Timeout with Chris Sandlin

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Chris for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

My name is Chris Sandlin and I’m an illustrator under the moniker of SockMonkee. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Georgia all my life. I guess you could say I’m a southern boy through-and-through! I currently work at a marketing firm by day and am a husband, illustrator, and gamer by night.

What are you working on?

I’m always working on new SockMonkee Collection illustrations. For those that don’t know, I run the SockMonkee Collection on the side which is essentially an outlet for all my personal creative endeavors.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

I’d have to say my favorite shot is one of my latest which is Yum Yum Ramen. It’s a fun illustration that somewhat embodies an old vintage mascot. I have an all-or-nothing mindset so it was weird breaking away from illustrating an entire body and just using the cup and hand to complete the illustration. I’m overall very happy with how it turned out. It also makes me want to eat a bowl of noodles.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

I basically sketch a rough version of the illustration, scan it in, and click my way to vectored goodness. The main programs I use are Illustrator and Photoshop.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

This is my least favorite question as there are too many shots that stand out. I’d have to say my top three favorite shots would have to be the following (in no particular order)…

Skull by Jared Chapman— I really enjoy a lot of Jared’s work but I’d love to have a shirt or print of this. He manages to capture a lot of life/character and texture in his brush strokes. I’m not a huge skull fan but I think this captures a lot in a simple shot.

Let’s be Friends by Lydia Nichols— A recent shot from Ms. Nichols and what a lovely one it is! The chap’s chops sold me.

Batsketch by Joey Ellis — Joey’s work captures his hilarity and sincere humor. I think it’s amazing how he can porty a moment so well. I totally had makeshift Batman, Ninja Turtles, and Ghostbuster costumes as a kid! By the way, if you’re not following his Twitter to read his daily goings-on, you should do it.

Timeout with Ricky Linn

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Ricky for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

My name’s Ricky Linn and I’m currently a student at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, for what seems like an eternity now, studying graphic design. I also freelance some projects on the side when time allows for it, though recently a lot of my focus has been on my school work. I was born in Burma (Myanmar), then moved to Singapore, then came to California about 8 years ago. I just recently turned the big 21.

What are you working on?

Right now I’m doing a rebrand of Planned Parenthood for class and putting together editorial prototypes for another class. I have a few client pieces that I’m currently in the middle of and also one or two pieces as contributing illustrations for blogs and such. Plus in a few weeks I’ll be starting illustration work on some concept art for a video game so that’s new and exciting. And lastly on the personal project side of things I’m about to start working on a rebrand of Kellogg’s and their line of cereals. Got more ideas festering in the brain I would love to try out but there’s never enough time as always.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

Probably my Arizona cans. More so because of the process than how it actually looks, but I’m really happy with how it came out also. It was one of those rare projects that everything kind of came together really well from the very beginning. The making of the designs had that perfect mix of great music, great coffee, and great work. I had a lot of fun making them and my professor was really encouraging and let me explore my own style as I saw fit.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

I have a fairly normal setup. I have a 2 year old MacBook Pro whom I thoroughly abuse and push to the brink of his sanity. I feel bad for him sometimes. About two more years to go before I graduate then I’ll have to let him go and buy a new one. I hook him up to my another monitor screen just for the extra space. I had a Magic Mouse till very recently but I just could not tolerate working with it anymore seeing as how my hand was turning into a deformed claw so I went out and got myself a real traditional mouse from Logitech. My moleskine is indispensable. It’s both a mental diary and a sketchbook for me. I lost it once for a week and I became absolutely frazzled and nervous like I no longer had any control over my life.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

As everybody says, the amount of amazing work on here is unbelievable so it’s really difficult to choose an absolute favorite. But the one (two) shots that I always, always remember are these two by Scott Hill. I basically love everything he does but these two shots really stuck in my brain. The colors, the type setting, the linework, the abstraction and geometry of form, it’s just beautiful.

Timeout with Mc Baldassari

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Mc for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

I’m Mc Baldassari (full name Marie-Clémentine). I’m a freelance artist/illustrator from France, been living in Montreal for more than 5 years. I studied industrial design in France and at the University of Montreal. I graduated 2 years ago after which I took the arts path for the love of drawing, but my techniques and creative process have been much influenced by those studies. I like to expriment and hijack traditional tools (color pencils or ink) on all kinds of supports, but I enjoy as much creating using digital tools. I’m a big fan of antique images and objects, as they have lived through out the years and have a story of their own, which makes them unique. I now work on different kinds of illustration contracts, but the biggest part of my work remains working on my own pieces.

What are you working on?

I recently worked really hard on my first solo exhibition which took place last month. I also just finished a special piece for a collective exhibition “Montreal Zoo”. I tried to do something a bit different and so I have to say this piece really gave me a hard time!

I also have an illustration gig since this summer for the farmers’ market “Marché Frontenac” in Montreal. I’ve been having fun illustrating fruits and vegetables on all kinds of surfaces (paper, walls, trucks and fabrics). This is a really cool contract, making me explore new styles and tools. I’m also regularly working with the Montreal-based multi-artist collaborative drawing project “EN MASSE”.  

It involves different artists working together on black and white murals. One of the last big project I took part of was covering the walls of a huge room at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. This project is not available on their website yet but I invite you to see the incredible work here.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

I’m thinking my “Welcome to my world 2” shot. It’s a piece I had lot of fun to work on, because of the freedom I had composing with all kinds of different elements (feathers, flowers, fishes, eyes, etc). I really think it’s a way I am going to explore again for my upcoming work. This piece is not available on my website because I haven’t found the perfect frame for it yet. I also love it because it’s still recent so I haven’t gotten sick of looking at it (yet!).

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

I’m lucky to have an awesome working environment, which turns out to also be my home. My boyfriend and I are two young freelancers working really hard from our apartment, which creates an awesome creative atmosphere. We obviously both have our own little setup in different rooms, otherwise we would probably go nuts! My favorite working space is my drawing table (which I found in the street 3 years ago). It gives me a good posture to draw and helps me draw bigger pieces. My favorite tool is a basic pencil. After which comes the color pencil (Faber-Castel and Derwent), and the Colorex inks. I also use different kinds of ink pens (Bic, Stabilo, Staedtler, Posca, etc.). I’m most used to working on paper, cardboard, wood, or just about anything that I stumble upon. The rest of the time, I sketch on my desk. When I do digital work, I do it on my MacBook Pro plugged to a 23” screen. I don’t have a Cintiq (I wish!) but I’m already pretty happy with my Intuos 4. I use Photoshop a lot, SketchBook Pro a bit and Illustrator almost never.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

It’s tough to pick just one shot because there are so many crazy talented artists I really dig on Dribbble. Some of my most favorite are Dave Mott, David Lanham, Rogie, Georgi Dimitrov, Marie Bergeron, Anthony Thiebaux. The one I chose is from Jack Page. That shot really shows that he is a perfect drawer, with perfect drawing gestures, completely in control of his hand strokes. It’s also the kind of traditional and contemporary style I really like. I appreciate his lines and the way he made the colors so light. A simple lighthouse alone shows you his incredible talent! It’s really inspring!

Timeout with Dave Mott

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Dave for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

My name is Dave Mott(ram) from Youngstown, Ohio (it’s between Cleveland & Pittsburgh). Mostly, I work on children’s book illustrations and character development. I compulsively sketch and haven’t been able to stop lately. I love artists like Wayne White, who try EVERYTHING. Granted, I think he does everything amazing, but it reminds me to challenge myself constantly. It’s humbling, and humbling is always a good thing.

What are you working on?

I just wrapped up a kid’s story for National Geographic kids based on Buddhist parables, with the animals making up the main characters. It was a great chance to work on illustrating a life lesson.

I have recently been hired full-time by Duck Duck Moose to work on apps and games for kids. My 3 year old daughter has been a boss, she gives me direct advice on what works and what becomes crayon fodder.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

Mixtape is my favorite because it represents a step toward making things work simply. I had started using hand-made textures and applying them, but I wasn’t using shapes or composition well.(Always learning) I did this one as a self-initiated job to take that 400 x 300 rectangle and work within it. I put up self-initiated shots to help me focus on things like that.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

My setup is pretty simple, I have started migrating some things to the garage. Oak slab drawing desk, pencils, blenders, paper towels, sandpaper, pastel pencils, charcoal, ink, lots of paper and sketchbooks. Digital tools are just a laptop and tablet. As far as software, I use Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter, and Manga Studio. If the opportunity arises to use a blowtorch, I’ll embrace it.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

Loads of talent up on Dribbble. I have a long list of artists who are inspiring to me. Here’s one of my favorite shots by Ping Zhu: Twin Peaks zine. I love this shot because I believe she is phenomenal at capturing movement and texture. I see this in all her work, such an amazing artist. Also, I love well executed black and white shots like this.

Timeout with Timothy Banks

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Tim for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

Hi guys, my name is Tim, and I’m a professional illustrator for some really cool clients. I currently hang my hat in beautiful Charleston, SC where all of my extra time is spent keeping up with my 18 month old.

What are you working on?

Right now I’m working on a project for Capstone publishing. Last week I finished up a cover (my third) for Paste Magazine for an illustration about The Walking Dead (you can see a shot of the image on my profile). I have ongoing work with McGraw-Hill which usually centers around educational materials. I also have a variety of books I’m working on for Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing company. And, I teach part time at a local art college.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

Something fishy is my favorite shot to date. I think it captures everything that is great about my style. It has an energetic sketch, creepy but sweet character, and a nice balance of value and color. I’ve always leaned heavily on my ability to sketch, and recently I’ve tried to really explore the limits of how line can be used in my final pieces. I switched to doing all of my commercial work digitally about 3 years ago, and it’s completely changed my process. I work quicker now, and for me that’s a good thing. I think this piece is a good example of that.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

I finally bit the bullet and bought a new iMac this summer, and, oh man, it’s been nice to have a speedier computer and sharper monitor. I still have my old iMac on standby, and mostly I use it for storage, spotify and netflix. I have a size medium Wacom Intuous 4 tablet, and I work on all my commercial stuff with this little guy (sketch to final). My go-to software is Sketchbook Pro (for the mac), Sketchbook Designer and Illustrator. I usually do every step of an image using my computer, but occasionally I’ll work up something on my drafting table.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

There are too many to choose from!! There are some amazing illustrators on Dribbble like Glenn Jones, Melanie Matthews and Dave Mott, but I still love one of the first shots I liked on here. It’s Minotaur by Dushan Milic. So inspiring, definitely check out his work. 

Timeout with Ilias Sounas

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Ilias for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

Hi everyone! My name is Ilias Sounas and I’m a freelance illustrator based in Athens, sunny Greece. I love creating illustrations, happy monster characters & short 2d animations. I also love doodling and sketching all the time. In spare time, I enjoy my friends, cycling and nice books of digital arts, history and philosophy but drawing is my passion!

What are you working on?

On a bunch of projects! I’m busy with a lot of infographics design/illustrations & editorial illustrations for clients, but I’m also preparing two nice personal projects. Firstly, a series of 100 Robots illustrations (named RoboMonsters) based on my Robots illustration shot At the same time, I’m trying to finalize a world of weird happy monsters and delicious sweets, an idea I’m having a couple of years but it’s getting closer to reality only now (a glimpse here). I hope both of these projects will finish in next months.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

There are a couple of them which I really like for various reasons. But I think my favourite is the shot from the Thought Bender illustration. I loved the idea of a character playing and bending his thoughts and dreams under the moonlight on a hovering piece of ground. Maybe, this illustration represents my thoughts as well, that’s why I like it :)

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

My all-time trusted tool is pencil, markers and dozens of sketchbooks, which I use to keep for years now, full with sketches and roughs. My first ideas are usually on paper, which I recreate again in Photoshop as a draft and then I draw everything using the powerful Illustrator and my Intuos tablet. 99% of my artwork is pure vector. Recently, I got a Cintiq, which is so amazing to use that I may switch some of my workflow back to Photoshop or maybe expand my style to a more painting look. But to be honest Illustrator is the most flexible software to use in all my projects, it makes my visions to come true!

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

A hard question as I like dozens of Dribbble shots of various styles, techniques and art fields.
But I will dig two in the illustration field, kind of retro-like style. First the eggplant and onions by Lydia Nichols. I love Lydia’s retro look in all her shots, but I like the composition, colours and wood texture in this particular shot. So simple but so beautiful.

The other one is Hotcakes by Anna Hurley. Great colour, textures, great drawing style; what else does a nice shot needs?

Timeout with Timothy J. Reynolds

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Timothy for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

My name is Timothy J. Reynolds. I’m a 3D illustrator currently living in Milwaukee, WI. I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC, where I went to school for architecture. In 2008, I sold everything I owned and decided to drive cross-country and start over someplace new. Lived in Denver and Atlanta for brief stints before taking a job offer here in Milwaukee.

What are you working on?

For the last year or so, I’ve really focused on doing a lot more personal work. I continue to build on my low poly series [isometric and non-iso] and will keep doing so until it’s not fun anymore. I’m also working on a couple of iOS games that I can’t quite talk about yet, but I’m really excited about them! I also have a deep love for taking sketchnotes at meetings. It could be the most boring meeting ever and I still have fun trying to capture it.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

I really like the way Site Plan turned out. It started out as a topographical landscape experiment and then decided to build up a bunch of little shapes to make a small city that just so happen to turn into a factory. I like to think it’s filtering the water from the river to produce all of those little stones.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

My setup is pretty standard. I do all my work on a Mac Pro that I’ve beefed up [SSD, lots of ram, and a big, fast graphics card], a couple of 24” LED matte-screen Dells, and a Wacom 4 tablet. And there’s definitely a few sketchbooks close by and a scanner. Other than that, late nights are powered by headphones and a sleeping puppy under my feet.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

I really love this whimsical little hillside by PA Rochat.

Timeout with Louie Mantia

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Louie for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

My name is Louie Mantia and I’m a visual designer. I focus on making UI beautiful at Pacific Helm, a design studio in San Francisco I founded with Brad Ellis and Jessie Char earlier this year. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and bounced around the country a bit before settling here for a while.

What are you working on?

Right now I’m working on a variety of things. At Pacific Helm, we’ve been drawing some iOS apps for clients and we just finished up a logo/motion graphics project which was a lot of fun. There are a few unfinished personal side projects like my Disneyland map and a physical Monopoly set. I’m also always working on new wallpapers for my website.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

If I had to pick, I’d say the redrawn iOS icons I made a few months ago. I think some of my earlier success can be attributed to making iOS icon theme packs with Winterboard back in ye olde jailbreak days and this little thing I did one day reminds me of that. Taking something that is already good and perfecting it, really caring about all the tiny details.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

On my desk I’ve got a 27” display, the hero. I use a MacBook Pro with Retina Display as my machine at home, at work, and on the go. I use Photoshop for making most of my artwork. I try not to open Illustrator, but sometimes you just have to round corners or expand a vector stroke. Keynote is the unsuspecting app which I use all the time to present to clients or test simple animations for apps. I don’t sketch much, but I do have a Reporter’s Moleskine because I prefer the “widescreen” format.

My desk at home is littered with junk, toys, and a few Mickey Mouse ear hats. At work, I’ve got a little bit of a cleaner situation but still must have a few Vinylmation toys to keep things interesting. I’m afraid I don’t use anything as awesome as a blowtorch, but I do occasionally need a Wacom tablet that I have tucked away in a drawer.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

It came to a tie. I am very sorry, but everyone’s gonna have to deal with that.

First is this Hook poster by Julian Burford. Hook is my favorite film, and I’m sure I’ll get some flack for saying that. I’ve always loved the original black and silver hook poster, but by taking the blackletter and letting it drip with blood with a simplified hook piercing through the o’s, I must say it supersedes the original. Gorgeous. I need to get a print of this somehow. 

Timeout with Andrew Power

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Andrew for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

Hi I’m Andrew Power, a graphic designer & illustrator originally from Newfoundland, Canada but currently attending the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD. Last year I decided to leave my job as a designer at an ad agency in Newfoundland and make a huge leap to the states.

What are you working on?

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of work for LessFilms, creating illustrations, which they then animate into motion graphics. It’s super cool to get to see my stuff in motion. I’m also in the middle of an illustration project for RaidReady, a World of Warcraft app, which as a long time player is basically the project of my dreams. I’m also the designer for Busy Building Things, a site that sells posters for makers & Creators. 

Otherwise, most of my time is devoted to school work right now.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

My favorite shot would have to be my Real Artists Ship poster. Posted on the day Steve Jobs died, somehow it made it to the #2 sot on Dribbble and was all over the internet that week. I had designed it several months previous and didn’t even think of posting it until the client I made it for contacted me and suggested I did. I guess he was right.

It’s not actually one of my favorite designs per se, but the surprising attention it got makes it my favorite overall.

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

My setup is very simple, I do everything on my 15” Macbook Pro with my little 4x6 Intuos and am completely mobile. Most of the work I do now is done between classes on the MICA campus.

Although the Real Artists Ship poster looks simple, it has so many layers! I start with very limited sketches, drawing out the anchor and the boat roughly and “scanning” them by holding them up to my camera and taking a picture with photobooth (professional). The rest of the image was simple enough to just freehand in illustrator with the pen tool. After all the flats are laid out, I bring it into filters, vignettes, and even do some really subtle dodging and burning. My illustrator files always end up being too restrained in color, so I’ll play around with saturation and contrast until I get the intensity I want.

In some of my work once I bring the flats into photoshop, I’ll take a textured brush and outline the crisp vector lines to make them look rough and hand-drawn.

I live in a dorm, so my “studio” is also my bedroom. Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of being allowed to paint the walls, I would never choose beige.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

I’ve been on Dribbble for over two years, so this is incredibly difficult. But I think I have to pick something from DKNG studios. This triptych poster series they did for Phish is so amazingly complicated and detailed, but everything still manages to be perfectly placed and balanced. Also totally digging the colors, it’s the kind of scheme I would love to do but am always afraid of.

Timeout with Nick Slater

Timeouts are lightning-quick interviews. Five questions to help you get to know the players holding court at Dribbble. Many thanks to Nick for being today’s interviewee.

Who are you? Let us know where you hail from and what you do.

Hey everyone… my name is Nick Slater. I am an illustrator and graphic designer who mainly works as an in-house designer for Palantir by day and a freelancer by night. I am currently based in the Bay Area but, I’m originally from a wee small town called Sodus in Upstate New York.

What are you working on?

What am I not working on… Besides working 10+ hours a day at my job, I try to find time to still explore and improve my skills outside of work. Lately, it only seems to keep getting busier and busier. What I believe though as a designer: that design is not a career but, a life style. I live by trying to create one thing, once a day. It certainly helps me to stay sharp and still express myself. Lately, I have been making beer labels for a home brew with my dad and a website for ONST. I hope that I can share what I have been producing within the next few weeks.

Choose a favorite shot of yours. Tell us why it’s a favorite.

One my favorite shots is my monogram I designed for The Salvation Army Wardrobe. I just want to say that to have this opportunity to create a piece that is for a great cause is truly a privilege. I really had a blast exploring type treatments, color combinations and producing something that really is, in my mind, one of my best pieces. To be apart of something that has other amazing designers like Jon Contino, Drew Melton, Simon Ålander and Richie Stewart to name a few is simply… SICK!

Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot(s)? (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch, etc.)

This is where half the magic is made. I chose my office since a majority of my day is spent here and where almost all my projects are started. My process varies when I begin my projects. Sometimes, when I approach projects I start by researching and finding inspiration that helps me to get the gears turning. I develop a mood board with sketches and images of examples of what is “cool”. Or… sometimes I just draw it straight out of my head in Illustrator and figure it out until it works or it doesn’t work. A majority of my work is created 100% in Illustrator using effects, gradients and magic.

Choose a favorite shot from another player. Tell us why you dig it.

There is always something amazing being produced by someone in this great community! I really try to reach out and support those that deserve recognition since they are doing some really fine work. I feel honored to be apart of this amazingly talented community. If I had to chose one shot though, it would be Emir’s GSTV logo. When he first posted this logo… I nearly dropped my coffee. First off, bears rule! If anyone knows me I love bears. So this logo really had an impact on me. Secondly, the level of execution and colors are superb. What really makes it work is the use of negative space. It is so simple and I hope as I grow I can produce more fine work like this great piece. Cheers!