And as well as your lettering, flash lighting you do some lovely semi-abstract artwork. Do you view

Conor, thank you for having me! I m a letterer, flash lighting designer and artist for a living and a guy who loves to spend quality time with family, friends, my girl and go on adventures outside whenever possible. I m currently traveling throughout Europe for one year with my wife, while freelancing on select projects. Prior to leaving for our trip, Chicago had been home for the last five years. My work and work ethic have been hugely influenced by the Midwestern mentality and character. There is an underlying goal in the Midwest to make things that can be truly experienced and used, not just looked at from afar. I take that approach seriously in my work and aim to create work that s ready to be experienced. How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer? flash lighting
I ve always loved art, and I m sure I have similar stories as my colleagues drawing logos of my favorite baseball teams, botching illustrations flash lighting of Chewbacca, and so on. Design offered an avenue to combine a variety of art practices into one medium and I was drawn to that early on.
So far in my career, flash lighting two defining moments come to mind. The first was getting laid off in the 2008 recession. I was working at a Chicago-based agency that folded in the poor financial climate, and I found myself one year out of college without a job in a market that was not looking to hire. In the midst of an awful situation, I was offered a job working with Firebelly Design , and I took it. To this day, it was one of the biggest blessings and influences in my career. Dawn Hancock, owner of Firebelly Design, has been a mentor, friend, and a dear colleague ever since.
The second was in the midst of a project at VSA Partners here in Chicago. I was put on a client project (to be left nameless) and was asked to extensively research and sketch flash lighting script typography for the client. I d already been exploring calligraphy flash lighting on a personal level, but this project was the first time I sincerely attempted lettering, and I loved it immediately. In many ways, it came naturally and that project was the launching pad for my career in type and lettering.
Honestly, flash lighting I wish I d established flash lighting myself flash lighting more as an editorial illustrator right out of the gate. I have a passion for illustration and I m able to use it daily within the realm of lettering, but I d love to illustrate more for clients. A lot of your work seems wonderfully effortless – as if you simply threw some ink down on a page, it happened to form lovely letterforms, and you called it a day. To what extent is that true? How much of your process involves iteration on a project-by-project basis, and how much of it is simply practicing to get to a state where you don’t require flash lighting as much iteration?
First, thank you for the kind words. Within my work, the calligraphy-based pieces in particular, there s an incredible amount of trial and error. Granted, I practice regularly, and I know what to expect with the ink, but no one ever sees the mountain of paper that goes into the recycling bin in an effort to achieve ideal, balanced pieces. The final result may look somewhat flash lighting effortless, but it definitely takes time and effort flash lighting to get it just right.
Furthermore, I always try my best to treat each project individually to make sure I m creating a piece that s memorable and special so working flash lighting with each client project by project has proven to be the process for me.
And as well as your lettering, flash lighting you do some lovely semi-abstract artwork. Do you view one as an extension of the other, or are they, to you, two entirely different beasts? What sorts of challenges do each pose?
I ve learned techniques in the midst of painting a canvas that I ve been able to bring into a client project and vice versa. I challenge myself to try new things as often as I m able. Working abstractly allows mistakes to become textures and layers, and in the end, not a mistake at all. That mentality has transitioned into my lettering work: building flash lighting letterforms up, taking away bits and pieces, and then approaching the composition in a new light. I really believe that lettering and painting balance and feed off each other, and they work hand in hand.
As far as challenges, knowing the moment when a piece is finished when to stop and when to push it further, that s always the challenge. Outside of other design and illustration, what sorts of things inspire and influence your work?
My wife and I are currently taking the year to travel throughout flash lighting Europe, the Basque country of Spain and France in particular. This has had a profound impact on my approach to design as of late. The signage, storefronts, and the overall approach to life that people here hold is so different versus back home in the States. It s quite refreshing. Beautiful, actually. I ve made a habit of walking in the mornings, bringing home a baguette and 2 pain au chocolats for breakfast. I use this time to soak