Adam Spizak: Intrigued by The Why

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Adam Spizak is a 3D artist and illustrator based in London, UK. He focuses on visual storytelling and creating engaging narratives.

The ’90s kid.

Adam’s love for video games and pop-culture shines through his work, with many of his pieces being directly inspired by video games. Growing up in the ’90s had a significant influence on his artistic sensibilities, from the early Amiga computer demo scene to the first big CGI films – digital art was here to stay. Video games became a core focus of this digital art shift – a medium where art and joy came together. 

Growing up, my father bought a ZX Spectrum with the Jet Set Willy video game… I didn’t understand why, but I felt an instant connection with it. In the next few years, we got an Amiga 500, and my mind was blown by how incredibly imaginative games could be. There were no boundaries, no limits other than your imagination.

Since then, Adam has worked on many video game-related projects as a 3D artist, both making assets (rigging models!) and creating key art. In recent years he has shifted his focus to creating 3D illustrations inspired by video games and pop-culture.

I have always enjoyed video games, but it took me a while to understand that game art is what I want to focus on. Game art is fascinating to me as it has the very challenging task of conveying the game’s emotional meanings without the existing context. When you play a game, you interact with it, hear it, see it – all of these stimuli/components/facets/elements give you context, the emotional connection. Finding that perfect idea to convey all these emotions and feelings in a single image is incredibly rewarding but often emotionally exhausting. It feels exceptional like you’ve solved the most profound mystery or found a special meaning of something only you see.

The Why.

The sensation of finding “the why”. As artists, we often crave and fear that next great idea…” what’s next?”. We can’t always put our finger on it, but we know when our art “works”. Late nights, eyes burning, neck sore from leaning in and staring at the screen – when things suddenly click – it’s no longer only an image; it has a deeper meaning now. We found “The Why”. 

Finding “the why” is often the hardest (and easiest!) part of the creative process, “the why” is when the image speaks to us – it now has meaning. But what is “the why”?

When I have an emotional connection to something, whether it’s a video game or movie, I always try to understand the underlying components that make it. I want to (no, I have to!) know why it works, what makes it “special”. Scene by scene. Making these connections between different elements is so satisfying it makes me appreciate the work more. One of the reasons I love hiding small elements and easter eggs in my art is for other people to have the same “oh wow” emotional connection and discovery with my art.

Making game-and-movie-inspired fanart can often seem like an obvious form of art to create – who doesn’t like it. It’s easy, right?

I’m an emotional person, and art is always about emotions. I always feel that great fanart is more than just a pretty image – it’s emotional and moving. It gives you the same feeling you had when you played that game or watched your favourite movie scene (10 times in a row) or listen to that single line from your fave song. THAT emotional snapshot is always my goal. I don’t want to make “a cool picture” – I want to capture the essence in a single shot. The Why.

Get in touch with Adam online:

https://twitter.com/adamspizak
https://www.instagram.com/adam_spizak/
spizak.com