The digital version of the SXSW Interactive Program Guide is now available. Packed full of information, this guide is a must-read before leaving home and on the plane, as well as a great resource on the ground. Download today!
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/644232
What's your favorite artwork? My all-time favorite artist is Jim Flora. His work inspired the bag design I created for SXSW. Do you do research? If so, what do you do? I do a lot of research when I'm working on a branding project. I also develop skill-based design courses for LinkedIn, so I do a lot of preparation for those and research. You can view all my courses at DrawingVectorGraphics.com. What work do you most enjoying doing? On the business side I love brand development and design. It's like solving a graphic mystery. You do a lot of research to load the chamber so you can start thinking through logo and marketing ideas and then you creatively solve them and present them to a client. It's very challenging but enjoyable. On the pure art side I've been doing a lot of drawings on my iPad Pro – art prints, actually. What's integral to the work of an artist? A designer's tradecraft is ideas. How well you exe- cute them comes down to skill and craftsmanship. So thinking is the key to clever and successful art. Anyone can learn tools and refine skills but a bad idea well executed is still a bad idea. What role does the artist have in tech? Tech can easily come off as cold and spartan in terms of aesthetic. Art brings unique personality and the essence of a soul to the environment of technology. The original Star Wars came out when I was in sixth grade. My mom bought me a crappy little black LCD watch – the tech wasn't designed well but the fact it was wrapped in a Darth Vader design made it the coolest thing I owned at that time. I loved the art – it reflected the personality I enjoyed and made the experience better. Art can do the same thing in much more immersive ways now via UX, animation and video. What art do you most identify with? In our industry you have designers and illustrators. Most designers don't illustrate and most illustra- tors don't design. I do both and identify myself as an illustrative designer. I approach design-oriented projects with an illustrative eye. This is the niche I thrive in. My designer eye dictates style – my illustrative ability executes my design idea. It's like creative symbiosis of sorts. The only frustrating thing about this dynamic is that those who are purely designers always refer to me as an illus- trator, and illustrators who don't design call me a designer. So it's also a creative DMZ for me, too. In 2006 I had an illustration in a showing at the Society of Illustrators in New York – at that same time a group of illustrators invited me to be part of their online group. When I emailed them saying I'd love to join the group, the head of the group said to me, "That was an accident. You're not an illustrator. I'm not sure what you are?" What has been a seminal experience? A moment in the early 1990s – I was looking at the work of Neville Brody and it was crystal clear he moved in creative directions that weren't safe. Some of it incredible, some of it just OK. But it convinced me I needed to take more risks with how I did things, creatively speaking. That interlude fun- damentally changed how I approached and thought about my work. Describe a situation that inspired you. Helping my buddy Justin Ahrens and his team shoot a documentary in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. That was a life-changer. What superpower would you have and why? Invisibility. I like being sneaky. This way I could be a creative spy. Name something you love and why. I love my two daughters, because they are creative and have a great sense of humor and make me laugh. They are both beautiful young ladies and are the best thing I've ever been part of creating. What's the best advice you've been given? A fellow creative told me in 2003, "You get the work you show." That has proven to be the best advice I've ever received. Professionally, what's your goal? To get the work I show. I'd love to work with J J Abrams or Ridley Scott as a production designer on a film project. That would be awesome. 2016 BIG BAG ARTIST TO SEE MORE OF VON GLITSCHKA'S WORK, VISIT GLITSCHKASTUDIOS.COM VON GLITSCHKA Glitschka is the creative director and owner of Glitschka Studios, a small multi-disci- plinary boutique design firm located in the Pacific Northwest. Their diverse range of illustrative design has been used by some of the most respected global brands. They creatively collaborate with ad agencies, design firms, in-house corporate art depart- ments and small businesses to produce compelling results. glitschkastudios.com • drawingvectorgraphics.com • @vonster Dickie Adams FESTIVAL OVERVIEW 1 9 2 0 1 6 S X S W I N T E R A C T I V E P R O G R A M G U I D E 2 0 1 6 B I G B A G A R T I S T