Lorena Mirbach specializes and excels in type-based design. Based in Hamburg, Germany, this talented designer creates exquisite logos, calligraphy and typographic fonts. So, unlike many other artists who depend on existing typefaces to create their designs, Lorena is likely to create a custom font that is uniquely suited for the design at hand. The proof of her mastery lies in her beautiful samples, so we are including plenty of them in this post. At the end of the article be sure to check out more of her work by clicking on the link provided.

Dave Hile: Hi, Lorena, can you share with us a bit about your background? When did you decide to become a designer and what led you to your area of specialty—logos and typography?

Lorena Mirbach: I was inspired from the beginning. Since my early childhood I’ve spent a great deal of time in Venice, Italy. My father is Venetian and a large part of my family lives there. Among them are a number of artists including sculptors, musicians and painters. Of course the city too is inspiring with its architecture, its special atmosphere and its unique beauty. So, both these factors were equally formative in my becoming an artist.

Later as a student I developed a great love for typography. Read the rest of this entry »

If you ask nearly any illustrator what they’d like to do that they haven’t done yet, chances are you’d hear that they’d like to illustrate a book … and what’s more fun than illustrating a children’s book?

Today we are speaking with Julie Fortenberry, a New York illustrator and painter who does just that.

Dave Hile: Hi, Julie. I know that in the past you worked as a magazine illustrator as well as supplying artwork for school publications. What motivated you to start illustrating children’s books?

Julie Fortenberry: Hi, Dave. Thanks for asking! I actually started out as an abstract painter working in oils. Later, when a friend gave me Photoshop I started playing around with it. My kids were small so it was inconvenient to be covered in turpentine and cadmium all the time. Having kids renewed my interest in picture books.

DH: Can you share with us some of the book projects you’ve worked on lately?

JF: Pippa at the Parade by Karen Roosa (2009), Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast by Jamie Korngold, and Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting (both to be released in 2011).

DH: Is there a favorite book project?

JF: My favorite is always what I’m currently working on. Right now I’m illustrating another book by Jamie Korngold, and the cover for Pirate Boy. Pirate Boy includes sea monsters, a magic potion, and (of course) pirates—assignments don’t get any better than that.

DH: Tell us a bit about how the process works. How do you work with the authors? Do they send you a manuscript and give you a lot of freedom to determine what to illustrate, or do they have a list of illustrations already in mind that they’d like you to develop? How much does the publisher have to say about the artwork?

JF: The manuscript comes from the editor. With Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast the author sent a few reference photos for ideas. But generally I just discuss the project with the art director or editor. Some editors send layouts with the text in place, and some let me design the layout. When I’m given the opportunity, I enjoy making the layout, pacing the page turns, etc.

DH: Let’s talk a bit about your style. Your characters are so simply rendered yet so compelling. Can you tell us how your style developed and from where you draw your inspiration?

JF: Thanks! I’ve always been interested in illustration. As an adult I admire Ludwig Bemelmans for his loose and sketchy style. As a kid I loved Richard Scarry’s funny animals and bright, flat color. Those would be my inspirations.

DH: And although your images look like they are illustrated in watercolor washes or gouache I know you work in Photoshop. Is there any point at which you work traditionally—say, with initial sketches?

JF: Not really. I paint entirely in Photoshop using layers and filters. (I’ve downloaded a trial of Corel Painter that offers an overwhelming assortment of watercolor-type brushes, but I haven’t gotten around to trying it.) Somewhere I read that sketching with a mouse was like drawing with a bar of soap. It is, but I’ve gotten used to it, and I can draw a completely awkward looking character and then move his limbs around to make him look as realistic or as comical as I want. I’m always experimenting. When your universe includes sea monsters, just how realistic do you want to be? I also go back and forth with just how loose I like it to look. I love that back button!

DH: Have you ever thought of writing and illustrating your own book?

JF: As a matter of fact, yes, I have a dummy that I want to publish. I love the character I’ve developed and would love to see her story in print. But I’m also tremendously happy illustrating other people’s stories.

DH: Finally, what does the future hold for you? How would you like your career to develop?

JF: I’m hooked. I would just like to keep doing what I’m doing.

Thanks, Julie. We appreciate your time and talent. To see more of Julie’s work please visit Julie Fortenberry’s website.

JF: Thanks, Dave!

Welcome back! Today is the third and final installment of our Jordan Jelev interview. From classic calligraphy to modern typographic masterpieces, Jordan has found a real niche for beautiful labels in the wine industry.

Dave Hile: You have an impressive range of styles, from an ornamental calligraphic style to a sleek modern typographic approach. How did you develop your strong type design skills?

Jordan Jelev: I am both a typography addict and a professional calligrapher, which sets me free in type design. My work might be improved by using some digital fonts, but in many situations you have to switch to custom lettering unless you don’t want to have just “another ordinary design.” Custom lettering is my specialty—it is one of those things that makes my designs more distinguished and recognizable. It is somehow like a personal signature that brings more and more identity to the final product. We are in the 21st century now—everything in our life is so plastic, synthetic and automatic. I think it is good for a digital artist to have experience as a craftsman. I’ll give you an example from March of this year. I was designing the new labels of the Royal Selection wine range (domaineboyar.com). I started looking for some interesting font set to write the word Royal in a more artistic manner—it took me nearly three days and I was still unsatisfied with the result. I used my quills and it took me one more day to do the custom lettering for the same word—the result was amazing.

The background of my custom lettering history starts in my near past. I got a present from my father and my wife—a set of automatic pens and an old bottle filled with ink. Up to that day I had so many digital fonts in my head, and when I grabbed the pens I thought I could write every one of them.

DH: Aside from the typography, you show a lot of innovation in the textures and shapes of your labels—in the planning process, do you tend to envision all these elements as one entity, or do you tend to focus on one element separately and then build the others around it?

JJ: The shape and the texture are design elements, too. They significantly improve the communication between the product and consumers. Imagine that you are 3-4 meters away from the bottle of wine in the store; what you see first is the bottle shape, the label shape, and probably some basic colors—that’s what our eyes produce as an image to our brain. The closer you get to the bottle, the more things you start to see better and better till the moment you have it in your hands, where you can touch it, feel it, maybe even smell it—and finally remember it (and buy it, of course).

All those textures, shapes, varnishes, embossing, etc. are important parts of my design—some projects need to use all of them at once, others don’t need them. It just depends on what both the designer and the market experts say and want from the final product.

DH: You’ve done a lot of work for Bulgarian companies. Are you looking to expand into new markets in other countries?

JJ: Bulgaria will always be an interesting place not only for wine label design, but for the whole wine industry, so I’m really happy to work for our native wineries. I am also focused on approaching some foreign clients from the U.S., South America, Australia and South Africa.

Maybe I should use your “Reverse Method” to approach them—start with a bottle of wine and then send an email! DH: Thanks for all the great insight into your work, your process, and your background, Jordan. It’s been fascinating to learn about design in Bulgaria, and we hope to see your labels gracing the shelves of American wine shops soon!

Visit Jordan Jelev or Factor R Studio to see more about Jordan.

Today we have part two of our three-part interview featuring Jordan Jelev, the vastly talented Bulgarian label designer. Also known as “The Labelmaker,” Jordan gives us an in-depth view of his career and his process, as well as some excellent examples of his work. Make sure to visit soon for the third and final installment.

Dave Hile: What does your creative process entail? Do you taste the wine before designing the label? Do you research the vineyard’s other offerings? For example, on the Bulgarian wine +359 design (which is based on the country’s international phone code), you utilized the type font from the Bulgarian Post in the 1960s. Do you always think so carefully about historical or social aspects of the design?

Jordan Jelev: I did not expect it would turn into a normal practice, but the answer is yes—I always taste the wine before starting my work. It is a significant part of the process. When you design the outer part, you have to know what is inside the bottle in order to make a connection between them and to portray it correctly to the buyer of the product. So when you know what’s inside the bottle, it’s really easy to design a label for it. This makes the whole thing 100% authentic because all the elements of the final product are related to one another. I don’t go crazy finding and creating such relationships between history, wine itself, design, or even aspects of consumer psychology, but I do think that if there is a significant story related to the product, we should bring it forward and show it to people.

DH: Do you have a few favorite labels you’ve designed that you’d like to share with us? Why are these your favorites?

JJ: Sure, though I might say I like all of them.

I am in such a creative period in my development that I am beginning to understand the sense of being different in the wine industry.

I started to think differently when I was creating a label following my new formula—which is, that there has to be something remarkable about the label so people can remember it.

There are several examples of my new period—Rousse Rose is one of them. I decided to make a label based entirely on custom modern typography. So I designed letters consisting of small dots overprinted with puff up varnish. The result was amazing—the letter looked like it was made of small led lights. I believe this label is a good example of modern thinking, considering the fact that I am addicted to vintage typography and calligraphy. So this label was kind of unusual for me. Another good example of my more modern design is my latest work for Sarva, and the Project Wines by Dragomir Winery. I had a wonderful time working for those people, and the result was surprising even to me. The whole design is based on the welding and intersecting of three elements, because the wines were a blend of three grape varieties.

We used ultra-gloss, silver-coated, self-adhesive foil to print the labels on and when used in combination with my favorite puff-up varnish, the result was a great success.

Now to the old classics—A few years ago, I began wanting to design a label that says everything about my skills, technical experience, calligraphy—everything about me as a professional creative. That turned out to be my Shiraz Label created for PVN brand.

The label is 100% hand-crafted, against all the supermoderndigitalhyperturbo 21^st-century technology. I drew it on a sheet of A4-size paper. I photographed it then transferred it to polymer plates and printed it in my kitchen in the cold winter of 2007 at 3 a.m. in the morning.

That label was great fun for me—I still recall it time and again.

Stay tuned for part 3…

Today we post the first of a three-part interview with Bulgarian wine label designer Jordan Jelev, otherwise known as “The Labelmaker.” In the interview, Jordan gives us such a fascinating look at his career and the way he thinks that we wanted to share every word with you. Be sure to come back for the second and third installments, which we’ll post within the next week.

Dave Hile: Jordan, thanks for agreeing to talk with us. First of all, could you provide a little background for us? You didn’t go to school for design, so how did you end up designing professionally?

Jordan Jelev: My design career is a mixture of my daily life events, personality and some strange coincidences. I graduated from the High School of Mathematics in Bulgaria, then I got my economics degree and finally became a graphic designer and calligrapher. It’s a long story!

There is a connection between all these things, though, from my youth up until now. I’ve always had an addiction to stuff like typography, graphic design, packaging, architecture and so on. These addictions allowed me to eventually focus every bit of my individuality, creativity and energy to becoming a visual artist.

DH: And with very successful results! I know you design labels and packages for other industries, but I want to discuss your wonderful wine labels. Did you intentionally set out to design wine labels or did it just begin as an assignment? Was it something that you immediately felt you had a knack for or did you grow into it gradually?

JJ: My wine label experience first started as an assignment, but then it turned into a passion, and then a lifestyle, I might say. In the 1990s I was commissioned to create names for two new wine brands and then to use those new brand names to create two different wine ranges: the Regalis Wines and the Nobilitas wines. This began a whole new stage in my life—both as an individual and as a professional. The truth is that I had some really confusing thoughts at the very beginning about creating a wine label design, but it actually took me a very short time to get inside the problems and specifics of this type of design. Then came the passion—and now I am here.

HD: Let’s talk a little about how you work—do you work independently, taking on freelance assignments, or are you part of a bigger firm?

JJ: To answer the question fairly, I must say that I do both, but it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I have worked for nearly 13 years for Factor R Studio, but my status there is far more than just being a designer hired by a company. I don’t think it makes any difference for the client whether someone approaches me via Factor R or epixs.eu (the official site of Jordan Jelev, the Labelmaker)—they will eventually find me.

DH: Now that you have such a solid reputation for your design niche, do you depend on word of mouth to market yourself or do you advertise your services?

JJ: I have never used any kind of ad to promote my business. Maybe here is the place to mention that for the past two years I have spent a lot of time on the Internet in different design forums, Facebook, and many other places like those. The result is amazing—I have connected with many, many new and interesting people (like you, Dave, for example), and now I feel more like an international designer rather than just a Bulgarian designer. I think the Internet offers a very positive change—it sets a view to brand-new horizons and opportunities worldwide.

DH: Back to the wine labels—I’m just curious: Have you ever tasted a bottle of wine and enjoyed it so much that you contacted the vineyard in hopes of working together?

JJ: (Laughs) No, never did that before. Maybe I should try it—it’s like reversing the process!

To be continued …

I am very happy to interview the well-known Toronto, Canada based illustrator Charlene Chua. She is someone that I have kept my eye on over the past several years, and I am a big fan of hers. A couple of the things that impress me about Charlene are her clearly defined style(s) and her ability to promote herself so successfully; landing a steady flow of assignments is not an easy task in today’s competitive illustration market.

Dave Hile: Hi Charlene. Could you give me a brief summary of your background? How did you end up making a living as a working illustrator?

Charlene Chua: Hi Dave! Thanks for including me in your lovely interview series!

I started work over 10 years ago back in Singapore. My first job was at a company that produced CD-ROMs and later, websites. I started out illustrating and designing screens for CD-ROM content and later moved on to designing websites. Later, I got a job as an interactive producer and interactive project manager.

I originally wanted to be an illustrator but there were no schools for it in Singapore, and my family could not afford to send me overseas to study. At the time there were no grants for that kind of thing, either. I more or less forgot about it until I met my future husband, who encouraged me to make a go at illustration. It was tough giving up my job and a stable income, although by that point I was quite tired of the office routine.

I took to drawing comics for no-name independent companies that offered little or no pay. In retrospect it was not the best idea, but it did get me back into the groove of drawing (I’d stopped drawing for about 3 years at that point). Eventually I started to get a trickle of illustration jobs, and after some time I had enough work to support myself through such projects.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all shopped for groceries. It’s part of our daily, weekly or bi-monthly routine. We may experience shopping either as a mundane routine to be endured, or as some in our office have confessed, a fun and relaxing “event.” We all have brands that we buy regularly, others we don’t like and still others that we are willing to try out. Our decisions for the brands we buy can be shaped by word of mouth, trial and error, and advertising and packaging. Products might tout a newly added ingredient (“New and Improved!”) or position themselves with price versus value, nutritional benefits or some other determiner that’s important to us. Some on our staff have even bought products based solely on how cool the package design is—but of course designers are not your typical demographic consumer group!

As we reach for that can of green beans, jar of facial cream or box of breakfast cereal, we may not be aware of all the brainstorming, research and marketing that goes on in support of the products we buy.

This past year a local brand innovation firm, The Arbor Strategy Group (ASG), was acquired by GfK, the world’s fourth largest marketing research firm, and is now known as GfK Strategic Innovation, GfK’s global innovation practice area. The company helps their clients address a variety of growth issues through strategic brand innovation by utilizing a process of identifying relevant, high-potential market opportunities and developing successful new concepts and products to fill those spaces.

GfK Strategic Innovation’s Phil Roos has agreed to share with us about his own background, some insights regarding product branding, and how his company does what it does.

Hile Design: Hi Phil, thanks for taking time to speak with us. For starters, please tell us about your own professional background and how you ended up founding ASG.

Phil Roos: I have a strange background. I started as a CPA, but never actually practiced the craft, and decided instead to go into marketing. I was in brand management at Quaker Oats, where I worked on granola bars and cereals, and I ran the Gatorade business as my last assignment. Since then, I’ve been president of a cookie and snacks company, head of marketing at Little Caesars Pizza, and held a similar position at a leading lawn and garden chain—with a couple of stints in consulting along the way. I have a resume only a consultant would love.

I started Arbor Strategy Group in 1998 as a boutique growth-strategy consulting firm. In 2001, we bought what we now call NewProductWorks, our innovation center located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It contains the world’s largest physical collection of innovative new consumer products from around the world. We track every new product launch across 300-plus product categories globally, and procure samples of the most innovative for our collection. We also have a database and analytical interface of global new product launches that we use to understand patterns in how categories develop and what innovation will work at a given period in the category’s evolution. We have a tool called the Innovation Tree® that we use to predict what type of innovation will be successful in the future. That has transformed our business, as we now have a way to make disruptive innovation predictable. We now can truly show clients how we can help them to “See the Future” and “Be the Future”—to figure out where the big opportunities of the future are, and then develop winning ideas that will help them capture those opportunities.

We were recently acquired by GfK, which has allowed us to truly apply our knowledge on a global footprint, as GfK has offices and local expertise in over 100 countries.

HD: Wow, you’re right, that’s quite a resume. And I wonder how you stay so fit and trim while working with all those snacks, cookies and pizzas? You must have strong willpower!

I remember the first time I visited your office (which is very cool) here in Ann Arbor. When I walked in and saw your NewProductWorks, I thought I’d entered a grocery store! It’s really fun and informative to select a product from the collection and see its marketing history expressed through its various packaging and messaging over the years. I also enjoyed seeing products and packaging from different parts of the world—fascinating.

Speaking of packaging, share with us what makes for an effective brand, and how do consumers’ buying habits affect the messaging of a brand?

PR: The most successful brands are able to connect with consumers’ emotional needs. This is particularly true of brands that cross multiple categories. They “own” a consumer emotional space that allows them to transcend the dynamics of different categories. Beyond emotional benefits, what is critical is that the brand backs that up with the product features and functional benefits that are right for a particular point in time. Consumer emotions don’t change much, but the features and functional benefits they see as addressing those needs change all the time. Hitting the market with the right message and product bundle at the right time is critical to success.

HD: Got it. I bet a lot of people reading this article don’t realize that emotion is a part of their buying process, but it is.

Does the process differ between rebranding an existing product compared to launching a new product?

PR: Truthfully, there isn’t much difference. The key is in understanding where the market and consumer are in their evolution, and delivering the right bundle of benefits to match the current and emerging needs. With an existing brand, you have the existing equity and baggage of the brand to fit into the equation. That means that whatever track you take in addressing the market opportunity needs to be approached through the lens of all of the good and bad that the brand brings to the situation.

HD: Yes, one brand that comes to mind in terms of consumer evolution is how Cheerios has adjusted its marketing message to position itself as more than just a nutritional cereal. With the aging of the U.S. population, it now includes messaging about its cholesterol lowering benefits.

You mentioned that one of the reasons that companies come to you is to help them determine future consumer buying trends. Can you share more about NewProductWorks (NPW), and how it is used in this process?

PR: NPW plays a key role both in “See the Future” (i.e. identifying the big future strategic opportunities for innovation) and in “Be the Future” (i.e. developing specific winning innovation concepts/ideas). In “See the Future,” the product collection and database are central to analyzing innovation patterns to determine “what’s next” in terms of successful innovation in a category or market space.

HD: I see. Can you share about the process of product ideation—that is, when your team and the client meet to work together? What does a day of ideation look like?

PR: Among other things, our consulting and client teams (and even consumers) “shop the collection” for inspiration from other categories, other parts of the world and other points in time (we have about 30 years of historical product categories, and I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “there is no such thing as a new idea…”) to generate ideas for a market space or category in which they are trying to innovate.

HD: Can you share with us what you see as growth spaces within the grocery industry in the next 10 to 15 years?

PR: In our model, we think about there being four cornerstone consumer motivators that drive consumer interest in any given product or product category: Gratification, Wellness, Convenience and Safety. Gratification is where you’d find benefits like taste, indulgence and customization “for me”—anything that says, “I’m worth it”—and the other three motivators are probably pretty self-explanatory. There are many different dimensions of each (e.g. under Wellness, you can have Holistic Wellness, Prevention of Disease, Performance, etc.). We see a future with tremendous advancements against all of these drivers, as consumers look for ever more powerful ways of getting their needs met. We see particular advancements in Wellness and Safety. We expect to see many more food and grocery items that purport to prevent disease and to deliver an even higher order of wellness needs, such as giving you a sense of personal fulfillment and well being. In the Safety area, we expect continued advancements in the area of sustainability: from natural, to organic, to locally grown, to new and more advanced ways of “doing the right thing” for your community and the planet. It should be an exciting next decade.

HD: I’m particularly happy to see companies being more concerned about sustainability. Since our own firm creates packaging for several different industries I can say that this is at the forefront of much of today’s packaging. For instance, there are new blister plastics created from cornstarch, as opposed to petroleum-based chemicals. Although they aren’t quite as clear as the traditional petrol plastics, a lot of research is going into refining the new materials so that they are of equal quality, while being biodegradable.

As mentioned earlier, last year your company was bought by the German marketing research agency, GfK AG. Was selling the company that you founded a difficult decision to make, and could you describe the benefits that you’re seeing with the new relationship?

PR: Partnering with GfK was an easy decision for us—a natural given where we were in our growth trajectory. The innovation business is becoming increasingly global, and being part of GfK gave us the ability to much more easily serve large global clients across multiple geographies. GfK also brought other infrastructure benefits that would have been difficult for a company our size to build on our own. So, it was a good match.

HD: Sounds like it’s what you needed to do to stay competitive. We just hope your branch stays here in Ann Arbor. We like you guys.

Finally Phil, get innovative. If you were a brand of beer, would you be a pale ale, a lager or a fancy import?

PR: Beer, like every other consumer product, is occasion-driven. When I’m having a special “me moment,” I’m a super-premium Weiss beer. When I’m watching the Red Wings with my brother, Bud Light does just fine.

HD: Thanks Phil. We wish your company continued success, and we’ll be thinking of you next time we’re buying groceries. I don’t suppose you hand out savings coupons, do you? No, didn’t think so!

For more information about The Arbor Strategy Group (GfK Strategic Innovation) and NewProductWorks, visit Arbor Strategy’s website.

Today it is my pleasure to showcase my good friend, the talented, award-winning illustrator Thodoris Tibilis. Thodoris, based in Athens, Greece, has worked for leading advertising agencies throughout Europe and the USA, including McCann Erickson, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO and Ogilvy & Mather. His clients include Coca Cola, Fiat, Procter & Gamble, Heinz and the 2004 Olympic Games as well as many others. He specializes in commercial assignments that call for funny, energetic and humorous characters aimed primarily at the child and young adult markets.

If you are like me, you may not have a clue about what the advertising world is like beyond the shores of the USA, so let’s find out.

Hile Design: Hi, Thodoris. Let’s start with the fact that you live and work in Greece, a small country compared to the United States, where most of our readers are from. Can you tell us about what it is like to make a living as a commercial illustrator in Greece, and a bit about the overall advertising industry in your country?

Thodoris Tibilis: Hi, Dave! Though Greece is a small country, many international ad agencies are located here. From my personal experience of working with ad agencies both in Greece and in other countries, I’d have to say the experience is about the same. The main difference is an issue of exposure. When you work for a Greek ad agency, most of the time your exposure is limited to the Greek market. Of course there are always exceptions. I have created illustrations for Greek ad agencies that have been used in many foreign markets as well.

But when you work for an American ad agency the exposure is greater. The target market is much bigger to begin with, and the benefits to the illustrator don’t stop there, because you have the possibility of reselling additional rights through different channels.

So far, my responses have concerned the commercial [agency] illustration market.  Things are not so optimistic if we talk about the book publishing industry in Greece. Publishers here pay very small project fees and demand that they receive complete illustration copyrights forever! It is outrageous but sadly, it’s common! That is why the majority of the talented Greek illustrators are working as freelancers worldwide or for Greek-based ad agencies and not for book publishers.

Actually, there are only a few Greek commercial illustrators who make a living at it, because the market is small here and there’s a lot of competition. It takes time and effort to became one of them, but when you succeed you are rewarded.

The overall advertising industry in Greece produces very high quality work, and things are getting better year by the year. Some campaigns from these agencies are used internationally and many Greek ad agencies have been recognized in international competitions.

HD: As you mentioned, besides Greece, you work for clients in other European countries as well as the USA. What are some additional differences that you experience when working with clients outside your country?

TT: The main difference I experience when working for ad agencies in foreign countries is the many miles separating us. But thanks to the Internet this issue has largely been resolved. Unfortunately though, I don’t have the opportunity for direct interpersonal communication. Another thing to mention is that the legal contracts differ from country to country, due to varying laws.

Also, different countries belong to different time zones and, especially when a project is in progress, you have to be available at all hours of the day and night. Of course the currency is different, but that is a minor problem. The last difference I should mention is that promoting yourself to ad agencies in different countries makes for an awful lot of self-promotion.

HD: I bet it does. Let’s turn to your background. Growing up did you always know you wanted to be an illustrator? And what is your educational background?

TT: As a child I didn’t know what I wanted to become professionally. But from early childhood I always enjoyed drawing and making sculptures and handcrafts. Even though I successfully graduated from university with a degree in economics the only thing I truly learned is that I knew what I should avoid! So I am a self-taught illustrator. It took me many years after university to realize that I wanted to be an illustrator, mainly because I didn’t even know whether there was such a profession that could sustain me.

HD: For a self-taught illustrator you certainly have learned your lessons well. You have such a great style. Your cartoon characters have a lot of vitality and energy, and they definitely appeal to the kids’ market. Is this the subject and cartoon style you have always worked in, or did it evolve over time?

TT: As a self-taught artist I have tried many media that I discovered in art stores without knowing how to use most of them at first. Different media led me to different forms of art. Through this procedure my main cartoon style evolved over time.

DH: Speaking of different media, I know that you have recently been experimenting with creating characters in clay, which you then photograph. What led to trying this new medium?

TT: I like to experiment! It’s fun and I believe that it is extremely helpful to spend some time trying to express oneself in new ways. At the least it charges my batteries and gives me new ideas. This is true whether it leads me into a new style or just expands my horizons in my current style.

HD: Let’s talk about workload. As an illustrator myself, I know that life can be filled with industry ups and downs. Depending on the project, one day I’ll feel on top of the world and the next I can feel like no one in the world likes my work. Can you share with us the most enjoyable and rewarding project you have ever worked on, and conversely, the worst, most horrible job?

TT: It’s nice to know that I am not alone in this world. I share the same ups and downs (fortunately for me, more ups than downs), but I know now after 15 years as a professional, that this is the reality of being an illustrator.

I feel lucky to have done many enjoyable and rewarding projects over the years. I wouldn’t want to choose one of them, but I can definitely say which was the worst, and really horrible. It was a book that I did 13 years ago. In mid-project the deadline changed to half the time we had agreed upon, so I was rushed. Though the client was happy in the end, I was not satisfied. After a couple of months, when I saw the published book I felt so disappointed that I promised myself to never do something like this again. It was a great lesson and since then I’ve tried in every project to give it my best.

HD: I think all illustrators have had similar experiences. You and I email back and forth a lot about how we market our illustration services. Tell our readers about how you reach new markets and obtain new clients. And I never asked you whether you have ever used an illustrator’s rep—have you? (For our readers, an illustrator’s rep is someone who partners with illustrators to handle the business side of project negotiations. Typically a rep will work with between 5 to 50 or so different artists, each with their own unique style. The rep handles drumming up assignments and advertising for the illustrator. Then the rep takes an agreed-upon percentage of the illustrator’s assignment fee.)

TT: Self-advertising and showing my portfolio are my promotion tools. I try to maintain a strong presence on the Internet as well as in publications through illustration ads. To date I have never used a rep, but I am thinking of finding someone to represent me in the US market.

HD: If there are any reps reading this, take note! Thodoris, I have always been impressed by the amount of work you turn out. It’s a testament to your talent. But a downside of being so busy for extended periods of time is “Illustrator Burnout.” Earlier in my career (when I was much younger) I pulled a lot of all-nighters. It’s just something I had to do to build my business. I know that you have experienced similar stresses due to your workload. How do you deal with burnout, and has there ever been a time when you just wanted to get out of the commercial art business?

TT: I have experienced “burnout” three times (fortunately, for small periods of time). The symptoms: feeling miserable and losing the desire to illustrate. I just wanted to go on extended vacations and spend my days doing nothing. I handle it by just stepping back and listening to myself, then I get over it. Interestingly, it doesn’t happen when I have projects in progress. It happens to me when I’m on vacation, because then I allow myself to relax from all the hard work. [With burnout] I just want to stay on vacation indefinitely. I think that burnout happens because of our love of illustrating. We love it so much and we accept all these nice projects coming, without keeping in mind that we also have a need to rest. It’s a love issue…

HD: Yes, I agree that because most illustrators love to illustrate so much, they don’t separate their work life from their private lives. It all blends together. And that can lead to burnout.

With a 15-year career behind you, what is there to do as an illustrator that you haven’t done yet?

TT: One of my goals is to do character design for a 2D or 3D cartoon movie. Another goal is to better master the 3D software that I am now learning, in order to create 3D illustrations as well as 3D animations. I am sure that when I succeed with these goals I will create some more goals and this is the way it goes.

HD: I know I will be keeping an eye on your work in the future. Thanks for sharing with us, Thodoris.

Finally, I would like you to end this interview with whatever you would like to say, but it has to be in Greek! Then if any of our readers are fluent in Greek, they can leave me a comment translating your text. (Readers beware: I will run your reply by Thodoris for a quality check of your translation skills!)

TT: Ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη συνέντευξη. Εύχομαι για την εταιρία και εσένα προσωπικά ό,τι καλύτερο!

Visit Thodoris’ website to see more of his illustrations.