Photomanipulation Legends: Nina-Y

Feb 7, 20138 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Feb 7, 2013

5.8K Views

First we learned her bloody method.
Then we learned her other bloody method.
Now, we take a peek at photomanipulation through her eyes.

Who is Nina-Y?

Stylish, inventive, intense, and a bit dark, in a delicious way-- these are words I would use to describe the art of nina-Y. Nina is an Irish photomanipulator and photographer who has been making deviantART more hauntingly beautiful for almost 10 years now. As one of our more senior members, she has set a high mark of excellence in her work that is inspiring to all. Moreover, she is kind and supportive of other artists and a great source of inspiration. Whether serenely beautiful or delightfully jarring, Nina's art demonstrates technical prowess and polish that comes with having spent a great deal of time paying attention to details and careful learning of her craft.

I was honored that she granted us an interview, and I am pleased to present that interview below.

Interview with Nina-Y

You’ve been on dA for several years now, between your old alias (Lady-Dementia) and your new one. Not only have you been a wickedly successful artist, but you’ve become a mother as well in recent years. How has your own art evolved over this time?

Well yes, I guess I could qualify for a status of a ‘dA Veteran’. Been here for quite a while. I’ve been gone from dA for some time, and shortly after coming back I have introduced friends and acquaintances here to Tamara. So, on that note, I am indeed a Mommy now, have been a very proud one since last March, and she is quite a girl – my absolute joy and love.

For the whole time I’ve been on dA, my artworks have changed dramatically – the style, the concepts and the methods of work to the creativity itself, while the desire to be imaginative is still truly present. I guess every Artist - great or simply on their way to greatness by learning and practicing, well all of them start out pretty much the same – a bit safe, a bit wrong even – and they learn from there. I’m as proud to have been clueless once and to have gained so much experience in Digital Art and Photography since then, as I am excited about all the new experiences I will gain in the future.

What do you still want to learn, and how do you go about learning it? Experimentation? Tutorials? A mentor?

Having been a Photography student for a lovely yet agonizingly demanding two years, there is so much I have learned about it, and have reached completely new senses in appreciating this noble profession, especially the old-school way of working with the chemicals inside a Darkroom. So I guess I would like to focus even more on exploring Photography, both Analogue and Digital. Though I can never stay away from Photomanipulation, so there will always be a bit of Photoshop-weirdness in my Gallery for the folks to enjoy.

In achieving what you want to achieve, good tutorials can be a great help, or even hiring a mentor, but I say that experimenting with your talent/your skill is the key thing in succeeding, or at least being on your way there. It’s important to try your best and always stand out from the rest in at least one thing...and it can be any ol’ thing, as long as it came from your beautifully unique mind.

dA is a big place, and there are a lot of talented people vying for attention. What do you think is the best way to get noticed these days, and what tips would you have for beginners who are just starting out in our community?

As I mentioned above, I do think that experimenting and discovering through Photoshop all on your own is the way to go. Everybody wants to see something different, and the need to be made to think is in our human nature; we want to be made to think – and to make somebody ‘imagine’ or think, is a great privilege to any Artist. I would never advise somebody who’s just starting out in the Art world, to ‘follow the popular road’ by producing images done in a currently active style. Taking a shortcut to what might be a short-lived fame is beneath any true Artist’s principles.

Be brave, be your lovely self, think outside the box, and enjoy the awesome effect it has on your Art!

Your deviation, “The Screaming Sea” (above), was incredibly well done, and it really became popular in the community. Underwater deviations are so popular these days, but so few people can really pull them off properly. What do you think are some common mistakes you’ve seen people make? Is there a solution?

Oh yes, that Artwork went really well with the public! I was more than pleased. It was my first ever mermaid and so it taught me a lot.

Well, from the few in the underwater category for Photomanipulation that I’ve seen around I could point out some I really liked as they just pop out and hold a great deal of realism. There are also always some that could use more practice, and I know that underwater manips are not easy to pull off, so my humble advice would be to just take your time with those... In the process, every so often, you will notice minor mistakes that, when corrected, mean a great deal to the piece in whole.

Can you show me 3 pieces of art from OTHER artists that you feel deserve a lot more attention than they are getting? What do you find so captivating about these deviations?

This is hard to choose as I often stumble upon beautiful, interesting, original Artworks, but it has to be 3, then probably these ones:

by roblfc1892

by duongquocdinh

by fabriziotedde

These three Artworks are among those that have stuck in my mind, simply as they’re fresh takes on something that would otherwise be ordinary, or already seen. Whether it's an eerie effect present in the first picture; those beautiful, calm tones that dominate the second work; or even the intimate moment showing us some ladybug love...all three pictures are attention-grabbing and as such they truly deserve a lot more recognition.

Thank you, Nina! This was awesome!