Digital Art Empire» digital art

Interview with Chris Spooner : Spoon Graphics & Line 25

Ben Rama — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:21:19 +0000

Blogging has its highlights, one of them being networking with some incredibly talented designers. Through blogging and social networking I had the chance to meet Chris Spooner of Blog Spoon Graphics and Line 25. Chris has the ability to create consistently appealing resources for designers and has created a very popular and friendly community at his blogs, I’m sure this is due to his nice, easy going attitude.

1 Hello and a warm welcome to Digital Art Empire, Chris thanks for this interview why don’t you tell us about yourself, your blog and background in design?

I’m Chris Spooner, a designer and blogger who runs Blog.SpoonGraphics and Line25. I write random design related articles for inspiration, as well as plenty of tutorials covering Illustrator, Photoshop and website design.

2 Your exposure and activity online is huge this is where a lot of designers aspire to be, how would you say you have reached this stage, was it your intention?

I started out blogging purely as an experiment and to check out the WordPress application in more depth. Since a couple of my posts gained some exposure I’ve simply continued churning out posts I hope people will find interesting. I guess the more you pump out design related content and links the more you become associated with that topic.

3 How do you stay on top of web design trends? Is client work enough to stay fresh or do you still follow tutorials, if so which ones?

Being active in the blogosphere helps keep you on top of the latest changes. If there’s a certain topic I find interesting, I’ll take the time to follow tutorials to learn more about the subject. The most recent example is probably a bunch of HTML5 tutorials I followed to get to grips with the new features. Client work on the other hand helps you stay fresh in other areas, usually the topics you wouldn’t choose to follow otherwise, which makes it great to broaden your knowledge outside of your comfort zone.

4 What are your favourite areas in graphic design? Who and what keeps you inspired?

I enjoy a wide range of design related subjects and I’m always keen on trying out new things. There are many designers out there who I’m inspired by, I basically keep myself inspired by browsing what others are doing. This always motivates me to put in more practice and experiment with new techniques.

5 Please tell us about how you landed the work with Fall Out Boy, were you headhunted or this something you planned for?

I never expected to land such a job. This was another great example of how blogging can raise your profile. A few days before I’d taken the time to write a tutorial based on skateboard deck design – Which wasn’t really a popular type of client work beforehand, it was just something I developed an interest in. One day one of the guys from the merchandising company who were dealing with the Fall Out Boy merch spotted my tutorial, liked what he saw and got in touch. I helped out design a skateboard deck, couple of T-shirts and a hoodie.

6 What are the core things that you think made you successful blogging wise and freelance wise?

For blogging I think that taking the time to develop in-depth tutorials and articles that will help people out has definitely helped out. There are lots of quick and basic tutorials out there, but only a few gems that can really help you master a topic. I also think concentrating on Illustrator tutorials helped out, as these were very rare at the time. With freelancing I guess a similar mindset also helps out; I’ll always aim to fulfill the project requirements and come up with a good solution to the client’s problems.

7 Blog Spoon Graphics is a one-man show how do you juggle work commitments with what can easily be a full time occupation & would you hire more writers and expand; what are your plans for the future?

Simply managing my time is all it takes. In the past I always used to make sure I took the time to write blog content, as this was what brought in the client work in the first place. Nowadays I’ve cut back on client work to concentrate more on writing blog content. I’ve always stuck to writing every post myself on Blog.SpoonGraphics, but I’m thinking about opening up Lien25 to more guest authors.

8 What’s you typical routine for coming up with ideas, writing and then publishing them?

Whenever an idea springs to mind, I’ll either jot it down or take a photo to keep a record. When I have some time to schedule up content I’ll pick out some topics I’d like to focus on then spend a day or two creating the post. Posts are often scheduled up a week or two in advance, which often helps relieve any pressure of deadlines.

9 Finally thanks for this interview with Digital Art Empire do you have any advice for our readers?

Thanks for the opportunity! I always advise anyone with an interest in design to keep practicing, experimenting and trying out new techniques. Follow your inspirations and just do what you enjoy!

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What Everybody Ought to Know About Franz Jeitz from Fudgegraphics : Interview

Ben Rama — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:03:48 +0000

Introduction:

Having recently graduated from the University College London with a Masters in Physics, Franz maintains the design resource site FudgeGraphics which is described as an ‘inspiration of design lovers’.

1 Hello and a warm welcome to Digital Art Empire, Franz thanks for this interview why don’t you tell us about yourself, your blog and background in design?

Hello. First of all I would like to thank you for this opportunity. So my name is Franz Jeitz, I was born in October 85 (which makes me 23 at the time of this interview) and I come from Luxembourg. 4 years ago I moved to London for university where I just completed a Masters in Physics. As a kid I did not draw on everything and apart from school assignments art and design was not on my regular schedule.

It all changed when I formed a band with friends and took on the job as designer. Slowly, but gradually I learned how to use Photoshop and Illustrator and discovered that I rather enjoyed it. After the band split I did not stop indulging in design. I followed many blogs and at some point decided it was time to give back to the community. That’s how Fudgegraphics came to life. Not only allowed it me to grow as a designer and to further develop my web development skills, but it also meant that I’d be an active member of the design community.

2 In terms of your designing careers where would you like to be in 5 years? Would you to prefer to work for a design agency or freelance?

In 5 years I would like to have built a solid client base whom I truly enjoy working for while still having the time (and financial security) to invest in the blog. I think working freelance and working for a design agency both have their perks. At the moment I see myself more as a freelancer since it gives me the liberty to grow and evolve. Even if I were to have job in a company I would always work freelance on the side.

3 You are currently studying a masters in physics which seems totally unrelated to graphic design, are they compatible?,do you draw inspiration from one to the other ?

As a matter of fact I’ve just graduated. You’re right design and physics are totally unrelated at first look. However I do not regret finishing my studies, before taking the plunge to go freelance full-time. On the one hand there is the security that a degree gives you and on the other hand the last 4 years helped me to grow (up). It was a great experience. Furthermore I think that the mathematical aspect of physics transcends into my design such as geometric forms which I use extensively.

4 How did you get into design /digital art Who and or what initially made you want to pursue this field?

As mentioned before it all started with the designs I did for my band at the time. it was however the design community which made me want to pursue this field. I can’t emphasize enough how great the community is. Only 2 months after launching the blog I already felt part of it due to the incredible friendly and helpful members. This gave me the strength and motivation to fully invest myself in it. There’s always the jealousy aspect which comes into play. Browsing through other designer’s portfolio and thinking “Wow! I wish I could create something like that” is a great motivation.

5 Running Fudge Graphics have you found this blog a good way to find clients ?What’s the best thing about maintaining a design site?

The blog helped me to find some of my clients, but most of them I get through referrals from other clients. The greatest benefit of having a design blog is being able to be involved in the design community and learning something new each day. With every article, tutorial and freebie I try to challenge myself. The same goes with the calendar wallpaper series where I try out new techniques every month.

6 How much does the design community play a part in how you run fudge graphics and what content you publish?

Strangely enough the design community plays a major role in terms of what content not to publish. It is important to stay up to date of current articles so that you don’t copy someone’s idea, which most of the time is involuntary. That is probably the hardest part of running a blog. Coming up with new ideas is very challenging. Studying the design community and other design blogs gives you a good insight into what the readers want whether it’s a certain type of inspirational article, tutorial or which Photoshop brushes are most popular. The market is evolving fast and it’s important to stay on top of it.

7 What do you plan on doing when you graduate from University College London?

Now that I’ve graduated I will focus all my energy on the freelance career and blog. I want to broaden my design skills and maybe some day sell apparel and posters of my designs.

8 What are your tools of the trade and which software do you use?

I couldn’t live without Photoshop and Illustrator. I use them daily. At the same time I’m a big fan of traditional media such as paper, pencil and watercolors. They’re a great asset when giving your digital work a more organic feel. I can’t work without music, so iTunes is another program I use daily.

9 Finally thanks for this interview with Digital Art Empire do you have any advice for our readers?

Thanks for having me. As a final word I would like to say that if you’re really passionate about design then go for it. The only person standing in your way is yourself. There will always be designers who are better than you, but that shouldn’t discourage you. It should be a motivation to improve your skills and evolve as a designer.

Find Fudge Graphics here.

Fudgegraphics was born in April 2008. With exams coming up I thought it would be a perfect time to start my own blog. Fudgegraphics can be described as a design inspirational blog. It is a source of freebies such as photoshop brushes, textures and vectors. I aim to make the quality the highest possible. With a design community so giving and helpful and nice it is my pleasure to provide free resources for like-minded people. Furthermore fudegraphics hosts my personal portfolio.