Interviews

André Vieira Auer

André Vieira Auer is an NFT Artist based in Nuremberg, Germany. His passion for art started as a child. Whenever he was bored at school, he would doodle in his notebook. As an NFT Artist, he gets inspiration from many different artists, movies, real-life experiences, music and comic books. Also, the Cyberpunk aesthetic, in general, is a significant source of inspiration for him. One of the projects he is currently working on is a Cyberpunk graphic novel. It’s a 60-page comic, drawn and written by him.


NFT Granny: “Dear André, I am really pleased to meet you. I like your artwork and how you merge the traditional art world with the digital future. But while scrolling through your artwork, I noticed that some are coloured, and others are black and white. When and how do you decide if the art piece is going to be coloured?

André Vieira Auer: Hello NFT Granny, thank you for having me! That’s an excellent question, to begin with, because actually, I was drawing in black and white only my whole life. The monochromatic aesthetic fits my art style and focuses on elements like composition, lighting and form. But I’m also a big fan of details. I love adding tiny elements to my artworks, and last year I realised that colours do the same. They add additional information, especially when drawing a graphic novel you need to guide the readers’ eye through the story. That is how I started using colours, and now, thanks to the NFT community, I’ve also learned how to do animation. Adding new layers to my art feels excellent. It opens up new storytelling possibilities.


How did you first become interested in art, and how did you get started with it yourself?

André Vieira Auer: Honestly, I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t interested in art. It started with cute pirate ship drawings in the kindergarten and continued in school when I was bored, so all the time basically. When I turned 18, things got more serious. I studied illustration and design at the Technical University of Nuremberg. I wanted to dedicate my life to art in the most successful way possible, so now I’m here making a living as an artist thanks to NFTs.

Can you tell us more about the story behind your project “Pray to Cybertech”?

André Vieira Auer: Like all of my other Cyberpunk NFT artworks, this character lives in my own world that I have created for my biggest project so far, a Cyberpunk graphic novel. It’s a 60-page comic, drawn and written by me. I’ve been working on this book for about 1,5 years now, can’t wait to reveal it later this year. So the NFT “Pray to Cybertech” is based on a design created for the graphic novel; many more ideas are waiting in the four sketchbooks I’ve filled with concept art for this project.

Which of your artworks are you most proud of? 

André Vieira Auer: I’m a very self-critical artist, always want to improve my art. It’s never good enough for me. But I’m pleased and proud of the NFTs I’ve released so far, especially “Pray to Cybertech”, because it is the first animated illustration I’ve ever done. Thanks to the NFT community, I get inspired to try new techniques every day. It’s a great feeling!

Is there an artist you would like to work with? 

André Vieira Auer: There are so many amazing artists out there. It’s unbelievable. I would love to collab with Idil Dursun. She is one of the best NFT architects out there and creating huge Cyberpunk cities. Another artist I’ve recently discovered is Xenotrip. He does beautiful digital sculpting and seems to like Cyberpunk too. I would love to see some of my characters in his style one day. Last but not least, Lisa Odette, even though our art styles don’t really match, I want to work with her. I think the contrast between her beautiful colours and clean characters could look great next to my dark aesthetic, we will see.

We are curious 🙂 Would you be willing to share any plans for upcoming projects?

André Vieira Auer: I’m currently working with a developer to build my own NFT website. It will be a place to organise my NFTs from all the different platforms and marketplaces. There will be some storytelling elements, too, adding more depth to my artworks. It’s still a lot of work to do, will take a while to finish. Until then, I will be creating a crypto artwork for “Wild Sun”, the first NFT book project ever and continue working on my graphic novel.

Do you remember the first time you heard about NFT Art?

André Vieira Auer: Yes, my cousin, Retricdreams explained NFTs to me; I wouldn’t be here without him. I’m not an early adopter, always curious about new technology, but many stuff just doesn’t make sense to me. NFTs did make sense, and as an artist, I’m able to get involved. That’s way more fun than just buying new tech. We are pioneers in this space. Let’s shape the future!

How do you enjoy the NFT Art you have collected? Do you have a way to display it, for example, at home?

André Vieira Auer: I want to get a digital frame for my NFT collection one day, but I need to sell some more art to afford such a display.

Which tools do you use to create your art?

André Vieira Auer: As a mixed media artist, I start traditionally and draw every artwork with ink on paper. Then I scan it all in to animate and colour it digitally in Photoshop. I use the Adobe Media Encoder to render the NFT in the end.

Who or what are your biggest influences or sources of inspiration?  

André Vieira Auer: I get inspired by so many different artists, movies, real-life experiences, music, comic books. It’s impossible to name them all, but to me, that’s a good thing. I don’t want to get inspired by only one person. That would make me a copycat. So I’m constantly discovering new artists from different sources and just doing my own thing. Of course, the Cyberpunk aesthetic, in general, is a significant source of inspiration for me. I can’t deny that.

What does a typical day for you look like, and what do you like to do when you’re not busy with NFT Art?

André Vieira Auer: Right now, I’m working from 12 am to 1 am, obviously taking some breaks in between and having a terrible sleep schedule. I usually start the day with some more fundamental work, answering emails, checking social media and writing a Morning-Tweet. Since I always try to switch tasks, I would draw a new artwork for 2-3 hours and then animate a different piece for a while. I never work on one single project only. It’s too dull for me. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

André Vieira Auer: Show your art no matter what. That’s probably the most important advice for every artist out there. I was hiding my work for years. Even during my studies, I wasn’t showing my art to the public, only if necessary. In 2019 I went to my first Comic-Con as an exhibitor. I really had to overcome myself to sell my art to random people. It was the best experience ever. It changed the way I see my art.

Is there something aside from art or NFTs you collect? 

André Vieira Auer: I got over 300 comic books in my room but stopped buying new ones because I’m not reading anything currently. Right now, only collecting NFTs, it’s a lot of fun. 

Where do you like to travel?

André Vieira Auer: First I want to visit my grandparents in Portugal and hopefully next year be able to live in Tokyo for some months. That’s one of my life goals. NFTs are getting me there <3

  • Full Name: André Vieira Auer
  • Date of Birth: 16.10.1995
  • Current hometown: Nuremberg, Germany
  • Languages you speak: German, Portuguese, English
  • What did you want to be when you were a child: Inventor
  • Education: Bachelor of Arts
  • First Job: Graphic Designer