First
up, tell us a little bit about yourself...
I’m Jeremy, 24, and really like colour, pickles and the
first nights sleep after shaving. I originally studied commercial
photography before deciding that I really didn’t want to
be a commercial photographer. I kinda fell into design/illustration & really
loved it, the rest is…well, the present.
Where do you currently live and work?
I live in Sydney, and mostly live and work out of my studio.
I do have a home but sometimes forget what it looks like.
What equipment do you use to produce your creative work?
Technically: my computer, photoshop, illustrator & my camera.
Creatively: my imagination & inspiration.
Physically: my hands & eyes… sometimes my voice if
there’s a good song playing.
What kind of work environment do you have?
Is Funnest a word? If so, then, The Funnest! Loud music, Frisbee,
milk and cookies every day at 3pm, sometimes we do work too…
You have quite a varied involvement in Design, Illustration,
and Web Design. What would you say is your favourite medium to
work in?
Each area presents its own challenges and requires a different
headspace. With web design, you have to be so meticulous and
detailed; sometimes it can be a real downer when all you want
to do is create beautiful stuff - those are the days I’ll
do my illustration work. With a diverse range of mediums it ensures
there’s always something new to learn & discover.
What got you started working in a creative field? Did you
have a defining moment that started you out?
It would have been the trip to Yosemite when I was 15, I took
a camera and shot 14 rolls of nothing but trees and rocks – in
3 days. That got me started & I’ve been seeing the
world differently ever since. There’s a real buzz knowing
you’ve done something no one else has ever.
Do you have any formal training? If so, what and where?
A couple of years ago when I started doing bits of design, I
went and studied at Shillington College in Sydney which was a
great all around course. I cam out and was ready to freelance
straight away.
What do you think were the major influences that helped
develop your style?
Well, firstly, I try my best not to have a style. I love so many
types & styles of design I hate just concentrating on one.
I spend a lot of time finding inspiration in books & on the
web, I have 1000’s of images in my inspiration folder.
When I see something new I like I try to figure out why it’s
so special, take what I learn and try to apply it to a project.
I’m talking in general aesthetics, not technical specifics.
What is the most rewarding aspect of what you do? The most
frustrating?
Finishing a piece and having it help the client/publication/site
to reach their goals is always awesome, as are the few emails
from other designers/artists saying they like what I’ve
done. The most frustrating is clients who just don’t get
it. And those who don’t pay!
How do you keep yourself inspired and motivated to create?
The constant search for inspiration, always seeing something
new & exciting, conversing with other designers. Music helps… but
sometimes it needs to be really loud to do the job.
Who are your favourite artists?
There are a lot, but if I have to chose a few – Matei Apostolescu,
Karan Singh, RA909, Brandon Reese & Les Sharpe. These are
mostly digital artists. In terms of more traditional art, I think
in pieces, not artists. |
Your work has led you into producing T-shirts and selling them
through your website, as well as your other project People Like
Us. Tell us a little about your plans with these ventures, and
how you went about starting out…
People Like Us is my baby, a t-shirt & design concept that
turned into a business. We create & sell limited edition,
artist designed tees which come with lots of info and other goodies
for your viewing, wearing & eating pleasure. PLU started
in June 05 with just an idea and a plain tee. It ended up costing
quite a large chunk of my savings, and taking lots of careful
planning but it got off the ground.
This year we’re releasing new ranges, introducing some
new technologies into the mix and diversifying into other areas,
non fashion related.
Most of your work relies heavily on bright and prominent
colour schemes. How do you go about choosing a set of colours to
use, and does that process differ from print work to web work?
Colour is my friend, my favourite design tool. I have a photoshop
file of colour combinations which I come across; it’s like
a multiple combination super pantone library. Trying to vary
from the norm is something I always strive to do, but some clients
are not so accepting… Depending on what the job is, print
or web and more importantly, who it’s for will determine
how ‘far out’ I can venture with the colours. It
differs from client to client, not so much from medium to medium.
Do you have any favourite TV shows that you just can’t
do without?
I don’t watch much tv at all actually, I kinda miss it
all by the time I’m home. I love The Office and Lost (of
course).
If your not working or creating, what are you likely to
be doing?
Sleeping.
Do you have any new projects your working on that you
can tell us about?
Hmm… I have some I can’t tell you about, but I can
tell you that I’m producing a range of ipod skins/covers
to be sold on the net and in Australian retailers.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
If I had even an inkling of that, my life might have more of
a direction. For now, I’m enjoying the ride.
Do you have any tips, tricks, links, or advice for upcoming
designs/illustrators/web designs?
My best advice is to not think and just do. Also, take time to
email a designer whose work you like, it’s a real ego boost
and you’ll make some really good friends and mentors that
way. Also, talk about money upfront & don’t be scared.
You lose out or get burned when you leave it too late, always
talk about it BEFORE you take the job.
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