Interview with Tatiana Boyko
After showing off one of her newest projects, we decided it wasn’t enough, and that we need to do a full feature on this talented artitst. Tatiana Boyko already has amassed an impressive body of work, and she has yet to graduate college! Not only is her work amazing, but so is her hustle, and we admire that.
Tatiana is a Madrid-based designer and illustrator who is just finishing up her design degree. If trying to finish her design degree wasn’t enough, she is also an illustrator at the amazing, Walk With Me Studio, part of Just Us Collective, and the editor and publisher of the student created, Guts Zine. For all of you recent grads or college students, pay attention to some key bits of advice she shares in this interview. So without further adieu, enjoy a sample of her amazing work, and some great advice:
Q: Your ability to layer textures over your bold, solid shapes is stunning. And you have an amazing eye for color. What influences have shaped your illustration style?
A: My main influences come from the contemporary illustration. I’m a great admirer of BlexBolex, Robert Hunter or Golden Cosmos (just to name a few). I think their work is very inspiring and I have learnt a lot from them.
Q: Do you have an order of operations in how you approach an illustrations?A: Well, first of all I work out the composition and the shapes drawing by hand, then scan it and after that I work the color on the computer. Usually I try different chromatic combinations before deciding to use one. For me, there’s only one rule that I always follow in my work: I choose three basic colors (red, blue and yellow or their tone variations) and work with overlays as if it was a screen print.
Q: Tell us about your Guts Zine. How did the idea start to make the magazine?A: Guts Zine is an illustration zine made by 13 students of Complutense University. For each issue, we decide a different theme and a 3 color palette (again the color is very important) + black. This project began because we where unmotivated with the University projects. So we decided to make something that would be worthwhile on our own. As many of us were interested in illustration, we decided to set up this zine to promote ourselves but also to help us develop the skills in illustration. And for now, the experiment is going quite well! We have already self published four issues in almost a year and currently we are going on the fifth, with some new and exiting collaborations!
Q: You have an impressive portfolio of both client and self-initiated projects, and you are still in college. What advice do you have for students who are looking to start their professional careers while still in college?A: Do as many self initiated projects as you can. Do not stick strictly to the University work only, and try to develop your personal work as an important part of your portfolio too.
Q:What would be your dream project or client?A: Any client that gives you complete creative freedom is welcomed!
Q: How would you best describe your own work?A: This is a difficult one. I think that what characterizes my work the most (as you said in the first question) is the use of a bright limited color palette, with a screen print treatment and simple compositions.
Follow her work on Behance and Instagram!