastical creatures. He admires artists such as film director Hayao Miyazaki, children’s author Claude Ponti and illustrator Pascal Camtion, all of whom he considers important references and sources of inspiration for his work.
Stories written by the audience
With hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and international reach, Vaskange wants to involve the public in his work. In his latest creations, the artist lets his audience decide between different characters or choices. Each choice defines each story in an original and unique way, to explore together imaginary worlds represented down to the smallest detail. The end of the story? Vaskange’s next artwork…
https://twitter.com/Vaskange/status/1594669686398111744?cxt=HHwWgMC-_a_os6EsAAAA
Story created from multiple choice options selected by social media followers.