Petr stich
“I was born in Pilsen, Czech Republic. From childhood, I have been fascinated by fantasy and sci-fi. My brothers and I used to play fantasy games, and the Warhammer fantasy battle game captivated us with its diversity. It required assembling and painting plastic models before they could enter the battlefield. I was interested in the colouring models and often spent several hours a day enthusiastically colouring individual soldiers. I increasingly enjoyed working with brushes and paints. When I was deciding which high school to attend, I considered art school, but quickly dropped the idea. I did not believe that I had a chance to be admitted, based on my experience of colouring plastic dolls.
I didn’t know what direction to take, and couldn’t imagine what to do for a living. My brother studied at the Electrical School, Pilsen. Knowing the experience entertained him; I registered too. Unfortunately, the industry wasn’t the right fit. At school, I read fantasy books and poured over the work of world-class illustrators such as Karl Kopinski and Frank Frazzeta. I began to realise my dream to become an illustrator. I watched artists online who explained how to draw the human body or different fantasy monsters in individual steps. I enrolled in a figurative drawing course and began to improve my work and meet people in the industry. I bought my first graphics tablet, which sped up the creative process and allowed me to upload my illustrations to graphic forums for constructive criticism from industry practitioners. Over time, I developed an online portfolio. After graduation, I received my first orders from clients; illustrations, envelopes, board games, posters, movies, etc. Now I have a network of regular clients. I love my work, and I am delighted to have an enjoyable vocation that fulfils me.”
