In the previous episode, we met Kate Hunter who shared how she entered into the world of LEGO, the ways she reimagines her favourite famous art pieces in LEGO mosaic and how she’s paving the way for future female art and LEGO enthusiasts to follow their passions and never settle. She also discussed the importance of working creative projects meaningful to her and today’s guest agrees.
Allow me to officially introduce you to today’s guest: Erin Sass.
Erin is currently in her final year of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program at McGill University in Montreal. She has done freelance and extracurricular graphic design and illustration work for WebMD and several McGill student-run publications and committees (including the Bull & Bear, On the Table magazine, McGill’s chapter of NOBE, and The McGill Tribune). Erin has interned in product development at Canadian Tire over the past two summers, which has reinforced her interest in digital and physical product design. She is now transitioning into the exciting field of user experience (UX) design to apply her artistic talents to creating functional solutions for people's everyday problems. Erin’s hobbies include playing piano, plant-based cooking and baking, dancing Zumba, sewing, and listening to Earth, Wind & Fire!
In our conversation, Erin and I discuss the way she uses the app Procreate to add layers and texture to create realistic digital paper creations, how her future will ideally include a blend of engineering and design, as well as learn the subject matter that fuels her.
Key Ideas Discussed:
Texture and shading, colours, layers is how she achieves this digital paper cutting technique
Self-taught - looking at real paper cutting, Procreate artist, YouTube tutorials
Her goal was to create art that looked realistic enough to be actual paper cutting
Lots of layers!
She'll start with the solid shapes, adds texture, more layers for shading, draw in highlights on shapes
There isn't too much overlap with her art and her engineering work right now - left brain and right brain (but hopefully her pursuit of industrial design will encompass more of both worlds)
She likes word play in her work
Her favourite project Slow M-Ocean is one that is deeply personal to her
It takes her about 2 hours to complete one piece
The days when inspiration and work just flows are the best
She's hoping to get into more commercial illustration and design work, including children's books; industrial design, sustainability
Among many insights gained, Erin reminds us about the importance of getting into a flow state, carving out time to create when inspiration strikes. In the next episode we meet Katherine, a watercolour artist who shares Erin’s feelings about blocking off time to achieve a rhythm in order to do her best creative work.
Stay tuned…
About Our Guest:
Erin Sass is currently in her final year of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program at McGill University in Montreal. She has done freelance and extracurricular graphic design and illustration work for WebMD and several McGill student-run publications and committees (including the Bull & Bear, On the Table magazine, McGill’s chapter of NOBE, and The McGill Tribune). Erin has interned in product development at Canadian Tire over the past two summers, which has reinforced her interest in digital and physical product design. She is now transitioning into the exciting field of user experience (UX) design to apply her artistic talents to creating functional solutions for people's everyday problems. Erin’s hobbies include playing piano, plant-based cooking and baking, dancing Zumba, sewing, and listening to Earth, Wind & Fire!
Music (public domain via Free Music Archive): Chad Crouch - Rainbow
Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle