Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Velasquez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always had this constant need to be creating something. I always ended up with a pencil in my hand and an obsession with Photoshop, so of course, I ended up getting my degree in Graphic Design.
I started out mainly drawing a lot of pop art portraits so I could practice drawing faces, but I knew I could create something more than that so I started making surreal drawings by mixing graphite and watercolors which made for a really interesting sand-like texture and playing with shapes on my laptop to try and pull some sort of emotion from people viewing my art. My digital art is more “abstract polygon style” work.
How I got to Chicago, however, is kind of a funny story. I’m originally from Omaha. I knew I always wanted to leave, so by the time I was 25 I had all this money saved, I still didn’t know where I wanted to move to so I said just sold everything I owned, drove across the country and lived out of my car for awhile and I loved it! It was so liberating and nerve wrecking living on the road.
By the time I got back to the midwest I was running low on funds so I settled here in Chicago, freelancing as an Art Director all over the Loop the last 4 years.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest it’s been a really tough road and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. When I first got to Chicago I lived in a tiny studio apartment in Uptown, and for awhile my only piece of furniture was a blow-up mattress. I waited tables the first year barely getting by and on my days and nights off I kept making art, kept building my design portfolio as much as I could.
I’ve dealt with lots of rejection to be featured in galleries and design jobs. Chicago, I realized is a city where you have to really make connections if you want to be noticed. You can’t just apply for a job or submit artwork and cross your fingers to be noticed, especially in the art world, you have to make people notice you instead.
You have to attend career building events, you have to make those awkward phone calls asking someone to look at your work. This city has turned me completely resilient, and I’m so grateful for that. You just have to push through, and make yourself be noticed.
Please tell us about StudioAce – Art & Design.
Studio.Ace is my illustration and design brand. Ace is actually my middle name. I create really vibrant and surreal artworks using mixed media from drawing to digital art and photography.
I’m signed with a few art rental companies such at TurningArt, and print-on-demand websites like Design by Humans and Society6. They’ve given me a lot of exposure so far. I’ve had work rented out in over 700 commercial buildings and homes throughout the country since being signed with TurningArt. I also take design commissions, anything from logos to branding digital campaigns.
I’d have to say I’m known most for my digital art and drawings. People really seem to respond to my surreal drawings. I mean, it’s not often you see mermaids trapped inside of a lightbulb, or a bearded robot holding his brain one hand and a grenade in another. It sounds SOO strange, I know, but it’s honestly very refreshing in the oddest way when looking at it.
As for my digital art, I work with a lot of abstract shapes to create a body of work. Hundreds of polygons pulled apart and pushed back together to convey some sort of emotion. It’s definitely the most abstract medium I work with.
My photography is very very colorful and scenic. I like to say that I ‘paint the photographs’ after I take them. It’s really stimulating seeing the buildings in the Loop that we see every day but with hints of turquoise or pink light reflecting.
I have a very distinct style that sets me apart from other works of art. My style is very recognizable with the polygon shapes and colors that I use. I also like create things in a series and focus on specific subjects as opposed to making piece after piece. Right now I’m focusing on how to illustrate mental disorders with my drawings and also with my digital art I’m currently promoting an entire series based of gems and stones.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I don’t really have a specific favorite childhood memory but I do remember I used to love making mudslides in the backyard with the hose and play with our family dog Remo, he was a rottweiler and my mom would get sooooo mad, but being covered in mud is so much fun when you’re a kid (and even now) and totally worth getting yelled at.
Contact Info:
- Website: studio-ace.com
- Email: hello@studio-ace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.ace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamvelasquez.studio/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/studioace86
- Yelp: https://www.instagram.com/studio.ace.journeys/
- Other: https://society6.com/studioace
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