We Need To Talk, Made Up
Hi there! Could you tell us a bit about yourself please?
I run Made Up, a diminutive studio based in London. Made Up has a distinctive style of work that spans illustration, typography, animation, branding.
What, or who, influence your creative style and/or ethos?
My own drawing practice, repetitive music, cycling, Aeropress, various artists/designers including Franco Grignani, Bridget Riley, Paula Scher, Herb Lubalin.
What is something that we wouldn’t know about you?
I tried aya huasca once in a jungle. It did nothing. I am deeply unspiritual.
Talk us through your design process, from the initial idea to the finished piece.
I sketch ideas on paper very loosely until something sticks out, then will flesh out the good ideas, usually 3-4 ideas, sometimes just one (actually sometimes none!), then share with the client with references (finished pieces Ive done in the past that are relevant), then will start digital work or draw a tighter sketch if it's particularly complex. Once the structural design is built I will share this with the client with some colour options, before taking to final artwork which involves shading, and texture/tone finishes, and hopefully getting sign-off from the client. Then I celebrate with champagne.
What is your biggest art pet peeve, and why?
Twee faux naive illustration.
What are you most excited about at the moment?
A 3D animated collab.
Let’s talk more about A Decade of Change. What drew you to collaborate with us on this project?
It seemed a pertinent, important topic, and one that got me thinking.
What’s the message behind your piece in the collection, and what does it mean to you? What would you like to change over the new decade?
I think the message is pretty self-explanatory. To me it means: we definitely need to work on our collective communicative ability if we are to function better in the next ten years, and beyond.
I wanted to do a piece that references the way we, as a species, seem to be
communicating with each other more than ever before but with exponentially
decreasing efficacy. In other words, it's probably better if we talk to each other more
and talk at each other less. Otherwise we are buggered.
Lastly, if you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Command+Z, but IRL.
