Our community has many talented and skilled Guardians in it, some of those Guardians are artists. Each week we at DTR (Destiny Tracker) will showcase some works of art created by one of our very talented artists in the Destiny community. This week, our spotlight goes out to a Guardian that has captivated the Destiny community with his beautiful styles and incredible art pieces. Pherian began like so many with dabbling with art when he was a toddler, with exploring his creativity and grew up with a passion for art " I went to school for art, got my degree, and promptly started working in a field that was not even remotely related to art. I spent close to 10 years not doing much art at all, just the occasional doodle here or there, and some character art for friends who were playing RPGs with me". Pherian began his journey to become legend in the game Destiny on day one of release and was instantly in love with the game-play so he kept on playing. Destiny is known for setting the industry standard for FPS (First Person Shooter) with its gun play as well as its incredible landscapes and attention to detail on everything in the game. The immersive world Bungie created in Destiny has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many that a community of Guardians grew from it. Maining a Titan class Guardian in Destiny since day one, Pherian added "I don’t have any other characters. Honestly, I don’t have the time to dedicate to more than one character. Plus, I don’t need anything else other than the punch". Asking Pherian when did he begin creating Destiny art he replied saying "I started doing Destiny art somewhere around 2015. I did a drawing of a Titan for each faction, then for each armor set at the time, and then I just sort of branched out into other stuff. I drew characters for passionate players more often than not once people noticed I was around. I really enjoy hearing about the happiness people feel when they see their character put into something permanent like an illustration". Pherians' styles and techniques in the art he creates whether for passionate players or for the community to enjoy with his attention to detail and illusion of space and depth that brings all of his pieces to life as if they could leap off the page or screen. Pherians medium of choice when he is creating a piece is using digital mediums "Adobe Photoshop. I use an old version but it works for me. My job has nothing to do with art but it does afford me the free time and flexibility to draw when I’m not actively working, and so I use what I’ve got. I don’t draw at home because I’ve got a wife and kids to care for, or when they’re good, I play games" Pherian added. enter image description here a piece recently created by Pherian Pherian is very talented as an artist in our community, that Guardians days across the community are brightened with all of his beautiful art pieces. Pherian is also apart of somethings outside of Destiny, asking him if he could share with us some of the wonderful things he is involved in Pherian replied " I play a bunch of different games on the Xbox, but I’m not really a member of any significant groups for any other games. The Destiny Community Artists discord group is something that I’ve grown to consider a family of sorts. They are a bunch of solid individuals looking to make themselves into better and more versatile artists, which I find very respectable. The skill and age range in that group is varied, with top-tier talent that could be working at any video game company representing and those who are still in lower education working on getting the basics down. It’s a really nice place to hang out and learn from. I’ve also been hanging out with a group of role-players doing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign they call The Riot Sessions. Also a bunch of swell guys. Playing with them is a delight because I don’t get to do those sorts of things with any locals any longer, since my regular group of friends has drifted out of that sort of hobby". The Riot Sessions is a fantastic and entertaining time to tune in and watch these guys enjoy each others company and play a age old D&D game that many of us in the community grew up playing and love, they stream every Sunday on Twitch at Twitch.tv/theriotsessions. Asking Pherian if he could tell us a bit more about The Riot Sessions and how he got involved with it Pherian replied saying " Well, I met ImTheBlueRanger at the Destiny 2 reveal and he was a great guy, like so many of the other people I met over there. Over the following several months we touched base on Twitter from time to time and he eventually asked if I’d be interested in drawing the characters from The Riot Sessions. I told him absolutely, I love Dungeons and Dragons, and that if they ever needed a guest player to let me know because I’d be super down with that. Him and the group talked and agreed to let me join in for a session. I then created a character that is impossible to get rid of, and have since forcefully inserted myself into the plot of the game. They can’t get rid of me now. But seriously, they are a bunch of great people that are having fun. Hanging out with them on Sunday evenings feels natural, like they were actually sitting around the table at my house. The DM is smart and capable, playing all interactions toward the spirit of the game, and all the players seem to understand where the line between silly and fun meets plot-necessary and important. It’s a good group and I’m honored to be a part of it". With being so involved with the community, creating art for everyone to enjoy and enjoying the finer things in gaming with good people I asked Pherian what his favorite part of the Destiny community was "Originally it was the comradery people had about the game. We supported each other, actually cared about what we were all doing. Even when the game struggled with things, people were happy to say they enjoyed it and genuinely wanted to know what you liked about it as well. Lately, though, I stay away from most forums because the bitter side of the fanbase has risen up. I don’t need that negativity in my life. The real world is full of bad stuff. We shouldn’t bring it into places where people go to nerd out about games". These days Pherian couldn't be more right, hopefully one day in the near future the joys of nerding out about games and the comradery will return to the every day of the community, as a good part of it still holds onto those values and enjoys everyday interactions with others in the community and beyond. enter image description here Being a member of the DCA (Destiny Community Artists) group, Pherian is surrounded by so many talents and inspiring artist. I asked him in the future who would he like to work with on a future collaborative art piece? he replied saying " You know, I haven’t done much to collaborate with anyone, honestly. I think it’s awesome that people get together and each work on certain aspects, creating an ensemble work of art. It’s not something I’ve ever done, however. Not sure why, honestly. Just never panned out. People that I’d love to work with? Just glance around the DCA group. The amount of skill in there is incredible. I’d work with anyone if they were interested. They’re a great group of people and they deserve all the best life can offer them". It was such a treat getting the chance to get to know more about Pherian and hear his story, he has been an incredible inspiration to so many with his art and respect for everyone in the community engaging with so many other Guardians daily. Pherian truly is a gem to have in the community, wishing nothing but the best for others and sharing the love of Destiny and all the wonderful things that came from it. Lastly I asked Pherian what advice he could give to a member of our community starting out with creating art? Pherian replied with saying " Just be realistic in your expectations and be true to yourself. I never expected any sort of following at all. The idea that people look out for something I do is neat to me, honestly, and I hope I don’t let them down. But I’ve always tried to be honest about the work I do, the speed at which I do it, the likelihood of me creating something new. If I don’t make something new for a month, it doesn’t worry me. I’ve never claimed to stick to a schedule of any sort. And don’t try to be someone else, or be better than someone else. Are there artists who do a certain style better than you? Of course! There’s always someone better than you. Should you try to be better than them? No. Be better than yourself. Learn from them, copy their style for a while until you incorporate it into your own, do your best to branch out and experience things from their point of view. But don’t actually try to be better than someone else. Always try to be better than the last thing you did. Worry about your work, your way of life, and your family. Comparing yourself to others doesn’t do much but give you anxiety. Of course, this is all my opinion, and other people will have other ways of looking at the world". It was an honor having Pherian as this weeks Community Artist Spotlight, he truly is a fantastic art and person at heart that wishes nothing but the best for others around him. You can find Pherian at his Twitter at twitter.com/pherianart and also has a website where he posts chapters from various books he has written on a regular basis at johnsirmonjr.com. If you would like to meet Pherian he will be attending this years GuardianCon in Tampa Bay in July along with many other incredible artists and members of the community. Til next time Guardians, and as always thank you for reading. To conclude I asked Pherian if he had a favorite quote. I saved this for the end because I found incredible value in his words that I had hoped with sharing it will inspire others as well as find it enlightening as I have. What is your favorite quote? I don’t really remember quotes that well. My brain remembers generalities more than specifics, so when I try to quote something, I inevitably mess it up. But I guess it would be what I consider “The First Rule: Be Nice”. It’s something I’m raising my kids on, the idea that if we’re simply kind to other people, in whatever situation we’re in, we can get through life in a much more graceful manner. Even when you’re arguing, even if you disagree, if you remember to be nice about it, to show your opponent respect, you will find that instead of animosity and violence you’ll find debate and reason. I just wish I could get the rest of the world to grapple with that concept.-Pherian Stay up to date with News, Stats, Articles, and Community with all of us here at DestinyTracker.com