How old were you when you realised you wanted to do what you're currently doing and how old were you when you actually began?

I was 17 years old & in my final year of high school when I realised that I would like to become a graphic designer, but I never could have imagined back then what I'm actually doing today. Straight out of high school I completed a 9 month course in multimedia then started working as a web designer the following year.

Now I'm 24, and at the moment I'm pushing pixels for Sulake the peeps behind Habbo, however I'm making the move over to Host in June to take on a wider range of projects and push my illustration and interactive design skills alot further.

What materials do you use to create your work?

This really depends on the project, as each requires a different approach and materials to achieve the desired results. I usually start by brainstorming ideas and concepts, collecting pieces of creative to inspire more ideas and then I move onto sketching these ideas with pen & paper.

Once I have a clear direction with the project, I use either Illustrator or Photoshop to create rough mockups of my initial ideas. This can sometimes be a slow process and sometimes instantaneous.

What kind of formal education do you have that applies to what you do or are you self taught?

Like I said above I studied a 9 month course in Multimedia design, however I don't think this had a major influence on me. Alot of what I know about design is self taught, I find it alot easier to teach myself things as I find my own methods of learning are more effective than conventional methods.

I would like to eventually try and study for a design degree, but it's hard to find the time to do so.

You seem to work in a variety of mediums (pencils, vector, photography, paint), which is your favourite?

My passion has always been the traditional medium of pencil and paper, but I also love using vectors as I can try different layouts and colour combos easily and quickly.

Recently you made a calculated shift from web design to digital illustration. Have you come up against and obstacles/challenges in doing so?

Yeah, in a way I guess I have - this year I'm really trying to push myself in the direction of illustration be it digital or traditional. This is mainly because I enjoy it alot more than web design because I have more freedom to be creative and there are alot less restrictions.

I can't say that there have been many obstacles involved, I've just had to learn alot more about how to apply illustration in a commercial sense.

How did your illustration style develop?

My style is in constant development, I find it hard to limit myself to one particular style as my interests and inspiration are so vast, and I like to try a bit of everything.

How would you describe your work?

Random, a melting pot of styles & influences which metamorph into a multitude of permutations. Yeah that about sums it up.

How do you feel your surroundings (ie. Sydney) influence your work?

My surroundings influence me to certain degree, however most of it comes from within. I do like to combine elements from my surrounding environment be it Sydney or some other city on this planet, however most of the time my work is influenced by the world online.

Who or what you would say inspires your work the most?

The internet, childhood memories, everyday life experiences, culture/history, toys, other illustrators/designers - just about everything I guess. It's hard to really pin point anything specific.

Having played in a band for 4 years (element), is there any link between the music you make and the artwork you create?

Not really, at the time I was really into my music and guitar, and really didn't devote much time to design at all. Over time as my fulltime job as a designer became more and more involved/demanding I felt that I couldn't split my time between the two and had to choose one path for the time being and stick to it - I chose design. In the future I would like to revisit music as it is a true passion of mine, however it can't provide me with a fulltime income so it will have to wait.

I would love to combine both my passions for design and music into a project that allows me to push both to the edge.


How do you keep yourself motivated?

By surfing the net, checking out other illustrators/designers work. Learning more about design and illustration. Watching cartoons and laughing alot. Eating lots of lollies!

How do you deal with creative blocks?

Shut down the computer, go outside and get some fresh air, then revisit the issue with a clear mind and vision. Scribble notes in my sketchpad and work it from there. If that doesn't work, I just rant at other co-workers about my creative block until it goes away.

What kind of work environment do you have?

At Home:  Just my bedroom, nothing fancy. I use a powerbook G4, canon scanner, wacom tablet, sketch pads (lots & lots), pens/pencils/markers & lots of music. Drawings & photos stuck all over my walls.

At Work: Pretty much the same as above including a sweet 24" LCD, which gives me that extra space I need to work freely and spread everything out.

What interests do you have outside of art and design?

Toys, Anime, Family Guy, American Dad, Guitar, Photography, Travel, Languages, Food, Music

What is the most rewarding aspect of what you do? The most frustrating?

The most rewarding aspect would have to be finishing a piece of creative that turns out exactly how I imagined it, and the most frustrating would be deadlines.

You seem to have been really busy lately with artwork popping up all over the place (Creative Magazine, Threadless and Prickie to name a few). Are you finding that deadlines help to motivate or do they inhibit the creative process?

Busy would be an understatement. It's a really bit of both though, the deadlines push me further than I thought possible - however at the same time this can definately inhibit the creative process.

It the last few months you have been a featured artist on a number of sites – has this exposure made a noticeable difference to your life?

Not really, it's just great to see that other peeps like my creative work. Also, some the great comments that I’ve been getting help to re-enforce that I’m moving in a good direction creatively – and this inspires me to do more.

What do you feel would make you a success?

Well I feel pretty successful already. The reason being is that when I first started working as a designer I initially thought that success was measured by your job title, client list and pay packet - but after a while I started to realise that this is only superficial success, real success to me is measured by how happy you are doing what you do as a full time job.

It doesn't really matter what you do, it just matters that you enjoy doing it. Money can buy you nice things, but it's not everything.

Do you have any new projects coming up that you can tell us about?

Not much at the moment, I'm starting to work on a new series of illustrations that I'm really in too. Hopefully I'll have most on them finished in the next month or two, and as usual I always be submitting designs to Threadless and numerous others projects that are out and about.

What's the plan for the rest of 2006?

I'm in the middle of changing jobs, I'll be moving from Sulake Australia, the company behind www.habbo.com.au to start working with Host in their interactive division which is very exciting. I'll have exposure to some great projects, and will be able to push the boundaries of my illustration work in the commercial arena.

• Paint more, at least 20-30 paintings by the end of the year.
• Create more illustration work. 
• More freelancing. 
• Raise my profile as a illustrator/designer.
• Enter more design competitions.
• Hold an exhibition at the end of the year.
• Create a book of all my current work.
• Collaborate with more like minded creatives.

Any words of advice for those pursuing their creative goals?

Find companies that produce creative that would you love. Make contact and provide them with your CV and samples of your work that reflects their style. If you don't have alot of work within your portfolio, create small projects for yourself that showcase your skills and style. They want to see originality and passion for design within your work.

Don't give up, be persistent. I can remember applying to up to 50 studios and companies before landing one of my first jobs.

Utilise the web to showcase your portfolio/work, it will allow you to get exposure to alot more sets of eyes than you can imagine.

Be happy with your daily work, otherwise you'll get bored and it'll show through your design.