Interview with Joluvian
For this new Interview part of the Typography Creative Series, I had the chance to interview Letter Lover and Calligraphy Freak Joluvian from Spain, the curves on is letters are just amazing, I hope you guys learn more about Joluvian and his work.You can see more about Joluvian’s work here:
1 – First of all I would like to thank you for doing this interview, I would like to start by asking you when did your passion for Typography started?
I’m not sure when I really decided to start doing this, but I remember two things, the first one is that my father and grand father had really beautiful handwriting and the second one is that when I was 6 or 7 years old I liked a lot to paint, there wasn’t a day that I didn’t draw something new. When I turned 8 years old my father decided to put me in a painting workshop in which I stayed for 4 years, testing different technics. After that I did a few graffiti pieces and kept drawing illustrations either for me or for friends. After that I knew that I had to study something related with this.
I moved to a close city to my town call Mérida to start a Graphic design career. Typography came later when I was already living in Spain and a friend of mine recommended me to start digging deeper in calligraphy to later get into typography. I think it has been a combination of family, time, growing up and different environments.
2 – How did you develop your style and how would you describe it?
It’s a difficult question, because it doesn’t have one answer, it’s the compendium of many things, times and experiences, but let’s say it’s the love for handwriting of my father and my grand father and my love for illustration, after that I decided to create my own style mixing all my knowledge.
3 – Could you share with us your workspace and what’s your daily routine?
I use to work a lot, sometimes because the project needs time and sometimes I want to enjoy my time on it. I try to work monday to friday, I wake up around 8.30- 9.00 am, take my breakfast to then start my work, answering some mails, checking notices, networks etc…
I try to work until 13:00 or 14:00 so I can go to the gym and cook my lunch, I really like to exercise, for me my body health is really important, even more when my work is done all the time sitting down in a chair in front of a desk. Finally I start to work again after that until 8,9,10,11… It sometimes depends on the clients times.
4 – Describe us a little of your creative process while creating a new lettering-calligraphy project?
My process is really similar to any designer. I always start by watching references in internet, books, magazine etc but I use to sketch all my projects by hand before going on the computer, I really love to see almost the full idea on paper and even more when I work in calligraphy projects, I make a lot of sketches testing many too, technics etc. Normally I send to the client a couple of sketches for them to choose to be polish and vectorized and from there start working on the details.
5 – When starting a new project, do you first choose the word and create the style around this word or do you first create the style you’re looking for?
It depends because when I have to do a calligraphy logo, the customer almost always has an idea of the style they want, so I try to develop his Idea and then try one or two more ideas from my imaginations, but if I have to do a poster I almost have the style before starting the work, that helps me to fit all the letters on the canvas.
6 – Do you draw a sketch to create your letters or do you jump right on Illustrator and Photoshop?
Like I said, my letters are in my mind and my right hand, so I try to leave the computer to the final moment I do love calligraphy and spend time looking for the best letter and the best way to write them, I repeat at least 20 o 30 times the thing I have to write.
7 – Which is your favorite project so far and why?
After almost one year “ Here’s to the Crazy Ones ” poster is my favorite piece. Many
people still asking to me when I’m going to create another one like that. When I did
that poster, was without limits, was in summer, so I spend many afternoons on it,
testing many things and enjoying everything. Although if I look at it right now I see
some mistakes, but anyway I like it.
8 – What is the best thing you like about being an artist?
I do not consider myself a artist, I am just a letter lover calligraphy freak, but anyways artist, lover or freak the best part of this is I DO NOT HAVE ANY BOSS, I love to do everything my way, even when is a commercial project because almost all the customers want to have a unique piece so they want me to feel comfortable creating that.
9 – What’s the 5 websites / services you couldn’t live without?
1 – Behance.net
2 – Dribbble.com
3 – Facebook.com
4 – Youtube.com
5 – Paypal.com
10 – Here at Supercolortuts we like to share Tips for Photoshop or Illustrator. Can you share a Quick Tip with our readers?
10 years ago Scott Kelby said in a L.A. Photoshop conference:
-When you have a doubt… just add a drop shadow
10 years later I say:
-When you have a doubt… just create your own shadow
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