Baremelon Blog

Hi Filipp! Thanks so much for taking time out to talk to Baremelon! To start with, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi guys! I’m young freelance illustrator. Just working worldwide for only 3 years but already done some projects with Wrigley, McDonald’s, Heinz, Kinder, Bounty, Danone, Beeline, Panasonic, Cosmopolitain, Henkel and with the biggest advertising agencies like BBDO, DDB, Lowe Adventa, Saatch&Saatchi etc.

What clicked in that precious mind of yours, which prompted you to choose art as a career?

I was always counting. First I went school. 1st grade. I sit next to the table and imagine to sit there for 10 years to finish school. That was like a prison for me you know. After that I went fine arts university. It was more or less better but still I had to go there everyday and I counted 6 more years to sit there. But I still had a chance to count. After I graduated I went to the office to be boring graphic designer and there were no way to count anymore. It was endless to my death. At the office I saw cool illustrations of Oksana Grivina and realized that I want to learn how she do it. Also there was one guy at my hometown in Khabarovsk Far East. Gordei! You must be heard of him? Andrey Gordeev started freelancing earlier than me and he had inspired me a lot. We became friends and he was telling me all that amazing stories that he is working with different clients from all over the world and with that crazy budgets I can’t even imagine at that time. So that inspired me even more and after two years of learning how to draw 3d like whimsical things in Photoshop I had been started to get my first clients from Moscow.

We are awed at your clients’ list and wonder how did your work reach out to them?

Mainly this is because of Behance Network. This is a worldwide professional graphic platform where anyone could share his portfolio. If you have an interesting project then moderators could feature it to be displayed at main front page. So everyone could see your work if it is really cool. Once my first project was featured there I started to get foreign clients. Also there is a Facebook with a great pr features. Your friend likes your photo, his friend see it and like your works. He adds you and so on. Facebook for me is also a way to show you are a real person and to interact with clients in other non professional activities. So everyone could feel a little bit of other sides of my life.

What’s the easiest way for a 2D designer to get the hang of 3D?

I asked few professional guys about it. One person is a great photographer and also he was interested in 3D Max so after he get used to see everything in 3D he understood how it should be drawn. In my case I also just look at the nature. Personally I can’t imagine something in depth. Something like complicated character. I have to see photos. Maybe I have to take some photos of myself. So you just learn from the real life. But also I know some people have very strong imagination and it is very easy for them to work without references.

Is there any artist/designer that you look up to or get inspired from?

As I’ve been told about two persons above, also there are a lot of them from Behance. I’m very proud of Max Kostenko, for example. He is very very talented freelance illustrator. But I know I never can learn such a things like his way of working. At this period of my life I’m very inspired with Van Gogh canvases.

What are the deciding factors in order to create characters around the client’s brand?

I don’t know. I think the clients just want me to draw some characters for them by myself. So I just draw. There may be some different details in briefs but in common this is just a character from Fil Dunsky.

How do you unwind after work?

First I’m unwinding before work. In a morning. I do my sadhana from Art of Living yoga. Breathing some pranayams for a while. Do some stretches. Few days a week I’m also a yoga teacher for others. This helps me to calm my mind. I almost don’t feel to be winded in a work. My workdays are always very interesting. Different clients, different ideas and tasks, adverts, book covers, web illustrations, posters etc.

Hi Wael! Thanks so much for taking time out to talk to Baremelon! To start with, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello everyone, my name is Wael Saad I am from Greater Cairo – Egypt. I graduated from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information systems in 2004 and I am currently working in the digital advertising firm, I don’t believe in education; I am a self taught digital artist, graphic designer & a photographer. I was introduced to computers back in 1998 and I was fascinated by its powers and what it can do. Back at these times in Egypt internet wasn’t really available for every one and it was really expensive for me to afford, however it inspired me enough to start researching about digital arts. I was rejected from the Faculty of Fine Arts for an unknown reason, so I decided to go for self-training and started working on enhancing my skills and advancing them through the available resources on the internet. Also it was very useful resource for learning tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, focusing from the entry level to the advanced ones, in addition to the techniques.

What clicked in that precious mind of yours, which prompted you to choose art as a career?

Self-expression is the main factor for me to choose art as a career, and also the love of painting and creating new things since my childhood.

What’s the best and the worst part of being an illustrator?

The best part is you as an artist doing what you love to do and that is exactly what I love about my job, the worst part is the challenge of satisfying your clients, at that point you have to understand that art is very different from the advertising business, however its pretty much the same its all about the power of visual communication but when it comes to clients you need to have the experience and the patience in order to survive.

We can see the love for brushes. How would you explain your style of work?

I am very much in love with watercolors, my father bought me watercolor pallets when I was 11 and it was quite challenging for me to use it at this age, but it was quite fun to mix the colors with each other and come out with new palettes and different shapes.

Out of all the artworks that you’ve done, which one is your favorite? Why?

My favorite is The city of a thousand minaret’s, because it simply reflects how much I love my country despite all the negativity, however I wish one day it can be as I imaged it. 

Is there any artist/designer that you look up to or get inspired from?

Of course I get inspired from surreal artists in general like, Salvador Dali & Vladimir Kush.

What was the most recent track you listened to?

Mohamed Mounir, Layaly.

Can you give any advice to illustrators/designers on how to make designs look more dynamic?

Practice is a key factor, you have to discover your self and your tools as much as you can, learn deeply about them, learn about the advanced techniques.

Check him out on:
http://www.waelsaad.com/