THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

Ever wish you could draw pretty pictures all day and get paid for it? What if you had the opportunity to one up that lifestyle and even go at it freelance style? Von Glitschka, a freelance illustrator behind some very impressive art projects has recently released his Keyboard Characters into the wild. We sat down over coffee, chatted about Von’s world and now present 10 questions (and of course, answers) with this freelance art maven…

DA: Where is your office located these days?
VG: I work out of my home studio. I enjoy it and my cats like to visit me during the day which is nice.

DA: How did you end up moving into freelance work?
VG: Technically I have never referred to it as freelance. I started my own business, and incorporated back in 2002. I’ve averaged about a 15-20% growth each year but that is now starting to level off since I am my only employee.

Over the past five years I’ve developed a specific niche for myself in that the majority of my work is not for my own clients but rather the clients of other firms or agencies. I am a hired creative gun if you will.

Previous to running my own business I worked for other firms or inhouse art departments over a 15 year period and many of those relationships play a part in what I do now.

DA: Are you always in work mode? If not, what do you use to decompress?
VG: Art is a huge part of my life. I never really turn it off. I am always being inspired with ideas that hit me no matter where I am at or what I am doing. Just the other day I was slicing a cucumber and held it up to the light and marveled at the symmetric pattern on the inside with the seeds. I grabbed my iPhone and took a picture of it and now that moment of inspiration will turn into a titled pattern for my new book I am working on. That kind of thing happens a lot. My friends usually just laugh at me when I get in that mode.

The longer I work in this business the more I feel blessed by what I get to do to make a living. Mainly because I’d do it regardless anyway so the fact I can also call it my job and work on a wide range of fun projects is just too cool. I feel really fortunate in this respect.

Outside art though I enjoy just hanging with friends and talking or playing with my two daughters. They just build a new park by our house so I am starting to shoot hoop again, I find that relaxing as well.

DA: Regarding difficult clients, what is your preferred method of dealing with and possibly avoiding them.
VG: My annoyance threshold for dumb clients is very low. If I detect the client isn’t going to be a good fit I just try to decline the work immediately. If they insist then I quote high and add a heavy ‘pain fee’ to the quote. That usually scares them off. And if it doesn’t I can afford to just farm it out to a friend and just manage it.

DA: If you could give one positive and one negative thought about freelancing, what would they be?
VG: Positive: Flexibility. Some days I’ll work out of a coffee shop sketching out concepts, listening to my favorite podcast or audio book. I set my own schedule and I get to choose who I work for and what I work on. My wife stays home so we get to have lunch together a lot which is something we hardly ever did the first 15 years.

Negative: I miss the inner office interactions that firms give you. Being able to bounce an idea off of someone or just talk. I don’t miss the marketing weasels though.

DA: When creating content, what’s your typical process?
VG: Your readers can view my entire ‘Illustrative Designer Creative Process’ in this pdf.

DA: What made you decide to create Keyboard-Characters?
VG: I wanted a clever and fun illustration focused self-promo piece I could give away to clients, friends and potential business leads. So instead of just doing what most illustrators do and print a post card or mailoff a tear sheet I decided to handle it like my own licensed product.

People have enjoyed them and I’ve mailed off sets to Dubai, Japan, Australia, Mexico, London etc.

DA: Do you have a favorite character in the pack?
VG: It’s a tie between ‘Feed Your Imagination’ and ‘Fish Bowl’. The commentary for each character is on the website and gives you a good insight into my thinking behind each character.

DA: You find yourself stranded in a remote airport. What would be your three must-have tools of the trade?
VG: 1)My iPhone: It’s like the graphic designers “Tri-Corder”. OK, it can’t scan for Dilithium radiation levels in alien DNA, but a Tri-Corder can’t play Blue Oyster Cult! 2) My MacBook: Since my iPhone can work as a rudimentary scanner via the built in camera, I have everything needed to create with. 3) My sketch book.

DA: Who would be considered your hero or mentor?
VG: I am asked this a lot. I didn’t really have one primary mentor in terms of creative influence. It was more of a culture of art over the period of my childhood that really shaped me in that respect. Maybe that is why I dabble in so many different things design and illustration wise?

If I had to pick a top ten list of influences I’d say in no specific order:

• Jim Flora: 1950’s RCA Records Art Director.
• Norman Rockwell: Loved looking at his work as a kid.
• Richard Scarry: The worm dude rules!
• MAD Magazine: My parents loathed this so of course I thought it was awesome!
• Japanese Cartoons: StarBlazers, Marine Boy, Speed Racer
• Bob Ross: I’d stumble upon him on Saturday morning and be captivated by his Demerol voice and blending techniques.
• Star Wars: In sixth grade I could draw Darth Vader in 15 seconds.
• Neville Brody: His work motivated me to make a quantum shift in my whole creative process.
• Sid & Marty Kroft Shows from the 1970’s.
• My Mom: She is a very creative person. She was always drawing or painting and encouraged me even to do the same growing up. When I was in middle school she found some naked lady drawings I had done and she posted them all up in my room just to embarrass me and all she said through the laughter was “Not bad.”

And now for the giveaway…

Simply go to the Keyboard Characters website and pick your favourite character. Tell us which is your favourite and why in the comments and if we like your answer you’ll win a set of keyboard characters to spruce up your desk! There’s two packs to win, so get entering! The giveaway will close at midday on Monday (Sydney time.)