Natalie Russo

Meet Natalie Russo, a 3D artist in New England. 

"As a child my artwork often got me in trouble.  I had a bad habit of rummaging through my family’s belongings for interesting fabrics and jewelry. Always looking for anything shiny or fuzzy that could be cut up and used for my own creations. I now spend my time rummaging through hardware and thrift shops and combing art stores endlessly."

How did you start working dimensionally?

As a child I had taken sculpture and ceramics classes.  It wasn’t until college that I began to learn more traditional two dimensional styles. I was never totally satisfied with producing two dimensional artwork.  I found it limiting. Instructors encouraged me to work out my illustrations in polymer clay. There was more freedom working with clay.

What or who has influenced the way you work?

My favorite children’s book illustrator is Nicoletta Ceccoli. I love her characters and concepts. Other illustrators whose work I enjoy include Raul Colon, Anita Kunz, and Yuko Shimizu. 3D Artists who have influenced my work include Chris Sickles, Jason Mecier and Liz Lomax.

Please describe your working process

Everything starts with a sketch and a color comp in Photoshop. Scene development starts with wire armatures, foil, polymer clay and acrylics, followed by building sets, placing characters and props, and photographing the scene. A final polish is done using Adobe Photoshop.  

What do you enjoy the most / least about working dimensionally?

I love that there is an endless variety of materials available.  I collect interesting objects such as copper pipes, buttons, and LED lights. I put them away until I find a special place for them in my work.  There are so many options and so many ways to create special effects.  I welcome and sometimes need challenges in my life and this medium certainly satisfies that.  Working in the third dimension forces me to learn new ways of solving problems with every illustration.  I’m constantly learning about new tools and new solutions. I love it!
Natalie Russo
603.770.8682

artist@natalierusso.com
www.natalierusso.com
images and content © Natalie Russo