I've been dying to feature an interview with an ex colleague and friend of mine, Martina Doyle. Her work is fantastic, and her character work in particular is just brilliant. If you want to contact Tina for any freelance work you can email her on martinadoyle44@yahoo.co.uk
Here's our chat together with some examples of Tina's work.
Kay: Hi Tina, lets start by you giving us a quick summary of your career and how you
came to 'go freelance'
Tina: I started
out as a Graphic Designer working for a studio in Manchester for 7
years and then made a slight change into the greetings industry
designing for Birthdays. I knew then I really loved my job. After 7
years there I moved onto Gingerbread Design, Regent and finally
Eurowrap.
After
20 years I had built up my experience and have many friends within this
industry and so I decided to brave it and work for myself. This last
year doing so has been exciting and I love every minute of it.
Kay:
It's kind of scary taking the jump isn't it? Do you have any pearls of
wisdom for any new aspiring designers and illustrators out there?
Tina: Yes
it is scary. The best thing I think is to build up some clients before
you take the jump. This will give you the confidence and then the task
to get more work is up to you. Hard work always does pay off.
Kay: If you hadn't have become a designer what do you think you would have liked to have done instead?
Kay: If you hadn't have become a designer what do you think you would have liked to have done instead?
Tina: I
had briefly thought about becoming a nurse but I dreampt that I passed
the surgeon the wrong tool for an operation and so I decided it probably
was best for the public if I stayed away from nursing and use my scalpel
skills on my artwork.
Kay: I like to sit and design in bare feet if I can, preferably with a coffee too. Do you have any little quirks whilst you work?
Tina: For me it's a large cuppa tea and a cadbury twirl chocoalate bar that gets my brain into operation.
Kay: I used to draw on walls as a young child, when did your little inner designer show itself?
Tina: My
brother started to make me a dolls house out of a cardboard box for me.
I started colouring up paper for the wallpaper. It kept me quiet for
hours as there was curtains, bedding, the list goes on what was needed
to colour up. We then started on an extension for the doll then there
where houses for her friends. My brother gave up at this point and
grabbed his football but I carried on, my mission for a fab new dolls
housing estate was in sight. I do exagerate but I really loved making
all the bits for the
house and I only had felt tip pens, some crayons and paper.
Kay: How would you describe your design style?
Tina: I try to be able to tackle different styles but I think my best is in juvenile design.
Kay: What do you prefer, biscuits or cake? Any favourite type?
Tina: Chocolate
is my big favourite but if I had to chose between biscuits or cake it
would be biscuits, a good milk chocolate digestive.
Kay: Which designers work do you admire?
Tina: This
is hard, as to be honest there are so many good designers out
there. Caroline Gavin's work is fab, it is fun and quirky. Lotta
Bruhn, I love her colours and simple style and Natalie Tong's characters
are adorable.
