Interview with designer Kevin Tuazon
merging graphic designer and illustrator Kevin Tuazon has an awesome future ahead of him. He’s just graduated with a Queensland College of Art design degree, currently working in IT, and during all other hours of the day, he’s designing and drawing his heart out.
Kevin’s interest in design began through his hope to find a career that would combine his technical knowledge with his inner creativity. The more he learns about design, the more he’s inspired to create, for both clients and his own projects.
Currently, in a phase of drawing portraits, Kevin’s produced a series of illustrations mainly of celebrities. Kevin describes, “I’m trying to improve my ability to imitate and capture the original likeness and personality of a person through the use of traditional media”. See a few of his awesome pencil drawings further down the article.
And I’m a sucker for a good time lapse – so check out Kevin’s creative process behind his portrait of Michael C. Hall as Dexter…
Visit Kevin’s YouTube channel to see more drawing videos.
How have you got to where you are today?
I think the first time anyone actually gets started in art, is the first time they hold their first ever pencil or any other medium that can make a mark. Most kids grow up loving to scribble on paper and I, for one, was no different.
During primary school and high school, I was known by my peers as ‘the kid that could draw.’
I think that’s one of the things that motivated me the most to keep on drawing and practicing as often as I could. So I think it’s the sheer motivation I get from the people around me that has led me to become who I am today, in terms of my creative and artistic talents and endeavors.
In a few words, describe yourself…
I’d say that I’m a shy, quiet person who prefers to work on most things individually, however, I would never pass up the opportunity to work on a collaborative piece.
I like to be structured and organised with most of the things that I do and always like to plan ahead.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
With a busy schedule at the moment, it’s difficult trying to find enough time for my own personal projects. Though whilst at uni, I started planning a children’s picture book, which I hope to finish in the near future.
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
I don’t really have a certain way of getting into a creative process. I think it usually just comes along naturally. However, at the start of any piece or project, I like to plan my way through and start off with a blank sheet of paper, jotting down any ideas that fall into my head. Whether those ideas are useful or just plain stupid, it gets written down. This gets me started and everything usually just flows through.
What or who inspires you?
There are several art and design blogs, such as Design Montage, that I visit every now and then. These always inspire me and give me the urge to start something new.
I also keep a large folder of images on my computer; images that have inspired me in the past. I tend to browse through these every now and then to gather some inspiration as well.
What are you most proud of?
It’s hard to choose, but I think I’m most proud of my portrait drawings. The final outcome is always such a rewarding experience, especially after risking so much time and effort into one particular piece of work without knowing how well it’ll turn out.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Even back then, I suppose I’ve always wanted to be an artist which is why I always used to draw. Then around primary school and high school, I gained a lot of interest in IT, I loved working with computers. And later on, I discovered graphic design, a career that would let me combine both my love of art and IT.
