My name is Carlos Araujo. I’m an illustrator currently located in Brazil. I've worked as a freelancer since 2006 and have done work for the editorial market and for the web as well. My work usually takes a whimsical approach, using silhouettes and high contrasted figures.
www.silbachstation.com
www.silbachstation.com/en (in english)
When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?
I worked as a graphic and web designer for about eight years and after some time I realized that the kind of projects that I really liked were the ones that required some kind of illustration… I enjoyed creating the illustrations so much that I decided to focus on being an illustrator.
Who or what inspires you?
I get inspiration from almost everywhere. It can be music, poetry, movies, comic-books…
Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?
I’m mostly self-taught. (I went to design school but never finished the course...) Before working as a designer I did some comic books and for a brief time worked in the animation field (creating animation for TV ads) and I guess those experiences became a strong influence in my illustrations: A lot of them look like a scene captured from an animated movie. People say to me that my illustrations look like a part of a larger story.
How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?
Magazines and books about illustration are good sources of information. And the internet really helps me a lot. I try to get involved as much as I can, participating in discussion groups for example, and visiting illustration/art/design related web sites. Talking to and taking advice from fellow illustrators are two important things that I do as well.
What are some of your current projects?
Right now I’m working on a paper toy that I hope will be available at my web site before Xmas this year. I've done a paper toy before, it was a simple bookmarker that looked like play money, a currency called “Dollaritos” and the response was very good, people really liked it. This new one will be more of a 3d version of one of my previous drawings.
Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?
My favorite project was a big illustration (10 feet by 6,5 feet height) called “Cloud Station” that I did for a local business here in Brazil. Since I had so much space to work on I was able to add a lot of nice details that made the illustration very eye-catching.
Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?
I always wanted to work with sculptures in resin. I would love to experiment and make a three-dimensional version of one of my crazy vehicles designs, like the carrousel-bus or the mechanical-camel for example…
Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?
I thinkwhat's most important is to try to find and develop your personal voice, that thing that makes your work unique.
What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?
A good illustration tells a story. It sells an idea or product.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?
Well, I love doing illustration so that’s keeps me motivated. To avoid burn-out the best thing for me is to stay away for a while from the drawing table. I go for a walk or play with my nephews.
Finish this sentence. "If I weren't a designer/illustrator I would have been a..."
A chef. Or an octopus. Maybe an octopus-chef…!
And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?
I don’t watch TV that much… I watched a couple of episodes of “Boston Legal”. It’s a good show.