Welcome to the 23rd Installment of the STAMP Magazine Artist Feature series.  We are joined by Graphic Artists/Illustrator Doug Alves.  With a range of clients and a unique take on art, Doug gives us a refreshing look to the STAMP site.  Join our conversation and post your thoughts!  Don’t forget to subscribe for updates on future posts!

1. Introduce yourself:  What is something you want the world to know about you?
I’m Doug Alves, Brazilian born based in Santa Monica. I’m a soccer lover and  have a passion for what I do and sometimes I don’t know the difference between  weekends and weeks because I’m always working.

2. When did you become interested in art?
I’ve always been interested in art. My brother used to drawn so I was surrounded  by illustrations, sketches and some poems that my brother used to write as well.  What always made me happy was looking at his illustrations or book covers that  my father used to have in his library. These things made me go after art and  read more about it and I started paying more attention to illustrations.

3. What is your medium of choice and why?
I do illustrations and I feel more freedom doing that. I go straight on computer  and use the illustrator and do some sketches there. Sometimes I use the paper to add textures and some water color too. I write some words that are important to me  and things start happening after that.

4.  Did you study at an art school?  If so which one and how was that experience?  If not, do you wish you did?
I didn’t and I wish I could. Art schools in Brazil are expensive and I couldn’t  afford one. I think art school gives you a good notion of work process and it’s  good to know more about the history of art as well. I’ve been searching for  myself for artists from back in the days but I would definitely know more if I  studied in an art school.

5.  How were you able to take your love for art and make it into a career?
It was splitting my time doing commercial work in agencies and doing what I love  at night and weekends but even when I was doing commercial work I always added my style to the projects I was working on so I think it helped me a little  bit.  Now I’m full time doing illustrations at home and I hope to be like that for years.

6. You have a very recognizable style.  Do you find it challenging to infuse this signature look with your diverse range of clients?
Clients come to me asking for my style which I think is awesome, so It always  gives me more energy to keep developing my style. Sometimes the client comes to  you asking for your style but also asking to add more stuff you have done before  and it might not fit to your style. It can be really good to push you  to another level but sometimes it can be hard to deal so it’s always challenging  but you decide which way you wanna take it.

7. Have you ever felt limited or trapped by your style?  With so much pressure on mainstream art, have you felt pressured into conforming?
The feeling of being limited or trapped is always something that bothers me after every piece I’ve finished. I think if you don’t want to be dated you have to let these feelings come to you often and work on them.

8. Can you remember the first piece you ever did and what inspired you to do it?
The torment piece was one of the pieces that made me think differently about my  work.   Now I’m working on this again – starting a piece thinking differently to try to  do something new but sticking with my style.

9. When a client approaches you for a project, what factors enter into your decision to take it (besides money)?
Clients that have nature related in their brand or also advertising agencies  that want to explore more the nature subject have been approaching me more which  is great for me. I have more fun doing that. I also have received some emails  from fashion brands who I’d love to work with as well. Some clients that like my line of work also want to explore a different subject. For example, I’ve just  finished a piece for Ford Brazil because the art director liked my style and it wasn’t too much about nature and it turned out really nice.   I’m always open to do different things as long it’s not too far away from my  style. It makes my decision easier to accept any project when the client asks  for my line work or if he wants to do something different but based on my line  work. Thinking like that I can provide a better quality of work for my clients  and for me this is more important than money.

10.  Are there any clients you wish to work with, that you haven’t already?
I think I’d love to work for clients that do textile and also furniture.

11. What have been your favorite projects to work on to date? Why?
Torment because it brought me different ideas about how to explore my style.

12. What are your challenges as an artist?
Learning new techniques and exposing what I think through my work with more quality  has always been challenging for me. I want to learn more now in 2011. That’s my  goal and it’s a challenge for me because I like to learn by myself so the  process is a lit bit painful but when you get what you want it’s really nice.

13. Have you ever shown in galleries? If so, what was the experience like? If not, how come?
I haven’t. I had a proposal to show in France back in the days but I was busy so I couldn’t send my stuff. I’d love to show in galleries. That would be awesome.

14. Have you ever created an amazing piece by mistake?
Well not yet, but I wouldn’t have any problem if that happens. I like to explore  a lot.

15. What role do you feel the internet has on art? Positive or negative?
Right now, positive! For sure! So many artists who you couldn’t reach, see, or  interact with before now you can thanks to internet. That’s what I think it’s  gonna be now. Many great artists will appear because the internet will give them  the possibility to show their work.   On the other hand it can be bad too cause there are bad people out there who can  misappropriate another person’s work.

16. Do you feel like your work is evolving?
I feel it’s time to evolve now. I feel more confident with my line work, but it  is definitely time to evolve now. I hope I can have another opportunity to be  interviewed by you guys after 1 year so I can answer this question better.

17. What advice would you give a young artist just starting or trying to get started?
Do what you love, work hard, sit in your chair and work hard, lay down on your  floor and do some drawings. I believe hard work and love is really important and  that would be my advice. Work hard and love what you do, even when you think you  don’t love it, you do, because you will be working hard.

18.  What can we expect in the future from you?
I hope you guys enjoy what will come next, which will be some new series that  I’m planning to work in November to explore my style more with different  techniques.

19.  Do you agree with the overall objective of STAMP Magazine?  Why or Why Not?
I do, I think it’s a nice magazine and a great source of inspiration. Thanks Jason for your nice work.

Check out Doug’s cool site here at http://www.nacionale.cc/; or http://www.behance.net/nacionale