Feature Friday #028 - Daniel Saludares

Hey Daniel! Welcome to our Designer Interview series, we're happy to have ya. Let's start with the basics. What have you been up to?

Skateboarding! To be honest, I had been struggling to focus creatively and to stay motivated. For a while I just felt stuck. But one thing that helped was getting back on a skateboard. I've been taking it easy relearning some basic tricks and trying not to injure myself too badly. It's been fun and therapeutic.

I also recently got an Ipad and learning to draw on that.

Skateboarding sounds like an awesome way to find some new inspiration. I feel like skateboarders are the most creative athletes. To a skateboarder everything is a potential rail/ramp/jump etc. It just seems like you look at ordinary objects and make something fun out of them. Meanwhile I'm just using railings trying not to trip down the stairs lol.

How's the iPad drawing going? I assume there's quite a learning curve there. Think there's a chance it'll become your go to drawing method?

Drawing on an iPad for me is one of those things where it's the same but different. The motions are the same as drawing with a pencil on paper but with the iPad I now have these additional gestures and features to add to that. There's so much more that you can do that it can be a little overwhelming. It's definitely a learning curve for me and it's probably because I don't normally use a stylus when I digitally create.

My laptop paired with adobe illustrator has always been my go-to tools ever since my school days. I don't know why but I never used a mouse. My cousin gave me his old Wacom tablet for a while but after it stopped working I just defaulted to my laptop trackpad. Anyone else on team trackpad? Well...I guess I'm team trackpad/iPad now.

I've seen artists who moved their whole workflow to just the iPad; I don't know if that will be me anytime soon but who knows? As super convenient as it is to have everything digital I am still a fan of the analog and tactile. I like my cheap Bic mechanical pencil and flipping through the pages of my sketchbook.

I'm not much of an artist myself but I definitely understand craving the pencil and sketchbook every now and then over the iPad. I feel the same about books rather than reading on a Kindle or iPad. For me it's a break from the constant screens in my face all day. Back to the basics is refreshing sometimes. 

What’s your favorite part of the illustration process? Do you enjoy the sketching and getting your ideas down, or is there a moment later on when things really start to come together that you love most?

Yeah. There is a definitely a convenience/curse element to all the tech around us. I always feel refreshed after a good screen break.

My favorite part of the creative process is that initial thought or idea. Ideas really can pop up out of nowhere and if that idea continues to repeat in my head then I know I have to get it out and just make the thing. What usually results in this brain dump is a starting point for the final piece. I also like this stage because you have that freedom to take a concept into multiple directions without necessarily committing to one just yet. It's the play before the work.

Ah okay, yeah that makes a lot of sense. I can see the appeal for sure and I've seen some really cool designs from you so your process must be working! 

Speaking of your designs, we must talk about The Office for a minute. If you got to spend the day with any one of the characters, who are you picking?

That's a good question. I probably put more thought into this than needed... I know you said one person but I'm going to bend the rules a bit and pick a trio of people: Kevin, Andy, and Darryl aka Kevin & The Zits. I feel like with other characters there would just be too much crazy antics; they're all fun to watch on screen but having to be involved with that all day seems stressful. Kevin and the Zits are a group of guys that know how to party but also know how to chill. I imagine having an ultra feast, dance offs, boardgames with cash prizes, maybe rollerskating to Dave Matthews' greatest hits, and ending it off with an acoustic jam session by a dumpster.

And if I couldn't hang out with those guys then I also wouldn't mind listing to more stories from Hidetoshi Hasagawa, heart surgeon number 1.

Hahaha I love this answer, I appreciate all the thought you've put into this one. To be honest, Kevin and The Zits never would have been my pick. After your explanation though it's a real toss up for me. Ultra feasts and roller skating is really hard to pass up on. Maybe I'll start a rewatch so I can make a final decision. 

Well hey, it's been great chatting with you. Big fan of your work, good luck with the iPad, I can't wait to see what you come up with next!