The quirky artwork of a freelance illustrator and concept artist who creates dynamic, detailed illustrations in a classic painterly style featured in the games industry.
Hey! Please introduce yourself and what you do!
Hello! I’m Joe, thanks for featuring me on the Daily Dose. I’m a concept artist/illustrator based in London currently working freelance in the games industry. I work mainly in Photoshop and other digital packages.
Tell me a little bit about your current project.
I’m working on some concepts for a detective game right now and am also working on the upcoming game ‘Nexus Heroes’ from LitmusGames who are located in Brighton. Apart from that though I’ve been working on some more character based illustrations just for fun!
What are the pros and cons you find daily about your practice?
The best part of working freelance by far is being able to earn money without getting dressed. The only downside I’ve found so far is that you’re unemployed 90% of the time, so its swings and roundabouts.
When is the best time to work to get those creative juices going?
Like a lot of other artists I know, late night/early mornings are my favourite time to work. I find you can really get lost in your work more when there are no distractions around you. 1-2am is peak creative time for me.
What is it about your practice that you find so exciting and keeps you hooked?
Photoshop is really an amazing program for illustration and drawing. Working with such an unrestricted tool is just so much fun. After using it for a few years I still find new things that I can use and features I never knew existed. The digital art community is fantastic as well. Being able to go on websites like ArtStation and Tumblr and see amazing artist’s work at the click of a button always inspires me to work harder!
If you could experiment with any other medium, what would you choose?
I’ve recently been introduced to photography, I never really looked into it much before but it looks like a lot of fun. I really appreciate a well-composed photo. I don’t think I can afford it though. Where do you get your daily inspiration? Like I said earlier there are so many incredibly skilled artist online whose work I look at. I try to get inspiration from other sources outside of art like books but there are a few people who I can always guarantee will inspire me!
What makes you wake up each morning feeling pumped to create some new work?
I like to keep a little sketchbook or piece of paper next to my laptop where I can write ideas for paintings or scribble down quick thumbnails. I always like to look over them in the morning to get myself in the painting mind-set!
Are there any artists/photographers/writers/filmmakers or musicians where you have in mind when looking at creating new works?
Ahh there are so many artists I could name who inspire. The standard in the online digital art community is so high now. To name some favourites: Dice Tsutsumi, Sergey Kolesov, Moebius, Zedig, Rob Doody, Pepe Navarro, Caio Martins, Mimir’s Art… There are really too many to name sorry!
What are you currently working on that you just can’t get enough of?
I was working on some fake Pokemon recently with someone. I think I lost the files but that was pretty fun.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to make a career out of your given practice?
Not sure I actually have a career yet but I would say draw all the time, draw what you really like and be different to everyone else!
What’s next for you?
I’m gonna go get some falafel and draw! Thanks so much for featuring me I’m very flattered!
Facebook:www.facebook.com/joehurleyart
Tumblr:joehurleyart.tumblr.com
