The Creative Spark: Von Glitschka, Illustrative Designer - Film

(MUSIC). There's a quote by Saul Bass, where he says, design is thinking made visual. When it comes to drawing, I think everybody should draw. It's my way of approaching the exploratory process. In every job I've had I've used my drawing skills to solve design problems. (MUSIC) When I'm drawing out ideas, for me, it's all about making connections. Von I can do this, and this relates to this, and I can combine those, and that's how you Come up with clever design solutions. (MUSIC) My name is Von Glitschka. I'm an illustrative designer. I like to draw. When I went to art schol, the way we were taught was traditionally. So, when computers did enter the scene for design, it just opened up a bigger realm of possibilities for me. But I didn't give up the analog aspect of it. I didn't stop drawing I've always utilized my traditional mindsets, such as thumbnail sketching, to execute ideas more efficiently. Before I ever touch the computer in terms of building my artwork, I already know pretty much what the design's going to look like. It removes the guesswork and it becomes more of Craftsmanship. I work out of my home studio is Salem, Oregon. I've worked on everything from visual identity systems, brand identity, I've worked on character designs, pretty much anything and everything... Primarily, a larger ad agency or design firm will, will hire me to create a logo for their client. That's really what I enjoy the most because it's like solving a graphic mystery. Most designers. (MUSIC) When they step outside the context of their work, they're going to discover new worlds of opportunity. Fiveminutelogo.com is a, a good creative exercise for me, because it forces me to not over think things. There's this saying that goes necessity is the mother of invention, and so it's kind of like that for me creatively speaking where. I give myself a, a 5-minute window and try to come up with something clever. It started as my social commentary to online cheap logo services. Right after Thanksgiving, the fear is back. Black Friday hits and just to be sarcastic, I posted on Twitter. For one day only, the next 24 hours, anybody that PayPals me $5. I'll take five minutes and I'll create a logo for them. They don't get to art direct it. I'll do whatever I want, and that's the deal. In about three days I got about 400 orders. And I go, okay, this is ridiculous. I did this as a joke, but now the joke's on me because I'm getting overwhelmed by (MUSIC) 5 minute logos. It's now down where it's averages about five or six a week. (MUSIC) Every now and then I'll come up with an idea where there's a genesis of a concept where I go, that might make a really cool logo if somebody really worked on this a little more. But, I do it to stretch me creatively and I think it's always good to step outside of your normal routine, push yourself to think in new ways and expand how you work. (MUSIC). Texture exploring for me. It's kind of like drawing in the sense that it's a creative exercise. (MUSIC) As much as I like digital artwork and creating digitally, it can come off too clean, too perfect. So the nice thing about textures is it gives humanity to digital art. It really imbues the art with a nice organic flare that otherwise wouldn't be there. When I go texture exploring, one of the local places I really like is the Airport Steel. It's a, it's a glorified junk yard. I took my daughter, Savannah, recently. We've been doing ever since she's a little girl. Female This looks like sky. Male This nice. (MUSIC) (INAUDIBLE) Right. So shoot that. Make sure you get the whole board. (SOUND) I'm definitely going to use a few of em in, the, the poster design I'm doing for the HAL Design Conference. (MUSIC) I'll take them into PhotoShop and adjust contrast, and just drag and drop into illustrator.My specific poster concept plays off of a saying I like to quote all the time and that is life is too short for bad art. (MUSIC) I start off with thumbnail sketches, and then I refine each one of those, and once I have it precise enough, I then scan it in and move to digital and start building it out. The whole point of the theme is basically to encourage designers to be inspired by their life. (SOUND). I purposely pick subject matter that just applies to all kinds of things. And you can be inspired by other people's work in the design industry. But the best ideas, the best form of inspiration comes outside the industry. Whatever aspect of life that you enjoy. >> (MUSIC) That's what's going to help fuel your creativity.