Andrey Ponckratov | pdcollective

SKETCH GALLERY: Andrey Ponckratov

For me, sketching isn't just about producing results of thoughts on paper; it's a method of thinking with a pencil, where the process itself helps you understand and form your vision. Sometimes, I divide the drawing process into two parts: one for brainstorming and the other for refining and communicating my vision to the director and the team. I always begin with a pencil. In my mind, it’s the most versatile and fastest instrument that lets you experiment with an idea in seconds. I almost always use watercolor as a color layer, as it adds texture and a sense of life. Additionally, for me, watercolor painting is a way to observe life and find the wonder of the world.

I studied art in art school and university, but I gained a profound understanding of what the movie needed only from working with directors, especially Andrey Zvyagintsev . His dedication to reshaping reality to fit the script is invaluable. Every detail holds significance in his eyes, serving to express the characters and deepen the narrative. As a result, constructing sets becomes imperative, as we strive for specificity in every aspect.

The concept of space stems from discussions of mise-en-scène, with Andrey often envisioning a pivotal scene that sets the tone for the entire movie. This scene serves as my starting point in the design process. For "Leviathan" (2014), it was the haunting image of a house being demolished by an excavator, a wall adorned with family photos torn apart, and the house interior exposed to the surrounding landscape. The placement of the house becomes central to the story, anchoring the narrative around this beloved location.

It was essential for me to show the layers of history. I imagined how it was constructed a hundred years ago, how the family grew up, and how additional structures appeared attached to the main core. I gave it roots to make it inseparable from the land: a road, footpaths, and a descending river catwalk. I wanted it to feel like a living being, so demolition would be perceived as an act of killing that creature.

Drawings and stills from the film "Leviathan" (2014)

In “Elena” (2011), a complex narrative unfolds between two starkly contrasting lifestyles. Two families, despite their social distance, are not to be judged or given simple meanings. The story is designed to intrigue, leaving ample space for your own perception and interpretation.

Drawings and stills from the film "Elena" (2011)

Designing "The Duelist" (2016) was another case. The story structure was written as an array of amazing pictures. My way was to envision simultaneously all those images to have a full scope of everything we were going to create. The main design idea was to blend contrasting elements, juxtaposing poverty with wealth, wildness with arrogance, and primitiveness with sophistication. The scale of our vision was vast, requiring us to rely heavily on existing locations rather than constructing everything from scratch.

Drawings from the film "The Duelist" (2016)

To challenge viewers' perceptions, we manipulated spaces and repurposed them in unconventional ways. We transformed a dining area into a weaponry room and a winter garden into a morgue. Perhaps the most striking example was our street market scene, set amidst the flooded surroundings of Saint Petersburg Cathedral. Here, we put together marble colonnades, water, and bustling market stalls, creating a visually arresting tableau. Our design process involved rapidly iterating through concepts, allowing us to compare and assess their complexity for production. With budget constraints in mind, we strategically evaluated each design, often combining sets or eliminating unnecessary elements. This approach streamlined our workflow and ensured that our final renders aligned closely with director Aleksey Mizgiryov vision for gritty realism.

Drawings and stills from the film "The Duelist" (2016)

The director demanded maximum reality in our world. His references for this period movie were photography rather than paintings. Also, our set relied on locations, and those two points made me create more photorealistic final renderings.

Concept art and stills from the film "The Duelist" (2016)

With Alexey, we developed a project telling the story of Russian high society exile in Turkey. Losing all their wealth but being well-educated and passionate, the characters ran from the terror of the new Soviet state.

Drawings and concept art by Andrey Ponckratov

As the only way to feed themselves, some of them formed cruel gangs. It was an evolution of previously found juxtaposition of opposite states. There, I converged fast prototype sketches with a photorealistic approach into fast color drawings over location photos.

Drawings and stills from the film "The Banishment" (2007)

Hand drawing, as a tool, not only leads to more concise decisions but also offers a sense of freedom in the creative process. As a limited tool, it encourages you to focus on the main idea, be it structure, composition, or color. It always embraces a sense of imperfection, which is an integral part of life. Watercolor drawings, in particular, evoke ambiguous feelings, never defining objects unequivocally, thereby leaving room for your interpretation.