I worked with Dan at MediaSauce back in the day. His illustrations and specifically his character design always blows my mind. He is also one of the most talented muralists I’ve seen. Check out his graffiti and mural work ///here/// And his blog ///here///
Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here:
I grew up drawing. I find that the older I get, the more valuable it becomes that I drew so much in the early years of my life. After a couple of years in the school band, I finally took art classes in high school which led me to study Fine Art at Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. While studying painting and illustration there I learned of an internship opportunity that was actually extended to students of the Visual Communication (Graphic Design) program. A friend in that program told me to check it out because the company, Fundex Games, was asking specifically for drawing skills in the area of character development and illustration. I went for it, got the job and stayed there for over 3 years as a part-timer while I continued my studies. I had the privilege of learning much about product design and development, making prototypes, working with overseas vendors and generally the madness that takes place when bringing a product to the mass market. After that I sought an opportunity to work for Mediasauce, an Indiana company that was doing things I had not yet heard of. I got a job there and eventually learned that they were creating a lot of flash-based content and websites. That job was incredible because I worked not only as an illustrator, but a member of the animation team. By the time if left a few years later, I had done everything from assisting photographers to voice-overs. When the time came to move on again, an unexpected door opened for me; I was offered a job wherein I would become and interactive designer. Being a sucker for on-the-job training, I went for it and have been enjoying The Basement Design + Motion for the past year. All in all, I would say the most important part of my success has been the willingness to learn and the curiosity to create as many things as I can.
What’s your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?
Nothing inspires me more than to spend time with my friends; artists whom I respect and admire. The most fulfilling part of being an artist is the ability to fellowship with others through my work. I paint murals with some of my friends, jam on drums with others; and sometimes just sit and draw and converse about our thoughts on art and artists or something completely different. This is the best it gets. Whether it’s a job or a side project, I am most at peace when working on something meaningful with artists I hold dear.
What’s your personal favorite piece of work you’ve created?
My personal favorite to date was a small (4″ x 16″) mixed media piece I did on masonite called “Indianapolis Street“. I like it because I think it’s a successful combination of markers, pens, pencils and paint as well as an excellent character study. It was quite literally inspired by things I see in my own east side neighborhood. I’m also happy to say a friend owns it and I get to see it every couple of weeks or so.
What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration.
Drawn! blog is great for illustration and animation stimulus.
Motionographer is #1 for animation/motion graphics greatness.
PSDtuts, Vectortuts, FudgeGraphics, ILoveTypography, DesignShard are common sources of inspiration for my design work.
FWA is the place I start when I want to come up with a truly contemporary design.
WoosterCollective is my absolute favorite art blog. Not because I necessarily love all the work as much of it shares a common aesthetic, but because I think application is the last frontier for modern artists (as well as the backbone of good design) and Wooster is all about application.
I also have several books filled with great art, typography or just good cultural commentary. Plus, I know other people with many more books and I am always being introduced to something. My current favorite book in my library is Mural Art: Murals On Huge Public Spaces Around The World. This book, to me, showcases exaclty the sort of work I find to be the most meaningful.
What ‘s your all-time favorite piece of art or design. (*not created by you)
This question is totally unfair. Some things are great art and great design without ever being promoted as either. My go-to answer for this one is the St. Louis World’s Fair poster by Alphons Mucha.
His draftsmanship is gorgeous and flawless and the respect for the messaging is clear. Typography is stylized but tasteful and easy to understand. The ornamentation elevates the design to something more precious than a poster and the drama between the figures is as symbolic as the images themselves. I don’t think his designs were matched until the digital age. And, by that measure, they have never been matched because his work was not only designed and illustrated by hand, but also had to be printed by hand by a master Lithographer. When you see these things in person there is no comparison.
What’s your current creative obsession.
Drawing. In the last few months I have spent as much time as possible drawing. I’m not really into highly developed renderings right now; just exploring shapes and filling page after page with markings. I feel like a kid again and I’m really excited to see what comes of it.
Thanks for your time and talents Dan. Keep on skillin’ with those handz!