Visual Artist, Radoslav Zilinsky
Spotlight /
Creative Spotlight
Radoslav Zilinsky
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Radoslav Zilinsky is the founder of a small art boutique that crafts complex visuals for advertising agencies. Based in Slovakia he imagines work for high‑profile clients around the globe using CGI combined with retouching and photography. While he has been a contributor with Getty Images for only a short time, his CGI creations have quickly become popular with our customers. Rado is more than a CGI artist though. His background, like many of our contributors, didn’t start with the work we know him for now. He has an artist's temperament – and seems to constantly be evolving (as it should be!)
[Claudia Marks]: How are you keeping busy during this very unusual time in the world?
[Radoslav Zilinsky]: Well, I'm actually trying the opposite – how to make myself less busy and more satisfied. I've been exploring meditation and acrylic painting on canvas. Keeping myself a bit distanced from the computer.
[CM]: Tell me about your background, where you are from and where you went to school?
[RZ]: I live in a beautiful spot in the middle of Europe – Slovakia. My university was all about civil engineering, but during the studies, I already knew that I had a much stronger passion than being an architect.
[CM]: What was your first job ever?
[RZ]: I worked with a team as a set designer for a theater production about the life of Charlie Chaplin. We created projections that appeared behind the actors so that they would appear as if it was a three‑dimensional space and it was so beautiful and worked so seamlessly. In a way, it inspired me to continue working in creating fantastical landscapes.
[CM]: How did you get interested in creating CGI images?
[RZ]: Out of plain curiosity of discovering 3D software came the fascination of recreating the real‑life environments and materials inside computers. It slowly evolved into making my own artworks, just for fun.
[CM]: What were some of the first images you tried creating when you discovered 3D software?
[RZ]: I would love to show them to you, they are roughly 20 years old!
To see Rado’s earliest renders go here.
[Radoslav Zilinsky]: Well, I'm actually trying the opposite – how to make myself less busy and more satisfied. I've been exploring meditation and acrylic painting on canvas. Keeping myself a bit distanced from the computer.
[CM]: Tell me about your background, where you are from and where you went to school?
[RZ]: I live in a beautiful spot in the middle of Europe – Slovakia. My university was all about civil engineering, but during the studies, I already knew that I had a much stronger passion than being an architect.
[CM]: What was your first job ever?
[RZ]: I worked with a team as a set designer for a theater production about the life of Charlie Chaplin. We created projections that appeared behind the actors so that they would appear as if it was a three‑dimensional space and it was so beautiful and worked so seamlessly. In a way, it inspired me to continue working in creating fantastical landscapes.
[CM]: How did you get interested in creating CGI images?
[RZ]: Out of plain curiosity of discovering 3D software came the fascination of recreating the real‑life environments and materials inside computers. It slowly evolved into making my own artworks, just for fun.
[CM]: What were some of the first images you tried creating when you discovered 3D software?
[RZ]: I would love to show them to you, they are roughly 20 years old!
To see Rado’s earliest renders go here.
Do not listen to anybody's advice other than the ones that will point to listening to your instincts and intuition. That way you will create your own unique way and would not copy others.
[CM]: What advice do you have for creators who are just starting out?
[RZ]: Do not listen to anybody's advice other than the ones that will point to listening to your instincts and intuition. That way you will create your own unique way and would not copy others.
[CM]: Do you do any other kind of crafting or artwork in your spare time?
[RZ]: As I mentioned earlier, I am really enjoying painting with acrylics. It's soothing and really interesting because I cannot rely on my software to jump between layers. I need to think differently when I paint and it uses different muscles to create spaces than when I work on the computer.
[CM]: Who are some artists you admire? Who do you look towards for inspiration?
[RZ]: I looked up to many artists when I was starting out, but now I'm mainly looking inside myself.
[CM] Could you name any? If you could choose an artist living or dead to meet for dinner or a coffee who would it be?
[RZ] I admire the matte painter and concept artist Dylan Cole who worked on Lord of the Rings and Avatar. While I was started out I was a huge fan of other 3D artists like Alessandro Baldasseroni, Marek Denko, and Pascal Blanche. If I really could choose anyone to meet it would be Denis Villeneuve the director of the upcoming Dune remake. I love the quality of his work and his eye for detail.
[RZ]: Do not listen to anybody's advice other than the ones that will point to listening to your instincts and intuition. That way you will create your own unique way and would not copy others.
[CM]: Do you do any other kind of crafting or artwork in your spare time?
[RZ]: As I mentioned earlier, I am really enjoying painting with acrylics. It's soothing and really interesting because I cannot rely on my software to jump between layers. I need to think differently when I paint and it uses different muscles to create spaces than when I work on the computer.
[CM]: Who are some artists you admire? Who do you look towards for inspiration?
[RZ]: I looked up to many artists when I was starting out, but now I'm mainly looking inside myself.
[CM] Could you name any? If you could choose an artist living or dead to meet for dinner or a coffee who would it be?
[RZ] I admire the matte painter and concept artist Dylan Cole who worked on Lord of the Rings and Avatar. While I was started out I was a huge fan of other 3D artists like Alessandro Baldasseroni, Marek Denko, and Pascal Blanche. If I really could choose anyone to meet it would be Denis Villeneuve the director of the upcoming Dune remake. I love the quality of his work and his eye for detail.
We as a society are more and more obsessed with technology and it penetrates into many areas. Including nature in my artworks is a call to get back in touch with nature and the organic side of our beings.
[CM] Do you feel like you have a signature style? Is there an element you always include in your work that you feel is uniquely “Rado"?
[RZ] I love to include some sort of natural elements in my artworks. It is not always possible, but I'm trying my best.
[CM] Why is it important to you to include nature in your imagery?
[RZ] For me, it feels like, we as a society are more and more obsessed with technology and it penetrates into many areas. Including nature in my artworks is a call to get back in touch with nature and the organic side of our beings. It usually brings freshness and softness into the artwork and I love the colors!
[CM]: How do you choose what to work on next outside of paid work?
[RZ]: For example, in my recent acrylic painting – I wanted to learn a lot about mixing colors, recognizing fine tones, and being able to organize my painting well. So, I chose to recreate a photograph of a very good American photographer Gregory Crewdson. He is very skilled with colors and compositions ‑ love his work. It seems I did a successful job, even Gregory himself loved it!
[CM]: How much research do you do before or while you are creating your work?
[RZ]: It really depends, sometimes I want to work more spontaneously, other times I prepare and lookup references and mood boards.
[CM]: What program or app do you rely most heavily on for your creations?
[RZ]: My base software is 3Ds Max and Photoshop, these are my loves.
[CM]: What is a show or movie you have watched in the past 6 months that you recommend everyone see?
[RZ]: I would love to recommend one that is not maybe so well known ‑ it is the newest from director Terrence Malick – a beautiful, slow and strong film called "A Hidden Life". I love this style of film that he has been creating recently – where he leaves space for perception and emotion, rather than talking and thinking.
[RZ] I love to include some sort of natural elements in my artworks. It is not always possible, but I'm trying my best.
[CM] Why is it important to you to include nature in your imagery?
[RZ] For me, it feels like, we as a society are more and more obsessed with technology and it penetrates into many areas. Including nature in my artworks is a call to get back in touch with nature and the organic side of our beings. It usually brings freshness and softness into the artwork and I love the colors!
[CM]: How do you choose what to work on next outside of paid work?
[RZ]: For example, in my recent acrylic painting – I wanted to learn a lot about mixing colors, recognizing fine tones, and being able to organize my painting well. So, I chose to recreate a photograph of a very good American photographer Gregory Crewdson. He is very skilled with colors and compositions ‑ love his work. It seems I did a successful job, even Gregory himself loved it!
[CM]: How much research do you do before or while you are creating your work?
[RZ]: It really depends, sometimes I want to work more spontaneously, other times I prepare and lookup references and mood boards.
[CM]: What program or app do you rely most heavily on for your creations?
[RZ]: My base software is 3Ds Max and Photoshop, these are my loves.
[CM]: What is a show or movie you have watched in the past 6 months that you recommend everyone see?
[RZ]: I would love to recommend one that is not maybe so well known ‑ it is the newest from director Terrence Malick – a beautiful, slow and strong film called "A Hidden Life". I love this style of film that he has been creating recently – where he leaves space for perception and emotion, rather than talking and thinking.
