A fascinating walk into the handlettering world of Olga Zakharova
You know us and our obsession for typography design. So why not delve deeper into this world, with the help of a very talented illustrator, who caught our eye while browsing the very resourceful creative Market. If you know the quality level on the site, you understand how hard it is to stand out.
Well, we loved Olga Zakharova so much that we wanted to know a lot more about how she creates such charming fonts, that seem to effortlessly blend with the sophisticated background she chooses for each of them. just as expected, there is a lot of work and dedication behind every illustration, and the attention to detail is something that not all know how to master. but Olga is one of those people who turns details into real art. read the interview and see what we indicate ?
OANA: Please tell us a lot more about your art and design background. What made you become a designer?
OLGA: I was actually never planning to become a designer or an illustrator. I loved to draw when I was a child, but I never learnt how to do it appropriately and I always thought that I am not good enough in this. So I chose a different path – I became a journalist, worked for several years as a sport reporter in one of the oldest sport newspapers in Russia. then I made a decision to change profession, got my second diploma and became a psychologist. but then my spouse and I made a decision to leave Russia and went to live in Thailand – it was tough to continue what I was doing before because both of specialties require Russian language to be spoken. at that time we met some people who were earning money by creating illustrations for microstock sites. I thought it won’t hurt to try, read some information about vector illustrations on the web, opened Illustrator and created 10 vectors for an exam. I passed it from the first go and that’s how my journey started.
after that I spent hundreds of hours learning about design, illustration, logos, color, shapes, – generally everything that is somehow connected to visual arts online. I believe that education is a life-long process, so I try to learn as much as I can whenever I get a chance. and I think I am still becoming a designer.
OANA: how or when did you start illustrating on a professional level?
OLGA: about two years ago, when I started working not only for microstock sites, but for private clients and businesses.
OANA: Where does your inspiration come from?
OLGA: For me inspiration is in some way similar to love – it’s some odd sort of chemistry that is so tough to describe and at the same time so easy to feel when it’s there. It absolutely has something to make with passion, desire to speak through the drawing or design, believing in your abilities. And, of course, good cappuccino helps too.
OANA: how would you describe your style?
OLGA: Organic, with harmonious relations between negative space and objects and a bit of humour.
OANA: What tools you use? Do you go 100% digital or is there paper involved?
OLGA: My «toolbox» consist of mechanical pencil, ink pens (different sizes), eraser, light table, scanner, Wacom pen & pencil tablet, macbook. also I use regular «printer-quality» paper. I travel a lot, so I tend to have only things that I actually use.
I always start with a paper sketch. first thumbnail sketches are normally done by ink pen (so I won’t feel an urge to right every line), then I step to the cleaner version which I make with a mechanical pencil, than I do ink version and only after that I scan se. I would say that I spend 50% of time working analog. For me it’s much easier to right a lot of of things on paper. recently I’ve shared my process on the blog of my website.
OANA: Is there anything that you specifically avoid using in your illustrations?
OLGA: drawing people. I can do that, but I am never very delighted with the result. before I was self-conscious about that and even wanted to go to some «anatomy drawing» classes, but then I realized that there are so lots of things that I can draw and take pleasure in it at the same time, that I don’t need to spend this time trying to learn what I don’t like.
OANA: What was the hardest job/illustration you have ever worked on?
OLGA: probably my first job that I did for a client. The design itself wasn’t that tough – it was an infographic about a taxi company that they were meant to show to the investors to attract a lot more money. but the client made my life a living hell for some time. however it was a terrific lesson: don’t ever agree to work with a client, if from the start you feel that you are not on the same page (and probably even not on the same book, hell, you are in the different library!). everything was meant to be done «yesterday», each time I’d show him a design he would say something like «that’s wonderful, but we need to change (huge list of corrections to follow)».
TechniCal-viisas yksi vaikeimmista kuvista, joita olen tehnyt, oli Pariisin kartta. Halusin piirtää kaiken käsin, joten minun piti tehdä kaikki tietyssä mittakaavassa, joten minun piti käyttää muutamia A4 -papereita. Halusin myös ylläpitää tietyn tason “käyttöasteen” koko kuvan ajan ja on vaikea saavuttaa, kun huolehdit karttoista, koska sinulla on aina paljon mielenkiintoisia esineitä yhdessä paikassa, eikä mikään niistä muissa . Mutta kun annoin itselleni luovan lisenssin ja aloitin tehdä rohkeita päätöksiä, jotka liittyvät siihen, mihin paikkoihin piirrän ja mitkä ohitan, se meni hyvin. Karttojen luominen on yksi suurimmista intohimoistani, ja haluaisin jatkaa sitä edelleen.
Oana: Onko ihailemiasi graafisia suunnittelijoita?
Olga: Jos nimeäisin heille kaikki, se olisi huomattava luettelo, joten nimeän muutama. VON GLITSCHKA – Olen aina ihaillut hänen huumoriaan ja persoonallisuuttaan, joka tulee läpi kaikki hänen kuvansa. Steve Simpson – loistava ammattilainen, rakkaus kuinka hän käyttää tilaa, tekstuureja, värejä, voin katsoa hänen kuvituksiaan tuntikausia. Mary Kate McDevitt – erinomainen kirjaintaiteilija, joka onnistuu sekoittamaan eri tyylejä yhdessä kuvassa erittäin hyvin. Linzie Hunter, joka tekee loistavia ja erittäin monimutkaisia kirjainpaloja, käytti tekstuuria ja väriä erittäin viisaasti.
OANA: Onko suositusten sanoja jokaiselle henkilölle, joka on vasta aloittamassa kuvittajana/graafisena suunnittelijana?
Älä pelkää olla erilainen. Yritä tuntea jotain luomalla kuvia tai malleja – maailmassa on jo liian paljon tyhjiä asioita, älä luo enemmän. Yritä laittaa tunteesi tekemäsi ja se tekee sinusta paremman. Harjoittele joka päivä ja jaa työsi, vaikka et olekaan 100% ilahtunut siitä – kuva ei koske täydellisyyttä, kyse on kehityksestä ja prosessista. usko itseesi. Jos et – löydä joku, joka tulee, jokainen taiteilija tarvitsee tukijärjestelmän, minusta ei tule kuka olen ja en ole missä olen ilman mieheni, joka aina kertoo minulle, että voin tehdä jotain, jos minä todella haluavat. Voit myös tehdä mitä tahansa, uskon todella siihen.
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