SPCD week 5 challenge winner: Nelli Khatmoullina
Today I'm excited to share with you an interview I did with week five Surface Pattern Design Community challenge winner, Nelli Khatmoullina! For the challenge Nelli created a beautifully detailed antique glass pattern punctuated by sweet sea animals.
Read below to learn more about Nelli. Enjoy!
Hi Nelli! Please tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into surface pattern design.
I had quite a journey before arriving at surface pattern design.
As a child, I went to a 4-year art school in Russia where I learned basic drawing and painting skills, art history, sculpture and composition. I really appreciate those years of studying now, even though it seemed like a very daunting experience at the time. Probably because of how challenging I found it, my parents did not believe that art was the best way for me to make a living. I dropped out of the artistic world for a while.
Instead I started studying tourism management and traveled to the US as a part of a summer student exchange program. While in the US I met my husband and decided to stay. The first few years of living in the US were tough for me and I didn’t think about art or design. However, after awhile I realized my job wasn’t fulfilling and decided to listen to my heart and return to art. I signed up for a Graphic Design program at the local community college. After graduation I struggled to find a job, even though I was one of the best students in my class. The job market was just so bad. I decided the best decision was to continue on with my studies. I got a bachelor of science in graphic design the same year my first child was born.
With the birth of my child I was once again distracted from my career goals. While I really enjoyed staying at home with my kids (I had another one later), I still felt something was missing. I started creating art again and looking for opportunities. That's when I discovered surface pattern design. I was so excited, I had found my new passion for life!
I've taken Skillshare classes and a few “Make It In Design” courses. I've also started participating in different design challenges and have found art and design communities which offer a lot of support. At this point I feel pretty confident about my art and am ready to share it with the world!
Nelli Khatmoullina Artwork
How would you describe your style? What makes your work unique?
This is tough questions because I have a couple of different styles and approaches to my art. I’m still deciding which one to focus on. I don’t really want to limit myself to one style or media even though a lot of professionals strongly recommend it. I think after working for awhile my style will define itself.
So far, I can say my style is semi-realistic, bright and illustrative with lots of details. I enjoy drawing faces and different characters, floral and botanical illustrations, animals and children. I also sometimes like to create abstract designs playing with colors and texture. As well, conversational patterns are very attractive to me since they contain some meaning.
I think my work is unique because I like to mix styles and break the rules. I like to mix things together that usually don’t get along. I’m trying to make my work realistic so that a viewer believes it’s real, but with my own unique spin on it. I think it creates some interest and uniqueness.
How did you approach the antique glass design challenge?
The theme was interesting to me from the beginning because I have always liked antique glass. I like to think about the history that old things in the world keep. While I was doing research on this topic, I found a perfume bottle which was very beautiful, and I thought it would be a wonderful idea to create motifs of perfume bottles. Marine creatures are also appealing me because of the diversity of their their shapes and colors. They are amazing creatures. So, I decided to include them in my work.
Since the theme was all about antiques I chose toned gray paper (like a craft paper). It felt like the natural choice. I limited the colors to only two (besides black, white and the gray paper) to make the motifs standout and create contrast. I drew with pencils, ink and Posca markers on craft paper. I cut the designs out with scissors and arranged them into a pattern. Then I scanned it all into Photoshop.
What are your goals for the future?
I hope to break into several markets and build a clientele base. I have built out a nice portfolio, my website is ready, and I feel it's time to take a step forward in my career.
Currently, I’m researching fabric companies and doing a #100DayProject on Instagram. Once I'm done with that, I plan on reaching out to companies and pulling things together so I can participate in Blueprint next year. By the way, if anyone wants to share space at the show, I’m happy to talk about it!
Nelli Khatmoullina Artwork
What would you like your colleagues and the design world to know about you and your work?
I’d like people to know that I like what I do, and I do it well. I hope everyone can see that through my work. I’m very flexible and open-minded when talking about design approaches and media. I’m always eager to learn more and like to try new things. As a person, I’m kind and friendly, so please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m very honest and easy going.
As a professional, I'm very knowledgeable about art and design, as well as software and color. I can adapt my work to many needs.
Can you tell us a few fun facts about you?
Fun facts?.. Ah-h…
I started diving at 4 years old before I even knew how to swim.
I had a lot of pets growing-up. I found one of them (a hamster) trapped in an air duct. My family rescued him, but he ran away a couple months later. And I had two Russian tortoises. We lost one on the beach. Everyone thinks tortoises are slow, but they are not!
Not really fun, but facts...
I love dancing, swimming and fitness. Anything active!
I spent a lot of time observing nature with my parents. We went camping, hiking, canoeing, and searching for mysteries in caves. My childhood was awesome!
