Interview with Anthony Hurd- Freelance Designer, Illustrator, Animator

Read the interview below to get to know Anthony Hurd a little more.

CGShelf : Hi Anthony, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Anthony Hurd: Well I'm a 32 year old artist/illustrator/designer/animator.. sort of jack of all trades. I live in the desert area of Palm Springs California. I've been in a wide range of positions over the years. I was part owner and vp of creative of both exopolis.com and enjoygreenergrass.com. Currently I'm represented by acme film works for my commercial work.




CGShelf: What led to your interest in Computer Graphics?

Anthony Hurd: Actually I was forced to take a computer corse in high school.. which I was dreading. Ended up being one of the best things for me. I started in fine arts and at the time had pretty much considered computers as "cheeting".. haha. Within a month of working on a old mac performa I was hooked and ran out shortly after and bought my own. That was in 1994 and I haven't stopped since.


CGShelf: You’ve got a wide range of skills in terms of Computer Graphics, but which genere in this field is close to your heart and why?

Anthony Hurd: Most definitely my digital illustration work. I tend to try and work it into most any type of project in some way these days. Though I'd say it's hard to separate out one specific thing knowing how closely tied each genere is to each other.

CGShelf: Which software packages do you usually use to create your magic?

Anthony Hurd: I mainly work with Photoshop, illustrator, after effects, and cinema 4d. Illustrator is by far my most used application.

CGShelf: What are the main advantages of freelancing?

Anthony Hurd: The freedom of being self sustained I guess. To maintain my life the way I would like to live it. It also allows me the freedom to work on a really wide range of projects with a evenly wide range of people. I work just as much or more as I did when working full time but it's much more rewarding.

CGShelf: How do you find new clients that are interested in your services? Through Ad Agencies? Design Studios? Friends?

Anthony Hurd: Yes, yes, and yes. Sometimes it's through friends, sometimes it's random strangers that stumbled across my site from someone else's. Acme pushes my name for commercial animation which in return often shows them what else I can do.. Word gets around, I'll get linked on some design sites from time to time. I send out packages to all of my clients and potential clients each year keeping them updated with everything I'm doing. It's really a little bit of everything.





CGShelf: Which is one of the most challenging projects you’ve ever worked on?

Anthony Hurd: Honestly I can't narrow it down to one over another. Some require me to stay within the restrictions of a long time existing brand and freshen it up. Others ask that I show something that they have never seen before. Each project is different and each one comes with it's own set of challenges.

CGShelf: What other interesting projects have you handled?


Anthony Hurd: The recent Adobe Interactive project was a lot of fun, working with Blitz Agency. The shirt I just finished for tank theory, had a great time on that one too. I have a lot of "interesting" projects going on a the moment but unfortunately can't speak much about them.





CGShelf: Are you working on any new personal projects?

Anthony Hurd: At the moment I am preparing for a two man art show here in Palm Springs in May of 08. It's my first show in a couple of years and I'm really excited to show the new work I've been doing. These will all be my acrylic and ink on wood and my acrylic and pencil on watercolors which you can find a few examples of on my site.





CGShelf: What advice would you give to prospective CG artists?

Anthony Hurd: Do this because you love it. There is no other way to succeed in this field.

CGShelf: Thanks a lot for your time Anthony.


Thanks
CGShelf Team