Interview with Craig Reville

Craig, thank you for taking the time to provide www.eyesonpixel.com with this interview.

Please, introduce yourself?

My name is Craig Reville, 25 years old and I am a freelance graphics and website designer. I am based in Scotland, UK and specialize in minimalistic design, one page websites and abstract art.
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Are you a self taught artist or have you been to a art school?

Apart from technical and helpdesk support training it is all home grown. Spent the best part of two years learning the basics but even now, I’m still learning every day.
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Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from the majority of things that I see and like. I love minimalistic design so sometimes inspiration can come from the most unlikely sources such as window fronts, post card, letters or even a mark on a wall.
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Who is your idol, do you have one?

Like many people I don’t have just one, my idols are people I talk to every day, other designers that produce outstanding work and developers who provide fantastic software.
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How does your job as an artist influence on your everyday life?

Well I never thought of how it would impact my life until I started doing freelancing and it really sunk in how different things were going to be for me.
No two days are ever the same which keeps things fresh and enjoyable.
I’m always looking at things differently now as well, when I walk into a shop I don’t just see clothes or food, I see designs, graphics, adverts and inspiration. I’m always scribbling things into my phone and taking notes for later. My friends and family find it funny when I stop and take pictures of modern street lamps or sign posts or something random in the street.
So it has had a positive impact on my everyday life as I can see how much beauty we are surrounded by and sometimes don’t even notice.
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What kind of hardware and software you use?

I currently use a customized Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 7 (x64) and Ubuntu, 1TB hard drive to keep all the rubbish in.
Just upgraded to Photoshop CS5 but still use Photoshop Elements 8 for graphic designs and use Intype to hand code all of my websites.
I do have the full Adobe suite of software but never really need to use it.
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Tell us about your typical work day?

Every day is different so it can range from doing graphics, social networking, promotions, small projects to big commissioned design projects. I do however wake up early and don’t often get to sleep until the early hours of the morning but I like to do things on impulse to shake up the day.
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
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What are your favourite websites?

I love fun websites, artist websites and I especially adore one page websites that serve a purpose and look freaking awesome.
I like websites that have humorous twists in them, ones that are meant to be professional but have some funny side lines or straplines to them, they are by far the most captivating for me.
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Where and how do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself still loving what I do, I hope that it never changes and with any luck in 5 years I will have my small cottage in the country which is a dream of mine.
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What makes you happy?

The ability to make fun and interesting graphics makes me happy however I love the feeling of making people happy when i present them with a finished product, not only does it give the satisfaction but also the sense of accomplishment.
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