Country Primitive Graphics

State of the Arts – Rouben Malayan

Haytoug: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Some background on where you’re from and how you got involved in calligraphy in general.

Rouben Malayan: I was born in Yerevan in the spring of 71. Went for four years to Terlemezian college of art (painting), continued to the academy (graphics) and in May 93 left Armenia to Israel. 16 years in Tel Aviv, 2 years in Amsterdam, now I am trying my luck back home in Hayastan. Many questions, few answers, but its an ongoing process of reconnection and I was prepared for it before I made the leap forward. Its challenging but very interesting experience. Two years ago I had a request from the Editor of upcoming “The Encyclopedia of World Calligraphy” to contribute to the edition by drawing samples of Armenian script. It was a challenge since I have not practiced calligraphy extensively and my interest in the art of writing was part of a larger issue of typography in graphic design. But it was clear to me that calligraphy is where it all begins. I was fascinated with what I have found when I began to look for answers. Some of it can be found here http://15levels.com/art/armeniancalligraphy/

H: Is your foundation based on formal training or did you develop your talent in other avenues?

RB: I was lucky to be born to a family of an artist, so from the day one I was exposed to the world of art. My father taught drawing in the Academy for over 40 years and I had the privilege to learn from one of the best teachers of the old generation. Academic background in fine art is essential for anyone who seriously wants to develop and I caught few good years in the college and academy, before we began to loose our teachers, one by one. Today almost nothing is left of once glorious art education we had in Armenia. Its mediocre at best.

H: How would you describe your style?

RB: I am a realist. And I love form. Somehow I have little envy for people who have a rich perception of color, since I am a graphic artist; I see the world in shapes, contours, light and shade, but rarely color. My father was a great colorist, but you can’t be good at everything. But I think once I have the right conditions, I will go back to experimenting with color.

H: Can you tell us a little about 15 levels? When did it start, what kind of things do you do and what are some key projects that you’ve worked on?

What graphics software can I use to design Primitive Country Clip ...

Hi…

Really don’t know what exactly is "Primitive Country Clip Art".

But for your software needs, you might want to check out these two OpenSource softwares for starters.

InkScape is a free Vector Art software, that does ths same things as the costlier Adobe Illustrator.

GIMP is a image editing software, similar to Adobe Photoshop.

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