Takeover Tuesday with Rokas Aleliūnas
Q&A with Rokas Aleliūnas, aka Casual Polar Bear, a freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer from Vilnius, Lithuania
Q&A with Rokas Aleliūnas
Read time: 5min
Evening Play. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Madison Caprara:
Hey, Rokas! Why don’t you kick us off with a little background on yourself and your work?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I am a simple man creating simple things.
My work is a reflection of my life; thoughts, insights, emotions, humor. I like to say that my work is playful because when I am creating, I feel like I am playing. It’s simple, but at the same time, possesses an unmeasurable depth. Sometimes my emotions and thoughts are so deep it feels as if I am drowning. My wish is that everyone looking at my work without context sees their wants or feelings.
I would love to hear that three different people looking at the same piece would see three different things. All would be right and wrong at the same time. Lastly, I wish for my work to be timeless because when playing, years turn into minutes, and when you are drowning--minutes turn into years.
Madison Caprara:
That’s a beautiful way to go about seeing your work.
How did your relationship with art begin? What originally made you want to become a graphic designer?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
For the past 1200 days and counting, I have been creating a poster a day and have been calling myself an illustrator. Before I started this challenge, however, I worked as a freelance brand strategist--but if we are talking in terms of the "way-way" back, my background is in industrial design.
Rokas Aleliūnas:
During my studies, I got a part-time job at a design agency. At the time, I was really passionate about graphic design and tried to learn and discover something new with every project. I did everything from cold calling to producing and was doing great, but at one point everything got a bit "wobbly". Out of pure stress and anxiety, I decided to dedicate a little bit of my time to doing things I truly loved. In the past, I had enjoyed making posters and decided to start creating those again. The posters morphed into illustrations day by day and I slowly rediscovered the thing I loved.
Madison Caprara:
You briefly mentioned your studies, what route did you take in regards to your design education? How has this knowledge helped you as a working artist?
Out of brilliant, 2021. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Rokas Aleliūnas:
It helped, and continues to help me, a lot. My education has really expanded my view. I’ve learned critical thinking, problem-solving, expanded my knowledge of art history, and improved my mastery in the fine arts over the years. Additionally, I learned proper research techniques, how speculative designing works, as well as how to apply these thought processes in other fields.
Generally, I think learning something new, reading, or just experimenting helps. There are a lot of ways you can approach creativity; research and speculation, or, on the flip side, by just throwing everything aside and expressing yourself. That being said, all of those experiences, all of that reading puts a really nice spice on works, even if the topic is opposite or the context is totally different.
Madison Caprara:
You expressed your love for poster design, but what about it made you pivot towards that area as opposed to some of the other niches?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I think I can work in different media and different niches, but I just really love the formatting and tools used, because I am fast with them!
Madison Caprara:
Now, a majority of your posters include type. What is the relationship between the type and the image’s overall meaning?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
It's nibs of context that may help to better understand a piece and a way for me to track my visual diary. Every piece has a number and a date.
Madison Caprara:
Are there any other mediums or forms of art that you enjoy working with?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
My work is really graphical, so from time to time, I work on paintings, but there I only work with impressionism.
Alone. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Madison Caprara:
How would you describe your overall approach to design?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
More than less and less than more; not listening to my inner critic and doing things a little bit more as they are.
Madison Caprara:
Do you consciously try to avoid colors, motifs, or trends that seem to be popular in a given moment, or do you embrace them?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I'm doing whatever I want to do, I really do not care if it's popular or unpopular. I make one piece and am immediately working on the next one and the next one. The most frustrating thing for me is a state of boredom because then I begin to think of my work as a whole as boring.
I see everything and I read everything and hear everything. At this particular moment, it is hard for me to create, because everything is plain and it takes an enormous amount of willpower, work, and time to break the loop.
Madison Caprara:
Being based in Vilnius, Lithuania, is there anything about the city that inspires you?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
It's more about the country itself than the city. To be Lithuanian is to carry the flag of all Lithuanian artists, as they carry mine. There is a certain way of thinking that comes from the past; timeless motifs, ideas, interpretations, even stories that transpire through time. All of these interpretations come from our country's beautiful nature.
Madison Caprara:
Going a bit further, who (or what) has been the single biggest influence on your way of thinking and creating?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
Willpower. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Madison Caprara:
What has been the most triumphant moment for you in the seven years that you have been a freelance graphic designer?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I do not have one. Truly, I believe they all come and pass.
Madison Caprara:
In this age of the internet, how do you think online design resources, and the digital space, have influenced the graphics being produced today?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I learned the tools from online classes and tutorials, so for me, it was great. Just learning a tool or finding a good tutorial are two of the most important steps in the beginning. You need a basic understanding of what you can do with these tools.
Speaking on the creative industry as a whole, I feel online courses are lacking. There is a lot of abstract thinking that needs to be done which demands more time, one-on-one conversations, and exposure. Generally speaking, online courses are good and you can learn a lot, but sooner or later you will find yourself approaching some large hindrance that may be impossible to surpass because nobody talked about the basics of thinking within these courses.
Madison Caprara:
GREAT insight!
You hear all about the wonders of accessibility when it comes to these online resources, but to hear the counterargument of some of the basic skills lacking is a really interesting perspective.
Unfortunately, we’re nearing the end of our time together Rokas. Before we go, what does the rest of your 2021 look like? Is there anything, in particular, we can look forward to seeing from you?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
Daily cool work!
The real psycho. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Takeover Tuesday with Inma Hortas
Q&A with Inma Hortas, a sensitive vibrant Spanish illustrator and graphic designer based in Madrid, Spain.
Q&A with Inma Hortas
Read time: 10min
Instagram: @inlohographics | Fat-phobia, 2021. Inma Hortas.
Madison Caprara:
Hi, Inma! How are you? Let’s start off our chat with an introduction. Tell us who you are and how you found yourself becoming an illustrator!
Inma Hortas:
Hi Madison! First of all, thank you very much for having me and for appreciating my illustration work. My name is Inma Hortas. I am a passionate Digital Illustrator based in Spain--born and raised in Galicia which is in the top northwest part of the country. I love creating engaging, communicative illustrations that are equal parts vibrant, sensitive, bold, cute, diverse, and evergreen. My greatest wish is for viewers of my work to identify with and/or understand the overall message of my illustrations.
I matured my graphic style and voice during the pandemic. After a few years of working as both an in-house and freelance graphic designer, I eventually made the leap to becoming a freelance illustrator. It’s a dream come true. I feel truly privileged.
Madison Caprara:
Now you briefly got into what emotions you would like to evoke with your illustrations. After taking the past 1+ years to mature your style and voice, how would you go about describing them?
Inma Hortas:
My style is graphic, vibrant, resounding, and meticulous. I primarily use voluptuous shapes, whimsical elements, and strong but delicate characters with quite a bit of surrealism and symbolism throughout. I would say that my hallmarks are powerful volumes, maximum attention to detail, the forceful use of color, and overall, a very careful composition.
Madison Caprara:
If you had to pick one inspiration behind your works, what would it be? What do you find yourself drawing most often?
Inma Hortas:
I make a strong commitment to diversity and body positivity, female and non-binary empowerment, the struggles of the LGBTQI+ collective, and diverse daily life issues. I consider myself an illustrator with a deep sense of social responsibility. Everything that moves me and provokes emotion deeply inspires me.
Instagram: @inlohographics | My Stone, 2021. Inma Hortas.
Madison Caprara:
I see that you worked in editorial and corporate design for a while. What did that entail?
Inma Hortas:
They were years of hard work; many hours in-house with tight deadlines, but I picked up some great skills: 1.) Tools and work processes, 2.) Understanding clients and their different needs, 3.) Understanding the structures of large corporations, and 4.) Time and project management. That all being said, without a doubt, the best thing was the team I worked with. They’re friends for life. There is no replicating that good harmony and feeling of teamwork.
Madison Caprara:
What prompted you to pivot away from that niche?
Inma Hortas:
The pandemic unequivocally taught me that the time we have is uncertain. It pushed me to follow my true passion: communicating through my illustrations in a humble and intimate way. I am now deeply in love with my drawings. I feel this emotional connection that was lacking when I worked as a generalist designer or illustrator. I lost a lot of interest.
Madison Caprara:
You are now operating as your brand, INLOHO. What led you to create INLOHO, as opposed to working under your given name?
Inma Hortas:
I can easily be found online by Inma Hortas, but I created INLOHO thinking about a medium-term future. A future where not only myself and my illustrations live, but also other projects and disciplines. Hopefully, in 2022 I can specify more for you but for now, that is all I can say about that.
Madison Caprara:
No worries! Definitely a bit of an anticipation builder!
What do you believe some of the advantages (and disadvantages) are of working full time for a studio, as opposed to freelancing, as an illustrator?
Instagram: @inlohographics | A lot on my plate, 2021. Inma Hortas
Inma Hortas:
Whenever you work for an in-house studio or agency, you have financial stability, and depending on the company, you have the opportunity to advance to management positions. As an illustrator, they tend to prefer graphic versatility, solvency, and perhaps availability to work long hours. You have to stay at the office and get along with your colleagues and regular clients.
As a freelancer, you do not have that financial security but you manage your own time and efforts. YOU choose your clients and chart your own path.
Madison Caprara:
Do you think it’s important for artists who want to work with clients to first hold a position within an established company before going out on their own?
Inma Hortas:
It’s not essential, but it is very useful in helping to achieve professionalism, security, and self-rigor. You also more quickly understand the overall concept of illustration (or any graphic profession, really) as a "communication service" for which a client pays. I would recommend it.
Madison Caprara:
You are currently represented by Anna Goodson Illustration Agency. What are some of the advantages of having an agent? Would you recommend it to all freelance creatives?
Inma Hortas:
For me, having an agent is like having a team. They do the administrative and commercial work and I have more time and energy to illustrate what I really want to focus on. Anna is wonderful! She has a lot of experience and natural intuition. I am very lucky. You can see my portfolio here.
Having an agent is a very personal decision that depends on many factors. Overall I think they are very supportive and make the work process much easier. So yes, I would recommend it.
Madison Caprara:
You are based in Madrid, correct? What is the creative industry like in Spain? How has it affected your work?
Inma Hortas:
Yes! I'm based in Madrid, although I have recently spent longer periods of time in my homeland, Galicia. There are many creatives and illustrators in Spain. All of enormous quality who work and export their talents all over the world. The industry itself is small compared to other countries, we have only forty million people, so fewer books and magazines are produced. The advertising, animation, and video game industries, however, are very strong and require many illustrators.
This means that, on many occasions, I prefer to work with clients from larger markets where projects and opportunities are greater. Creatively, cultural referents do not understand borders today. Spain is very rich in all kinds of rituals, talents, colors, and flavors. The country is a constant source of inspiration. Although the northern area is more austere and humid, the quality of life here is one of the best!
Madison Caprara:
What has been your all time favorite project or client?
Instagram: @inlohographics | Wounded world, 2021. Inma Hortas
Inma Hortas:
I'd say The Girlfriend from AARP, with the wonderful art director Dian Holton. You can see it here. Their style is colorful, modern, and they think outside of the box. They also respect all kinds of sensibilities and have a sense of humor. The Girlfriend truly aligned with my values of diversity, body positivity, and graphic boldness.
Madison Caprara:
When you find yourself in a creative rut, where do you most often go for inspiration?
Inma Hortas:
In my opinion, the further away from a screen the better, because the brain clears itself; going outside, taking a walk in nature, meeting friends, traveling if possible, reading, or witnessing something different--mainly from other artistic crafts and scientific disciplines. And I personally love sculptural and generative art.
Madison Caprara:
What advice would you give to other aspiring illustrators?
Inma Hortas:
1.) Don't stop drawing and don't think too much when you are. Trust the process and yourself. 2.) Tell your story and express yourself to keep the passion for illustrating alive. 3.) Get enough rest while taking the time to have fun and socialize. There is a meaningful life outside of the profession.
Madison Caprara:
Are there any upcoming projects we should be keeping an eye out for?
Inma Hortas:
I’m working on a few editorial assignments related to the objectification of the female body. I will also be releasing an illustrated book in 2022 focusing on the theme of fear. There will also be some newly exclusive goodies posted on my online INLOHO shop this December. I need 48 hours in a day to do everything.
Madison Caprara:
It’s been a pleasure, Inma. Before we wrap up, is there anything, in particular, you would like to end on?
Inma Hortas:
I would just like to personally thank you, Madison, and the dash team for this interview and the opportunity to show my work.
I would also like to emphasize that I believe that making a living with illustration is won by those who do not give up and continue without prejudice or fear. It takes talent but the effort comes first.
Furthermore, the illustration community is very supportive, even though we spend a lot of time alone. Illustration has given me much, with more to come! I owe this passion a lot, it saves me every time life gets difficult and allows me to travel to fantastic worlds. I am deeply in love with this profession.
Instagram: @inlohographics | Hope, science will win, 2021. Inma Hortas.
Takeover Tuesday with AppleButter Animated
Q&A with Megan Jedrysiak and Jackson Ammenheuser, Co-Founders of AppleButter Animated.
Q&A with AppleButter Animated
Read time: 10min
Sprite Way Series | Studio: Protokulture, Animation: Jackson Ammenheuser and Megan Jedrysiak
Madison Caprara:
Hey, you two!
Why don’t you both give me a little intro to who you are? How did you find yourselves in this industry? What initially attracted you to the field?
AppleButter Animated:
We are Megan Jedrysiak and Jackson Ammenheuser, Co-Founders of AppleButter Animated, based out of Chicago. We love to skate, play soccer, sing karaoke, and eat food. When we aren’t doing those things, we like to experiment with animation production practices! Lately, we’ve been expanding our efforts in the motion process by taking elements of digital animation (graphics, motion, sound, automation) and presenting them in both physical and streaming spaces with our own machines and graphics.
We both studied Animation at DePaul University and jumped into freelance work right out of school. I wouldn’t suggest going straight to freelance to anyone today, but it luckily worked out for us. We were both initially attracted to the independence and energy of experimental animation, and loved that you didn’t need to wait for an art show, or a budget, or a crew. You don’t need to ask permission to do anything, just go animate!
Madison Caprara:
I’m assuming you both met in one of your Animation courses, or..?
AppleButter Animated:
We actually met in a computer lab at DePaul.
We would work on 3D animation homework together. It involved a lot of sugary snack consumption and Megan playing cool music videos. Eventually, we started dating, made a few projects together, and chose to continue doing so after graduation, mostly so that we could continue to eat snacks and watch cool music videos together while we worked.
Madison Caprara:
A pretty enviable meet-cute!
So, how did AppleButter Animated come to be? Was there a particular influence or circumstance that prompted you to start the studio?
AppleButter Animated:
AppleButter started right when we graduated university, seven years ago. We wanted to keep making our own work and gave it a shot! We figured that we could always jump ship and go to a 9-5 if there was a disaster. It was a struggle for the first few years, including a couple of side hustles, but we got there! We were hugely inspired by our friends Nick and Nadine, who run a two-person graphic art studio in Chicago, Sonnenzimmer. They seemed to have it all as a couple with a small creative business and art practice. We thought we would try the same thing!
GFXi | Client: GFXi, Animation: Jackson Ammenheuser, Design: Megan Jedrysiak
Madison Caprara:
A pretty courageous endeavor being new graduates!
How would you describe the studio’s style?
AppleButter Animated:
We like to make things fast, at least in animator terms. I hope that comes across in our style. There’s this idea that animation has to take forever to be good, and we just don’t believe that. Our work ranges in style, but almost every one of our projects takes less than a week to make.
We strive to make hybrid-style energetic work that leaves an impression and might make you double-take. We like to wait for ideas that make you laugh even if they’re not funny. Some of our best ideas emulate jokes in that way, or at least point to a punchline.
Madison Caprara:
I see that you specialize in short-form animation and interactive art. What draws you to the two?
AppleButter Animated:
We get excited about all things motion. Deep down, robotics and animation are extremely similar on a structural level: build a thing and make it move. Even Megan’s painting work breaks down a 2D image informed by motion in our animation practice. We are really attracted to that energy that you can give an object, space, or video when you make it move. There is a lot of power there, we hope to push what animation means way outside of motion graphics and the moving image ballpark.
Madison Caprara:
How does the studio work in terms of project selection, work process, etc.? How do you go about delineating tasks between the two of you?
AppleButter Animated:
We like to say that Megan is great at starting things and Jackson is good at finishing them.
That pretty much describes our pipeline most of the time. Megan has a much stronger art and drawing background, while Jackson studied the more 3D and technical side of creative. Megan will typically kick ideas off with research, drawings, boards, and styleframes, then we’ll meet in the middle to do design, motion tests, and development. Typically Jackson will do the final motion, VFX, and polish. There is a lot of collaboration and discussion at all points but that vaguely fits most of the time.
Madison Caprara:
That being said, what do you both look for when taking on a project? What has you giving an automatic, “yes”?
AppleButter Animated:
For commercial work, an automatic “yes” is a good producer! Having the budget, timeline, scope, mood, brand guidelines, all laid out before we even speak is the dream! When it comes to ad work, we care more about working with good folks and being treated with respect than working on the “sickest” projects.
For our artwork, we love to collaborate and interact with friends. Our animation work was so siloed for a long time, and we’re really over that style of making. We live for that back and forth of ideas between collaborators, even when it all goes wrong. Sharing the highs and lows and taking a leap together is what it’s all about.
Madison Caprara:
Speaking on collaboration, do you ever outsource talent for larger projects?
AppleButter Animated:
We try to do 100% of the work ourselves. We’re just not that type of studio that hires out other animation freelancers. If we can’t do a project for whatever reason, we try to pass along the work to friends! We enjoy working with musicians, directors, and writers of course, but for the animation work, we plan on keeping it between the two of us.
Madison Caprara:
And what has been your favorite project to date?
AppleButter Animated:
Our favorite project was a duo gallery show at Public Works Gallery. We pulled it off right before the pandemic. The show allowed us to try so many new ideas that would be exhibited in a physical space. World-building is inherent in animated films, but films are typically viewed in a 2D space. We were able to produce a more immersive world with our animation, paintings, and painting robot living together all in one space. That process and engagement from all the folks who showed up inspired us. We're hoping to push further into that space over the next couple of years.
Madison Caprara:
Well, the exhibition looked incredible! Readers can find it here.
Madison Caprara:
When needed, where do you go for inspiration?
AppleButter Animated:
We try to look beyond film for inspiration. Engaging with stories and visual languages as much as possible, and seeking out new experiences informs our vision. If we’re stuck or looking for something new, we go for a walk, develop recipes, eat a good snack, look at paintings, read books or comics, garden, and talk with friends. Looking at a problem from a wider view usually helps us understand what we’re really trying to get at.
Also, this isn't traditional inspiration, but whenever we need some energy in the moment, say a project is going poorly, or we lost the thread of an idea, we always pull up an old friend’s class film. He made it in a late-night daze for an experimental animation class. The assignment was misunderstood by most of the class and the professor was not happy during the screening, but this project was the cherry on top. It just went really wrong, including some major sound goofs, and somehow it went wrong just enough times to turn into one of our all-time favorite films. It brings back the wild energy we love every time.
Away From Keyboard Residency | WNDR Museum, Chicago
Madison Caprara:
What were some of the best decisions you’ve made vs ones you wish you could redo? As a studio or even individual artists?
AppleButter Animated:
Collaborating with friends and being a part of our larger animation and art community has been our most positive experience as artists and animators. We’ve learned so much working with great folks on personal projects and commercial ones. It opens up a field of possibilities from collaborating with one friend, to working with a group at a studio, to inviting a general internet audience to work with us on a robotic painting.
Our biggest mistake is the other side of that coin, which is initially believing that animation and art need to be this silo-ed sport. I think many could attest to the running joke of the lone animation martyr stuck in their cave. And maybe that’s how you like to work, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
Madison Caprara:
I’m sure some folks out there can definitely relate.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a studio?
AppleButter Animated:
For people who generally want to step away from full-time employment and do their own thing, I would suggest doing your research, understanding your safety net, and talking to people who are where you want to be! For us, that meant talking to our studio idols about all sorts of things from clients to art galleries to day-to-day expectations. Jackson talked to his parents about helping us if we got into a bind, luckily we’ve avoided needing help. But it is important to know it’s there and recognize that we couldn’t have done this without that privilege. We also read everything we could about freelance, from books like The Freelance Manifesto, to online forums, and going to local mo-graph meetups and animation festivals.
Madison Caprara:
Are there any big upcoming projects in development we should be looking out for from AppleButter?
AppleButter Animated:
As spaces are starting to open again, we have a few space-based ideas we are pitching around that we love! One involves a DIY Smart CRT TV that would serve as an ongoing local animation festival with a vintage edge, think flipping through channels and classic commercials. We're working on adding a comparative graphic vision system to our painting machine, this process would compare the live painting to a graphic or photo, and update accordingly. And we’re excited about this new 3D smear style that we’ve been having a lot of fun with on Instagram.
Madison Caprara:
That sounds really exciting! After a year+ of social isolation, an interactive exhibit is particularly enticing.
Unfortunately, we’re reaching the end of our time together. It’s been really great getting to know a bit more about the two of you and your studio. Is there any closing point or piece of advice you would like to end our chat with?
AppleButter Animated:
Have fun! Speak from what you know, be open to learning and making mistakes, and be the kind of nerd that only you can be!