Grace McCloskey
Graphic Design & Illustration
Diploma of Graphic Design
Hey Grace! Tell me a bit about yourself as an artist - how did you get started?
My journey into the art world wasn’t at all planned! I have always enjoyed being creative and the creative process of seeing designs and creations come to life, though It wasn’t until I left high school that I started to pursue design. So far I have completed a Bachelor of Product Design and am continuing to explore the worlds of fine and applied arts. At the moment I’m enjoying exploring a variety of mediums and styles.
It seems like you're more interested in digital work, such as line-art and photoshop, in comparison to traditional. What draws you more towards the digital mediums?
Recently I have been loving creating pieces that are glitchy and look intentionally deformed, so to play around with those styles I found it easiest to experiment with designs using digital platforms like photoshop to get the effects I wanted. I’d say though, that my style is something I’m still figuring out and I think in the future I’ll be playing around with many different mediums and styles.
You've also worked on some branding and identity projects, such as the restaurant branding you made for an assignment. What's your creative process like when working on them? Is it different in comparison to drawing in your leisure time?
When I’m making my own designs I wouldn’t say too much thought goes into the creative process. I think just like most people my best Ideas strike when I’m in the shower or lost in thought on the bus! Once I have an idea I simply play around with some sketches and bring the design into illustrator or photoshop to finalise everything. When I’m completing a project for a client or an assessment, the supplied brief acts as a bounding box of requirements you need to meet as a designer. There is always some level of creative freedom within the brief, though definitely nothing like the freedom of sketching in my leisure time.
Leading on from that what inspires your work and what themes do you like to explore? Who are some inspiring artists you reckon everyone should check out?
I’m inspired by everything. It sounds like I’m joking but I can be inspired by the strangest things and at the strangest times. Obviously not everything I’m inspired by makes it in to a design but you should see the list of things I have written in my notes… At the moment I’ve been interested in eyes and facial expressions and am currently working on a few pieces that incorporate them, so keep an eye out! (yes! that pun was intended and yes! I am keeping it in)
Everyone should check out and follow these artists, they are AMAZING:
- Nevan Doyle (@mishko.co)
- Andrew Fairclough (@kindred_studio)
- @codydiodato
- Johnson Tsang (@johnson_tsang_artist
I'm sure you inspire other people to create beautiful works too! Do you have any advice for fellow students who want to get into drawing but don’t know where to start?
When I was starting out I was so caught up with trying to make my designs perfect that I never showed them to anyone. Showing family and friends my work really helped me to see how others viewed my designs and often gain a whole new appreciation for them. If you’re just starting out don’t be afraid to show your work to others, start small if you need to and get feedback from wherever you can because it’s a great way to build confidence and skill. Keep going!
We're also seeing more and more emerging artists posting their work on Instagram, and you have an art account yourself. What are your thoughts on the role of social media for emerging artists?
Lots of artists now are relying on platforms such as Instagram to act as a virtual portfolio for their works. As an emerging artist however, documenting your work online can help you track your progress, gain feedback from others, be inspired by other people and make loads of new friends. It’s definitely a crucial part of being a designer in today’s age.
And final question to top it all off. We like being kept in the loop - do you have any exciting projects coming up?
Yes I do! Apart from some client projects and uni assessments I’ve managed to land myself a slot at the RAW Australia showcase on August 8th! If you’re in Sydney and you’d like to swing by, check out https://rawartists.org/gracemccloske
