Next step is to do any research I might need to do. If I need to draw something I am unfamiliar with I make sure to research the subject a bit.
Next step is to start sketching. If I am doing character design I start with a page full of thumb nail sketches, ideas for characters, different shapes sizes etc but all while hopefully meeting the requirements of the brief. I keep this stage super fast and loose - it is about getting ideas onto paper rather than rendering something amazing. At this point I show the client and we take it from there. My process is an iterative one - draw something, respond to feedback, draw some more.
2) How do you get unstuck creatively?
Unless I have client work to do, I don't try and force myself to be creative. I prefer the spontaneous creativeness that comes from something you see or something that happens and inspires you.
But if I need to be creative within a deadline and I hit a stumbling block, I try drawing through it at first. I just keep drawing and hope the blockage dissipates. If it doesn't then I find taking a break from the desk, going for a walk, doing something else and giving the mind a break (if I can within deadlines) really helps. Sometimes even looking at other artists work I admire can kick start things again.
3) What project are you currently working on?
I have a few projects on the go, most of them are on animated childrens television shows in production. I can't say too much about them but I am involved in concepting characters, backgrounds and props for both 2d shows and 3d shows. For the 3D shows, anything I design will be used as reference and modeled in 3D.
I also have some editorial illustration projects on the go from time to time.
4) How much of the concepting or strategy phase have you been involved in in previous roles?Most of my freelance career has involved concepting for projects. As a character designer it basically comes with the job.
Unless I have client work to do, I don't try and force myself to be creative. I prefer the spontaneous creativeness that comes from something you see or something that happens and inspires you.
But if I need to be creative within a deadline and I hit a stumbling block, I try drawing through it at first. I just keep drawing and hope the blockage dissipates. If it doesn't then I find taking a break from the desk, going for a walk, doing something else and giving the mind a break (if I can within deadlines) really helps. Sometimes even looking at other artists work I admire can kick start things again.
3) What project are you currently working on?
I have a few projects on the go, most of them are on animated childrens television shows in production. I can't say too much about them but I am involved in concepting characters, backgrounds and props for both 2d shows and 3d shows. For the 3D shows, anything I design will be used as reference and modeled in 3D.
I also have some editorial illustration projects on the go from time to time.
4) How much of the concepting or strategy phase have you been involved in in previous roles?Most of my freelance career has involved concepting for projects. As a character designer it basically comes with the job.
On a more strategic level, I was a lead artiist a few years back on a game production which involved thinking more about how to approach the design - basically I was art directing. These days though, a strategy and idea concept has been decided before hand and my role is to visualise it. In my field, I refer to that as concept art really. Anything I draw will be a concept for the production if that makes sense.
5) Tell me about a time when a client didn't like your work. And how did you resolve this situation?
I have never had a client explicitly say - " I don't like this". However there have been times when I could tell they were less than satisfied with the outcome. In those scenarios, I do what I can to resolve the issues, improve the work.
I believe prevention is better than cure however and I feel my process limits the chances of me finishing the work and a client not liking it. I work closely with them through out, getting feedback at every stage so there is a constant process of approval as we go and the end result is never a surprise to them.
6) How do you stay organised when you are provided with multiple design assets, files, and ideas?
If I am given a large brief, I read through it carefully and cut and paste the key points/ideas into a document which I can then print and refer to. I find it best to focus on the overall design wants and not wants and keep my focus simple. I refer back to the brief constantly to make sure I am not missing anything.
With files, I try to keep things organised well in folders etc. The nature of my job means I don't generally have a large group of interacting assets - I mainly have a series of PSD process files, which I number clearly - ie. filename_001.psd. Its pretty simple. Then I just use logical file structures to organise any files into related groups. So, say I am designing 5 characters, I may have each character separated by folder. Occasionally I will have PSD files which are nested in other PSD files so I just keep them in the same place/folder for convenience and name them in a way I know exactly what they are and what version they are.
7) What questions do you ask before you begin any design project? What information is most important?
I generally ask questions which fill in the gaps from the brief. As I read a brief things pop into my head.
As a character designer this might be things like - what age is this character? Where are they from and what is their core personality? Are there any specific features this character must have or must not have? And most importantly - what should I NOT be doing with this character design? As in, what design decisions should I be avoiding? For example, if I am designing a dog character, I need to know if it can be anthropomorphised or should look and act like a normal real dog. The constraints of a project, the boundaries are the most important thing to know in my opinion!
8) Tell me about a time when you had to balance multiple competing priorities?
Well, right now! I am juggling a few projects. Sometimes you don't realise you have said yes to too much work until it is too late. It is mainly about getting time management right and working in spare time, evenings and weekends. I make sure I meet any obligations for a particular project and work around that. So if I have a deadline date on one project but I am more flexible on the other, I prioritise getting one sorted and out the way. Generally, in my field, clients are happy for me to get the work done when I want to do it within any time restraints. It is one of the perks of freelancing, so it means I can juggle and reshuffle work to make sure I fit what I need to in. Of course I don't recommend taking too much on all the time, as it can really wear you out.
I generally ask questions which fill in the gaps from the brief. As I read a brief things pop into my head.
As a character designer this might be things like - what age is this character? Where are they from and what is their core personality? Are there any specific features this character must have or must not have? And most importantly - what should I NOT be doing with this character design? As in, what design decisions should I be avoiding? For example, if I am designing a dog character, I need to know if it can be anthropomorphised or should look and act like a normal real dog. The constraints of a project, the boundaries are the most important thing to know in my opinion!
8) Tell me about a time when you had to balance multiple competing priorities?
Well, right now! I am juggling a few projects. Sometimes you don't realise you have said yes to too much work until it is too late. It is mainly about getting time management right and working in spare time, evenings and weekends. I make sure I meet any obligations for a particular project and work around that. So if I have a deadline date on one project but I am more flexible on the other, I prioritise getting one sorted and out the way. Generally, in my field, clients are happy for me to get the work done when I want to do it within any time restraints. It is one of the perks of freelancing, so it means I can juggle and reshuffle work to make sure I fit what I need to in. Of course I don't recommend taking too much on all the time, as it can really wear you out.
9) Tell me about a project you've completed that has made you the most proud?Recently I was asked to illustrate a cover for ImagineFX magazine. I wouldn't say I'm super proud of the final image - I guess there were a lot of restraints that I wouldn't have chosen for myself - but I was happy to have gotten to do a magazine cover. It felt like all my hard work was paying off.
10) What rules, culture, or structure needs to exist to foster team collaboration?
I find it hard to answer this as I mostly work alone from home these days. But in my previous experience of working in teams - I feel there needs to be a feeling of companionship between people and a sense that they are not just colleagues but potential friends. In a way I guess - obviously if people are too friendly it might make it harder to give constructive criticism. But if people are too focused on their colleagues as colleagues, it can be a rather dull working experience. Fun can be a glue which holds a team together. Maybe that only works in the world of animation though!
Also, communication is important. The left hand must know what the right hand is doing otherwise things can get messy.
11) What’s your greatest weakness?
As a designer it would probably be my lack of patience. I guess I like to get something done and out the way quickly, but some things require time and consideration. So I can jump right in sometimes without doing the necessary ground work and I end up getting a bit off course. It doesn't happen often and it doesn't ultimately affect the outcome but it's just not a good working practice. It's best to plan and research a bit more before jumping into the drawing stage.
12) Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I live and work in Glasgow as a freelance character designer and illustrator. I've been freelance on and off since 2009 but it's only really taken off in the past 2-3 years. I work between games animation and illustration, with clients mostly in Europe and the UK.
13) What are your strengths?
I think I can get ideas and rough designs out pretty fast. This is good at the start of the design process. I think also I am fairly good at conveying a sense of story and personality in my designs which is important in my industry and to the clients I work with.
14) What kind of design software are you familiar with?
I mainly use Photoshop, probably for 90% of what I do. I used to use flash a lot and I've dabbled in illustrator. I'm also familiar with after effects and premiere. Basically, anything Adobe.
15) What is your graphic design process?
Not sure I can answer this well as I don't do much graphic design. I have been asked to do logos and stuff before and in those cases my process is essentially the same as my character design process, an iterative evolution of the design.
16) What have you learned from your mistakes as a graphic designer?
I'll answer this from an illustration/character design point of view. Basically, every mistake is a learning process and informs the way I work and approach a job. Mostly about doing business and dealing with clients rather than the design side - being a freelancer has been a bit of a baptism of fire and I've had to work it out as I go along by making mistakes and adjusting my approach to everything really. Mainly how to charge for my work, how to read contracts and how to interact with clients on many levels.
17) What can you tell me about your company/brand?
I don't really have a company or a brand really. I guess my illustration style is my brand in the sense that the way I draw maybe makes me unique to a certain degree. I think certain clients will be drawn to my work for it's fun and energetic sensibilities. There isn't really anything dark about my work - my designs seem to inhabit a happy/safe world so I think that explains why I end up doing a lot of work in children's television!
I don't really focus on my business/art work from a brand point of view, but I think possibly it is something I should think more about in the future.
18) What have you done to improve your knowledge of graphic design?
I'm always trying to improve my craft! I sometimes do online tutorials in how to improve certain aspects of my work. Recently I did an online course in painting environments for animated film and then another course in posing characters/expressive gesture drawing. Also, I spend a bit of time looking through art books from all fields, to keep my influences wide.
Sometimes I do courses offline too, although living in Scotland, courses in my field are quite rare here. They usually consist of workshops with other people in the industry over a couple of days - they really help push my skills and knowledge to the next level.
19) What kinds of print media have you worked with?
I don't do much work in print media, but I have contributed a lot of illustrations to Saga magazine. I've also done a cover and workshop tutorial for Imagine FX magazine. Apart from that I illustrated a board game a couple of years back! But most of my work is in television/film.
20) Can you tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure and how you overcame it?
Sometimes if I take a lot of work on, it can be a lot of pressure on my time and energy. I mainly deal with these situations by organising my time the best I can and getting plenty of sleep. I used to skimp on my sleep years back, but it's so important to rest enough and so I rarely cut back on sleeping these days for a job. Which forces me to be sensible with my time and get stuff done efficiently. Again, I believe in prevention rather than cure - so I try to avoid getting into these highly pressurised situations. I make sure that deadlines are reasonable and doable and only take on as much as I think I can without going crazy.
21) What qualities do you consider necessary for a good designer?
For character design there will be particular qualities. The obvious ones are universal to all design - so good awareness of shape and form, balance and harmony in an image, colour relationships, problem solving and communication in an image. Specific to character design I would say, an ability to convey a personality in a drawing, appeal, story telling and a really good grasp of human and even animal anatomy. These things are really important, especially being able to apply those universal design rules to the world of character design.
22) What kind of design projects interest you?
Anything that involves an interesting script and characters! I like getting to design fun characters with the time and budget for more in depth exploration. If a project has a low budget and not enough time to really think about the design, it can be less interesting to work on. Also - anything with pirates. I like to design pirates, unfortunately I don't often get the chance in my client work.
I live and work in Glasgow as a freelance character designer and illustrator. I've been freelance on and off since 2009 but it's only really taken off in the past 2-3 years. I work between games animation and illustration, with clients mostly in Europe and the UK.
13) What are your strengths?
I think I can get ideas and rough designs out pretty fast. This is good at the start of the design process. I think also I am fairly good at conveying a sense of story and personality in my designs which is important in my industry and to the clients I work with.
14) What kind of design software are you familiar with?
I mainly use Photoshop, probably for 90% of what I do. I used to use flash a lot and I've dabbled in illustrator. I'm also familiar with after effects and premiere. Basically, anything Adobe.
15) What is your graphic design process?
Not sure I can answer this well as I don't do much graphic design. I have been asked to do logos and stuff before and in those cases my process is essentially the same as my character design process, an iterative evolution of the design.
16) What have you learned from your mistakes as a graphic designer?
I'll answer this from an illustration/character design point of view. Basically, every mistake is a learning process and informs the way I work and approach a job. Mostly about doing business and dealing with clients rather than the design side - being a freelancer has been a bit of a baptism of fire and I've had to work it out as I go along by making mistakes and adjusting my approach to everything really. Mainly how to charge for my work, how to read contracts and how to interact with clients on many levels.
17) What can you tell me about your company/brand?
I don't really have a company or a brand really. I guess my illustration style is my brand in the sense that the way I draw maybe makes me unique to a certain degree. I think certain clients will be drawn to my work for it's fun and energetic sensibilities. There isn't really anything dark about my work - my designs seem to inhabit a happy/safe world so I think that explains why I end up doing a lot of work in children's television!
I don't really focus on my business/art work from a brand point of view, but I think possibly it is something I should think more about in the future.
18) What have you done to improve your knowledge of graphic design?
I'm always trying to improve my craft! I sometimes do online tutorials in how to improve certain aspects of my work. Recently I did an online course in painting environments for animated film and then another course in posing characters/expressive gesture drawing. Also, I spend a bit of time looking through art books from all fields, to keep my influences wide.
Sometimes I do courses offline too, although living in Scotland, courses in my field are quite rare here. They usually consist of workshops with other people in the industry over a couple of days - they really help push my skills and knowledge to the next level.
19) What kinds of print media have you worked with?
I don't do much work in print media, but I have contributed a lot of illustrations to Saga magazine. I've also done a cover and workshop tutorial for Imagine FX magazine. Apart from that I illustrated a board game a couple of years back! But most of my work is in television/film.
20) Can you tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure and how you overcame it?
Sometimes if I take a lot of work on, it can be a lot of pressure on my time and energy. I mainly deal with these situations by organising my time the best I can and getting plenty of sleep. I used to skimp on my sleep years back, but it's so important to rest enough and so I rarely cut back on sleeping these days for a job. Which forces me to be sensible with my time and get stuff done efficiently. Again, I believe in prevention rather than cure - so I try to avoid getting into these highly pressurised situations. I make sure that deadlines are reasonable and doable and only take on as much as I think I can without going crazy.
21) What qualities do you consider necessary for a good designer?
For character design there will be particular qualities. The obvious ones are universal to all design - so good awareness of shape and form, balance and harmony in an image, colour relationships, problem solving and communication in an image. Specific to character design I would say, an ability to convey a personality in a drawing, appeal, story telling and a really good grasp of human and even animal anatomy. These things are really important, especially being able to apply those universal design rules to the world of character design.
22) What kind of design projects interest you?
Anything that involves an interesting script and characters! I like getting to design fun characters with the time and budget for more in depth exploration. If a project has a low budget and not enough time to really think about the design, it can be less interesting to work on. Also - anything with pirates. I like to design pirates, unfortunately I don't often get the chance in my client work.
23) How good are you about sticking to your deadlines?
I rarely miss a deadline - if I think I need more time I am always up front with the client and they are generally accommodating. If a deadline can't be shifted then I do what I can to get it done in the time, even if it means breaking my "get enough sleep" rule. But generally, I'm good enough at organising and multi-tasking that I get stuff done in time. With experience, I think I am fairly good at estimating time frames and if I can meet a clients time restraints from the outset.
24) How long does it take for you to deliver the final product?
It really depends on what it is. I can blast out a page of quick character ideas in half a day, but the process slows down if I have to render up a design nicely in full colour etc. It also depends on the complexity or simplicity of a character and the amount of information the client needs. If they want character facial expressions or a character turnaround, or poses etc, this all adds to the time frame. Every job is different and will take different lengths of time to complete.
25) How do you think others see your work/company?
I hope people see me as professional while also quite relaxed and down to earth. The type of work I do allows a bit of fun into the equation. Of course, I really hope clients see my work as high quality and worth paying for!
26) Would you consider yourself a team player?
Yes, you have to be. Even though I work alone from home, I am always interacting with people via email and online team management software. In this type of work too, no one works in a bubble. I don't design alone, the client inputs their opinion into the work or I work under an art director who is directing what I am doing. If I wasn't a team player I don't think I would be good to work with and the work would probably dry up!
27) How do you handle criticism?
I view it as a critique, a positive critique. If a client critiques my work I take it on the chin and respond to it accordingly. Thankfully most clients I work with are totally switched on to my industry and the work I do so they always have informed opinions and generally know what they are talking about! Some of them are also artists themselves. So I respect their opinions and critiques and see them as an opportunity to learn and improve. Also, I don't get too attached to my work - if the client doesn't like it and wants to shift in a different direction, I may chime in with my opinion, but overall, I respect their opinion and roll with it.
28) Can you suggest some interviews or articles that inspired you for you career choice?
When I was a child, I watched a lot of interviews with Nick Park, the creator of Wallace and Gromit. I'm not sure where to access them now! But they really inspired me as a kid. I guess any interview with artists I admire and respect. One in particular I remember was with Peter De Seve, one of my favourite artists. I read an interview about his process but I wouldn't know where to find it now - I think I found it online a few years back.
29) Which graphic designers / studios influenced your type of work?
I love the work of Aardman Animations. Also, Headless animation. I have a lot of influences, some of them are, Peter De Seve, Nico Marlet, Nick Park, Stephen Silver, LD Austin to name a few.
30) Could you possibly tell me a motto or a quote you follow by? Some kind of phrase that helps motivates your work and what you do?
I rarely miss a deadline - if I think I need more time I am always up front with the client and they are generally accommodating. If a deadline can't be shifted then I do what I can to get it done in the time, even if it means breaking my "get enough sleep" rule. But generally, I'm good enough at organising and multi-tasking that I get stuff done in time. With experience, I think I am fairly good at estimating time frames and if I can meet a clients time restraints from the outset.
24) How long does it take for you to deliver the final product?
It really depends on what it is. I can blast out a page of quick character ideas in half a day, but the process slows down if I have to render up a design nicely in full colour etc. It also depends on the complexity or simplicity of a character and the amount of information the client needs. If they want character facial expressions or a character turnaround, or poses etc, this all adds to the time frame. Every job is different and will take different lengths of time to complete.
25) How do you think others see your work/company?
I hope people see me as professional while also quite relaxed and down to earth. The type of work I do allows a bit of fun into the equation. Of course, I really hope clients see my work as high quality and worth paying for!
26) Would you consider yourself a team player?
Yes, you have to be. Even though I work alone from home, I am always interacting with people via email and online team management software. In this type of work too, no one works in a bubble. I don't design alone, the client inputs their opinion into the work or I work under an art director who is directing what I am doing. If I wasn't a team player I don't think I would be good to work with and the work would probably dry up!
27) How do you handle criticism?
I view it as a critique, a positive critique. If a client critiques my work I take it on the chin and respond to it accordingly. Thankfully most clients I work with are totally switched on to my industry and the work I do so they always have informed opinions and generally know what they are talking about! Some of them are also artists themselves. So I respect their opinions and critiques and see them as an opportunity to learn and improve. Also, I don't get too attached to my work - if the client doesn't like it and wants to shift in a different direction, I may chime in with my opinion, but overall, I respect their opinion and roll with it.
28) Can you suggest some interviews or articles that inspired you for you career choice?
When I was a child, I watched a lot of interviews with Nick Park, the creator of Wallace and Gromit. I'm not sure where to access them now! But they really inspired me as a kid. I guess any interview with artists I admire and respect. One in particular I remember was with Peter De Seve, one of my favourite artists. I read an interview about his process but I wouldn't know where to find it now - I think I found it online a few years back.
29) Which graphic designers / studios influenced your type of work?
I love the work of Aardman Animations. Also, Headless animation. I have a lot of influences, some of them are, Peter De Seve, Nico Marlet, Nick Park, Stephen Silver, LD Austin to name a few.
30) Could you possibly tell me a motto or a quote you follow by? Some kind of phrase that helps motivates your work and what you do?
My favourite quote would be the following, which I have paraphrased:
"Start with what you know and the unknown will reveal itself"
I have read it being attributed to different source so I am unsure exactly who said it. I remember hearing a few years ago and I apply it to lots of things in my life, not just my design process. But it really helps in my design - if I am ever stuck with a brief, I just think of this phrase and it really helps me focus. By starting with what you know regarding a project / design brief and working from there, any issues or unsolved problems soon become easier to figure out, if that makes sense!
"Start with what you know and the unknown will reveal itself"
I have read it being attributed to different source so I am unsure exactly who said it. I remember hearing a few years ago and I apply it to lots of things in my life, not just my design process. But it really helps in my design - if I am ever stuck with a brief, I just think of this phrase and it really helps me focus. By starting with what you know regarding a project / design brief and working from there, any issues or unsolved problems soon become easier to figure out, if that makes sense!
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