Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Bold and bright with colours that make your eyes bleed.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Quiet, with lots of comics and books to inspire me.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I have grown to love digital tools. But I also love using soft, dark pencils.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Afu Chan, Lucie Bryon and Sam Bosma.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
My workspace is often hilariously messy. There are things EVERYWHERE. My screens seem to be multiplying, there were only three the last time I looked and yet in this image there are four.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
Kristian grew up on a diet of Studio Ghibli films and video games in country NSW in Australia before moving to Sydney’s Inner West. He loves bright, bold colours that make your eyes bleed and strange fantastical worlds, with a dash of science fiction.
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I quite like the current period as it lets me experience all of the great new work being produced as well as having access to everything that has come before it. (I would be curious to see what would be happening 200 years in the future though!)
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
Illustration for me, is creative freedom. I also work as an Industrial Designer which is often driven by manufacturing and clients who have very specific goals. Illustration, even though there are still rules and clients, feels delightfully unencumbered by real world restrictions.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
My workspace is often hilariously messy. There are things EVERYWHERE. My screens seem to be multiplying, there were only three the last time I looked and yet in this image there are four.
I have one wall covered in print outs of what I’m currently working on. Toys lining the ceiling on both sides.
Behind where I sit is lots of storage and surfaces for me to fill with mess. Two printers, a scanner, a 3D printer and stacks of reference books and comics. It’s quite a small space, which is tricky sometimes, but it seems to work.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
It’s all good, but I suppose that I love coming up with ideas most of all.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
That’s really hard! Advice is always so subjective. Perhaps, be open to criticism and change, but don’t lose yourself along the way. Also, remember that not all advice is good advice.
Kristian grew up on a diet of Studio Ghibli films and video games in country NSW in Australia before moving to Sydney’s Inner West. He loves bright, bold colours that make your eyes bleed and strange fantastical worlds, with a dash of science fiction.
