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Spotlight - Toby Willsmer - Artist and Illustrator

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"Style is everything: don't leave home without it."

Creativepool grabs five minutes with Toby Willsmer, Artist and Illustrator, to talk creative control, dream projects with Marvel and finding your own style.
 

How long have you been an Artist and Illustrator?
I've been doing this for about seventeen years, on and off.

Describe your work in one sentence.
Colours, colours, colours.

What attracted you to your chosen field?
It was a natural progression from paintbrush to PC for me, really.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Artists like yourself?
Getting noticed. There are so many people out there all trying to do the same thing. I believe that the best talent is rarely discovered in this industry.

Who inspires you and why?
I'm inspired by lots of things - mostly music. But if I had to pick an artist I would say Simon Bisley - simply because he just has what it takes.

Tell us about your best project to date.
There isn't really one specific project I can single out. I like projects that give you complete creative control - you know, that just let your mind run riot - but unfortunately these are very few and far between.

What's the most important thing you've learned in your work?
Style is everything.... don't leave home without it.

What do you think sets you apart from your competitors?
I'm not sure really. I think that I possess the ability to look at things from a different perspective and then push it a bit further.

If you could work on any project for any company/organisation, what would it be and who would it be for?
I would love to be able to do the Graphic Novel thing for Marvel films and comics. That would be a start!

What pearl of wisdom can you offer to someone starting out in your industry?
I'd say you have to find your own style and get it dialled. From that point, you have something you can really deal with.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I've been run over twice in twenty-four hours. Lucky, huh...?

What do you like about Creativepool?
I really like the new Spotlight features like this - giving creatives like me the chance to promote what we do. I also like the constant communication I receive from Creativepool. The new website isn't bad, either.

If you could have ONE super power, what would it be?
I would have to be 'Lotto Man' - with the outstanding ability to pick the right lottery numbers every week!

What's your favourite bit of kit or program to use for your work?
It has to be the tablet for me - and, of course, PhotoShop. It definitely wouldn't be Vista!

What frustrates you the most about your job?
Getting paid, using fonts and dealing with 'shades of grey' logos.

And finally, what can a prospective customer expect from you?
I tend to think outside the box, so what I produce probably isn't what they originally expect, but at the same time it will be something they'll be proud to have done for them. I like to exceed expectations.

If you want to be in the spotlight, email us with examples of your work or a link to your Creativepool profile.

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