HOW TO SURVIVE AS A VISUAL ARTIST IN
LONDON vs BERLIN
LONDON vs BERLIN
Luke Marsh shares how to survive as a visual artist in London.
@lukemarsh_ How would you describe a graphic designer. I’d describe a graphic designer as an artist who creates images, type and visuals to communicate something with a high impact. What do you usually have for breakfast? Ideally… a sausage sandwich, but I’m too poor so just toast usually. How does your workday usually start? I’d love to be a morning person and I try so hard to be up at a reasonable time but I never am – so the day starts with it being impossibly hard to get out of bed. As soon as I start work I guess I like to “warm up” by sketching or trying to get anything I’ve had an idea for recently just on paper somehow. Then I can quite happily sit in the same spot all day and work on something big. Where do most of cool designers hang out in London? Maybe Soho? Or east London, that’s where are all the cool people hang out isn’t it…? How much money roughly do you spend on your design equipment on a -monthly basis? I’d say maybe only like £20-£30? Paper is probably what I spend most of that on. Does it often happen when you are out and meet new people more than half of them do same what you do? I wouldn’t say more than half, but I volunteer at a gallery (Atomica Illustration Gallery, Soho) and so a lot of the people I get talking to are either artists or people who are just as interested in illustrative art. How often do you go to exhibitions/design events? Probably not as often as I should but I like to try and aim for one new exhibition per week. Can you judge from a distance that someone is a visual designer? No I don’t think so, unless you see them actually doing it. I don’t feel like I look like I do what I do, and I don’t think that of many of my peers either. I think you can tell if someone is creative, but someone who expresses themselves through dress could just as much be working at Topshop. . Do you get a lot of job offers? I’ve been approached with some great opportunities and I do get some serious job offers. I’ve done work for indie record labels and I’d love to do more work like this. Other than that, sometimes I get people I used to know from school messaging me on Facebook and asking if I’ll design them a tattoo sleeve, for free. Do you see a bright future of your career? I work hard and I really hope so. I think if you think too much about your future it can hinder your creative ability so I try not to, but there isn’t anywhere in particular that I picture myself being in the future, so who knows? LM illustration |
...Tadas Jot talks about Berlin.
@tadasjot How would you describe a graphic designer. Umm.. I would say they are always in a hurry, trying to handle all these deadlines and shit, but at the same time very relaxed and open minded. You can meet here really nice people! What do you usually have for breakfast? I like to sleep, so very often I just wake up and try to survive that thing called morning. Breakfast isn’t my favorite part of the day, because ‘I ain’t got time for that shit’. How does your workday usually start? Well my workday starts for me in the same time when I take my first step in the office. I always try to turn on that ‘yo, now let’s be serious’. Then I turn on computer and just going through few inspiration blogs or sites like behance or dribble. Where do most of cool designers hang out in Berlin? Ask them haha. I would say I’m not cool enough to answer this question. How much money roughly do you spend on your design equipment on a -monthly basis? Hmm.. Good question, never thought about that... Does it often happen when you are out and meet new people more than half of them do same what you do? Yep, that’s what happens really often, but I enjoy that, because its great. I’m feeling happy, that it’s possible to have interesting and at the same time different topics in conversation. For me conversation is one of the most important things at all. So to meet new people who have same interests as me is super nice. How often do you go to exhibitions/design events? Well sometimes, you can stuck for weeks or months in these events, so I’m tryin just to go there where I’m sure it’s going to be worth to pay attention for these artist works. Can you judge from a distance that someone is a visual designer? Not really, I mean, sure there are these stereotypes that designer should wear glasses, something colourful or etc. I see a lot different personalities here, but I’m not a fan to judge people from a distance. But I thought, that should be fun to play a game ‘capture a designer’ in a train station at rush hour. Do you get a lot of job offers? At the moment, I’m working in a design studio, so I’m trying to concentrate all my attention there. But before that, when I was a freelancer, it was totally cool experience to work and handle all these situations with different type of clients. Do you see a bright future of your career? Who knows, what is going to happen tomorrow, so who knows what’s going to happen in a future. I’m gonna try to do my best and we will see, where it is going to bring me. But I’m sure, all positive things are near us, you just need to say ‘hi’ for them. TJ illustration |
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