Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Interview

The folks at ElderScrolls.net were able to track down Bethesda's Natalia Smirnova for a quick Q&A about her work as an artist on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. An excerpt to follow:
Q: What inspired you during the development and the creation of the certain interface elements? What is important for you in the art creation process?

A: While working at such a project from the very beginning, from a clean piece of paper, you can do anything you want and the way you want. It will all be the way you'll make it up. For me, as for an artist, it is a very important moment in development. And surely you have to be trusted and think the same way as your producers.

Talking about influences, we have an interesting stratagem of different styles - starting with medieval European style and going all the way to the Russian art-deco of the beginning of the 20th century.

While creating a certain interface element, you have to keep a lot of things in your head all the time - what is that element for, what are it's requirements, what does the design documents say about it, how many buttons should this element have e.t.c. And the main thing - how to link all these into a unified style.

For an artist, it is important to be demanded, to see that all your creations are giving emotions, and it doesn't matter whether you're painting monumental canvases or creating art for the game. I have two definitions for the art - art, that excites and art that leaves the viewer indifferent. I always try to create the art that agitates the viewer, touches something inside him, and makes him think and feel. If those things do not happen, then the art becomes a rough fake, profanation. That is what one should always think about when starting a sketch or sitting down at the computer.