藝術家介紹
Nicko Phillip
來自澳洲的平面設計師暨插畫家，以明亮鮮豔的色彩、生動的肢體，以及玩世不恭的神情，塑造出無數怪奇又逗趣的插畫角色，以及別開生面的聚會場景。創作深受經典卡通、樂團以及專輯封面設計影響，除了滑稽誇張，介於寫實與寫意之間的上空與下體解放外，畫面中也不乏持著樂器搬弄的角色形象。
Australian graphic designer and illustrator Nicko Phillip creates numerous quirky and amusing illustrations, along with unique party scenes characterised by bright, vibrant colours and exuberant gestures, all infused with a playful attitude. His work is deeply influenced by classic cartoons, bands, and album cover designs. In addition to his comical exaggerations and the playful balance between realism and abstraction, his artwork often features characters playing musical instruments.
Q：你筆下的角色總是神采飛揚，請問你如何發展出如此具個人特色的插畫風格？你有沒有在創作時遇過瓶頸，當你心情不佳時會不會比較無法創作呢？
A：沒錯！如果我的心情不佳，確實很難畫出到位的氛圍——不過繪畫也是一種抒發方式，在澳洲疫情封城期間，我畫了很多我心神嚮往的地方，或者是我渴望從事的活動，那時候我們全家住在墨爾本的一棟小房子，結果我那時期的一堆作品都在戶外完成！
另外我認為色彩是表現情緒的利器：我特別著迷的色彩確實來自歡快的宇宙，因此當我描繪的主題較為黑暗時，明艷的色彩反而與幽暗的情緒形成有趣的對比。在眾多主題與構圖之間穿梭、取得平衡並不容易，我希望我的作品能夠反映這樣的趣味。
Q： You draw cheerful characters in a unique style. How did you land on this particular illustrative style? Your characters seem to be always jovial, do you ever face creative blocks, is it harder for you to draw when you are not in a good mood?
A： Totally! If I’m not feeling the vibe, I find it hard to give my drawings the energy they deserve. Drawing also acts as a release too though, and I found that during lockdown here in Australia I was drawing a lot of scenes from places that I wished I was at, or activities I was craving for. Me and my family were in a small house in Melbourne at the time, so there were a lot of outdoor drawings from that era!
I also think that colour is a powerful tool to help convey emotion. The colours that I’m innately drawn to do exist in that jovial universe, so even if there are darker themes I’m exploring, the bright colours can offer an interesting contrast to that mood. Creating a juxtaposition within themes and compositions is an interesting tightrope to walk on, and I hope that comes through in my work.
Q：從「IG文字魔術師」到與Pinterest的合作，你至今最引以為傲的作品是？最受喜愛的創作又是什麼？反過來說，有沒有什麼專案你認為值得受到更多人欣賞、關注呢？
A：多年來，我與Khruangbin、Stones Throw、Vista Kicks等品牌合作過很有成就感，其中音樂是我特別珍視的靈感來源，畢竟我就算豁出去了也無法彈奏好任何樂器，將音樂元素融入插畫創作，是我最接近成為樂團一份子的時刻了。幾年前我買了一把貝斯，當我在創作時進入心流的喜悅中：作畫、聽音樂，聽到一段旋律我躍躍欲試，花十分鐘把玩貝斯，然後繼續畫畫，很蠢但是很幸福。
Q： From Character Jam to your collaboration with Pinterest, what’s your proudest project yet? Alternatively, what is your most celebrated work, and what’s something you’ve created that you believe deserves to be known and loved by more people?
A： I’ve worked with a few bands (Khruangbin, Stones Throw, Vista Kicks) over the years that has been super rewarding. Music is something that I absolutely cherish and is a huge influence on my work. Considering I can’t play an instrument to save myself, this is the closest I’ll get to being in a band, I guess. I bought myself a bass a few years ago, and I have so much fun when I’m in a full creative flow – drawing, listening to music, hearing something I think I could play, spending ten minutes trying to learn it on the bass, and then back to drawing. It’s silly, and it’s bliss.
Source: Nicko Phillip
完整文章收錄於 Excerpt from vol.264
