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Unleash Your Mind
In 2010, your artwork "Dream" won 1st place for a $15,000 scholarship to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh but you didn't attend that school. How different do you think your life would be if you were to choose that direction?
My life and character would be drastically different if I would've chosen to stay in school. I would be 6 months away from having a college degree, with a hefty amount student loan debt even with the $30,000 in scholarships I ended up having. I don't think I would be better off whatsoever. Dropping out of school made me more motivated than ever. Two years went by of me constantly striving to live up to the high expectations I set for myself. That period of hard work and sacrifice all paid off. I now work for BLT Communications in Hollywood, CA and work on advertising campaigns for the entertainment industry. Being 20 years old & moving 2000 miles away from home to a place I've never been was difficult, but the experience has already taught me more than I could ever imagine learning in school.
Dream
Your artwork "Dream" was also featured on Evokeone and DeviantART's Daily Deviation. How has this publicity affected your motivation? Did you create more artworks as a result of this?
That feature was the first time I felt confident as an artist. It made me realized that you are capable of getting good at anything you want as long as you're willing to put in the work to do so. I was inspired to use more 3D in my work & continue to experiment more.
Dream
RUNNING / UNTHOUGHT
Sweet Dreams
Where do you get your inspirations from? Do you have any artists who you follow?
Most of my inspirations come from various blogs I cycle through daily & my behance activity feed. My go-to sites are FromUpNorth, Otherfocus, Abduzeedo, and SerialThriller. I try to follow as many artists I can & stay connected on twitter, tumblr, and behance. Aside from visually aesthetic inspiration I try to soak my brain in some TED talks weekly and live a conscious lifestyle.
Villain
Artjunks Wallpaper
As a designer, what are some things that you do differently to make your artwork stand out?
Well thats a very good question. I think I just have an obsession to develop the way I think of & execute art. Not in a sense of trying to be the best or say I'm the best, but just always being able to push myself further.
Artjunks - The Rebirth
What is the average time you spend on your artworks? How often do you use Photoshop and what other software do you use besides Photoshop?
A solid piece can take anywhere from 10 - 20 hours depending on how complex of an execution it is. I spend the majority of my day using Photoshop, and other than Ps I use Cinema 4D with the occasional Illustrator.
22 comments on “The 20 Years Old Designer Who Learned It All Himself - Interview with Anthony Gargasz”
This is really fantastic. The unlimited access makes it even better thanks for shearing!
splendid and fantastic grate job.
#PROGRESS #INSPIRATION #DESIGN
Very nice work! I'm currently teaching myself photoshop at age 27 and love every minute of it. Keep up good work and inspiration!
Nice article but one thing is missing..
The actual process of learning he used
I.e what books did he study? What sites for tutorials did he use?
Whats the order/process of self teaching ones self Graphics design in terms of both the Vast theory side and the Adobe CS6 side application.
Otherwise awesome article
Your art work is amazing! I've been teaching myself Photoshop since I was 15 (2011). I'm seventeen now and I believe that the better way to learn is by experiencing it by yourself, creating something different and unique and make it yours. Although I am studying in the academy of Communication Arts, Film and Digital Media in my Senior year, I will never stop learning what I love to do by myself.
Oh, and congratulations for all your success!
Anthony man, you don't know how this just inspired me to push for even greater! You are an ICON in my eyes and at such a young age! Hope life keeps getting better for you
wow man, you're an inspiration. Thank you!
He's so genuine... congrats on everything !
Mom- That's my BOUY!!!!HBB... Love Love Love It- Lyle Lovette!
Dad- What a great MIND!!!!
Crissy- U R so amazing!!! I can't wait to see how much more u r gonna do! One of the greats!
wow man, i like your stuff, im 17 i've learned photoshop on my own. i also use Cinema 4D for 3D logos, etc. You inspire me, thats what i need is some feedback from some good artists to keep me going.
-Meeks Designs
Fantastic art. I look forward to seeing more of it in the future and hopefully some tutorials to help those of us that haven't been gifted with your talent.
Thank you so much! I have some tutorials on OtherFocus, a design blog I write for. More are soon to come! http://www.otherfocus.com/category/resources/tutorial/
Nice stuff! Do you use Photoshop brushes?
Thanks Justin, I use basic photoshop brushes with adjusted presets for lighting techniques. I try to stick to stock images for textures.
Thanks for the reply. Which brushes do you recommend for lighting techniques?
Those designs are very very good i must say,i myself just started using Photoshop and already i'm blown away by the software's capability of manipulating pics. I hope to work with Anthony someday when our roads meet.
Very nice!
my favorite artist!
Wowee!! The artjunks design is the best. How did u go from $15k prize to $30k?
Thank you very much! I received $15k for the pictured artwork & another $15k for their Advertising Portfolio Scholarship (creating a mach ad campaign)
Mind= Blown