Illustrator Okayboss
No intro needed, just sit back, relax and discover the work of Hazim aka Jimbo aka Okayboss.
What have you been up to lately?
Finishing up my illustration portfolio site has taken up a good deal of my time – hope people enjoy it. That’ll make it worth the effort. Other than that, I work full time as a digital art director in an ad
agency in Sydney. Any free time is spent thinking of different illustration projects – look out for a web comic sometime early next year. I am also looking forward to a holiday back to Asia next week!
How did you first get into designing?
I’d always taken an interest in image making, especially drawing comics as a nerdy teenager. My art teachers in high school were really encouraging and I’d spend most of my time in the school studio finishing up my final year submissions. I had originally wanted to do fine art in college but things didn’t go to plan and I ended up studying graphic design instead. It was a blessing really – it was in college that I finally learned how to use computers – an indispensable tool for me at the moment.
Do you have a favourite artist, or artists?
Too many to mention. Most of your readers would probably be familiar with them anyway. However, there is a special place in my heart for the work of J. Otto Seibold. he’s an American children’s book illustrator and author. i collect all his books. His latest, Vunce Upon a Time, is about a vegetarian vampire who learns a lesson about humans during halloween. Beautiful art, charming storyline, all round good read – highly recommended.
Book of Dreams illustration
What is your favourite piece to date and why?
Of my own work, I’d have to say it’s the Book of Dreams illustration. Roger Omar invited me to submit a piece based on children’s descriptions of their dreams. I chose one from a boy in Mexico who dreamt that death would come tumbling out of a falling pile of books. I spent about 80 hours on it over the course of 10 days- sketching and scanning, composing and colouring in Photoshop – then redrawing bits I wasn’t happy with. In the end, there are flaws I notice but the overall experience was great. Check out the all the submissions here.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I’m trying to branch out from just stuff on-screen and collaborate more with others. In 2009 I hope to start a t-shirt label featuring my work and those of other designers. I also plan to start a little random web comic with a writer friend.
Where do you find inspiration?
From everything and nothing really. i like to listen to music and appreciate the creativity of visual artists, from comics to low brow to fine art, out there. I’ve never had anything profound to say or make, so most of my inspiration comes from just trying to fill in moments of boredom with little pictures.
Any advice to younger designers entering the industry?
Entry level design jobs can be very very boring. You might find yourself doing someone else’s grunt work for a while. Just keep trying to do your own thing out of work if the day job gets too restrictive.
If you’re starting out on your own, know your worth and don’t sell yourself short.
Links:
my site – okayboss.com
my blog – okayboss.com/blog
