Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Walls.
Chris, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I never thought I would be an artist. In high school I would spend a lot of my time sketching and taking general art courses. I never saw myself as an artist during these years, but I thought if I were to be one I’d be a photographer since I took photo classes all 4 years. As college rolled around, I still continued to take general art classes to fill in required credits at Illinois State University. Although I was undeclared (no major yet), I would take classes like 2D fundamentals and 3D sculpture. I started using a lot of charcoal, ink and even acrylic paint at times to add more life to my illustrations. After my second year, I took an Adobe Illustrator 101 class at my local community college in an attempt to generate more credit towards my ISU degree. The more I learned in this class, the more excited I became about the endless combinations and possibilities I had with this new software. I started to funnel all of my fine art abilities, like illustrating, charcoal and ink drawing, and photography, into these adobe programs which lead to endless compositions. By the time school started again, I had registered for the Graphic Design 1 class. After developing a small portfolio, I was accepted into the Graphic Design Sequence at Illinois State University. This sequence included Graphic Design 1-5 and other classes like GD for web, GD history, book making and Typography classes. The ISU graphic design program instilled confidence and skill that I do not think I could have gotten anywhere else. After successfully completing the graphic design program, I graduated and found my first job at a small marketing firm where I am the lead designer. I create collateral and assets that aligns with almost everything I learned in school. In my free time, I like to help friends with personal branding, shoot photos, and of course sketch for fun.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
In my professional life, I create brands and brand assets. It is my job to ensure the continuity of a brand that I have created, or that I have inherited. I make everything from logos, digital and print items, and even websites. In my personal life, I still see huge value in sketching and creating fun illustrations that can’t and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. I experiment with different styles and typographic compositions to spark new ideas. I have recently learned how to screen print, so my illustrations will start to come to life! I think it’s vital for any graphic designer to use Adobe softwares as only a tool, and not as the only means of design. Sketching and creating outside of the computer can change how you see a project and takes a lot of stress out of a blank artboard.
The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
If you truly love art, you will find a way.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be seen on my personal website, www.christopherdavissonwalls.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.christopherdavissonwalls.com
- Email: cdwalls93@gmail.com
- Instagram: chriswalls
Image Credit:
Headshot – Grace M.
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