Recently Matt got a chance to talk to Nils Vogeding, the creator of our sweet Mountains tee. Check out what this up-and-coming illustrator had to say.

For those who don’t know, what is it that you do exactly?

I am an up-and-coming professional freelance illustrator working towards my big break. I draw a lot of mountains and monsters for clients in the t-shirt industry and I’m working on a handful of different personal projects to keep me busy.

What’s your typical work day like?

I don’t really have any kind of routine and I like it that way. I usually just wake up, see what the day brings and try to make the most out of it. I check my emails; take a look at how the internet changed over night. And then I’ll start working on something. I usually get distracted, find something else to do, take small breaks and start working again. I’m a night owl so most of my work gets done around midnight. My sleep pattern depends on my workload and my schedule and it can get pretty weird.

You recently wrapped up a yearlong project where you created a new piece of artwork every day for a year. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Yes of course. I started this project in October 2009 because I just needed a change. I quickly came up with the idea and some concepts for the first week. And then I headed right into it without over thinking every single detail. For my first upload I picked up an ikea lamp and drew a grim reaper on it. I wanted to go on like this and draw on different random objects from around the house. I wanted to find new canvases for my drawings and do something original every day. It went on like that for a long time but I later changed the concept. The rules that I set up for myself didn’t feel comfortable any longer, I guess I needed another change. So at one point I decided to include regular drawings, illustrations and photos. I still tried out a lot of different new things and learned a lot by doing this project.

I ended it with a small contest and I think I made the 3 winners very happy. Honestly I kinda miss this project already. But I still create small artsy things that could have been part of this project. I just have to use my ideas when they come to me. Some people asked if I want to do it again but right now I want to focus on other things and reach new goals. But who knows, I might start it out of nowhere again.

Was the yearlong project hard to do? Were their times you got discouraged from completing it?

Of course I had some days were I didn’t feel creative at all. There were days when I started drawing and couldn’t get lines that I’m happy with. I guess every artist has days like that and its okay. In most cases those problems fix themselves on the next day. I have to admit that I sometimes suck at pulling things through but it gets easier the more my heart is connected to something. And after around 6 months I knew I just had to pull it through and go on making this for a full year. And luckily a lot of my friends have been very supportive. A lot of them wanted me to draw on their stuff to be a part of this project.

I read on your blog that you also have a part time job editing photos and text, and that you’re currently contemplating make the jump to full time freelance artist. Personally, I think you should do it, but what are some of the things that are weighing on your mind about the move?

Thanks for the support Matt. The whole situation is a little bit more complicated than that. I used to be an intern at a small agency and they really want me to be part of the team again. Sadly they can’t afford to hire new people at the moment. So I just hang out at their office, drink a lot of coffee, do my own freelancing-thing and when their workload is getting bigger I’ll help them out. I edit product shots, make clipping-paths, change some things in ads that other people made, prepare PDFs and so on. It’s not a job that I’m totally in love with but it could be worse. I get along great with my bosses there. They are just perfect examples of older dudes staying young at heart. And my working hours are very flexible. So it’s not a daily grind or a boring 9 to 5 routine. That would be a nightmare for me.

The main benefit of a part-time-job is having some steady income that I can rely on. On the other hand I just want to be free and be my own boss the whole time. There are much more things weighing on my mind at the moment but I’m sure I’ll figure this out pretty soon and following my dreams will prevail.

What are some of your favorite projects that you have worked on?

I always get excited about projects that make me step on new grounds. I recently did 3 shirt-designs for a new clothing line that will only feature girly-shirts. And the designs are all based on fairytales and cartoons. I had so much fun drawing those things and being able to experiment with my style was great, too. I wish I could show the designs or talk more about that but I probably already said too much.

Another groundbreaking and fun thing was a shirt design that I did for Vampire Furs new line. A perfect client, In his first email he explained why he wanted to hire me and gave me a well-written briefing. He asked for a huge detailed Robot vs. Alien war scene inside of a big snow globe. I just loved the concept! So I spent the next nights drawing tiny tiny details and a large variety of different alien/robot characters. Hard work but it paid off.

One of my biggest projects so far was the recent release of Bad Taste Clothing. I put a lof work into it and a lot of people asked if it’s my own line. But I don’t run the company, they just printed 4 of my designs and they also wanted a tiled background and a header for their online shop. I had free reign over 2 of the designs. And then they requested a Super Mario and a Sonic design. I wish I could get awesome requests like that more often and end up drawing all of my childhood heroes for clients.

What about your dream client?

Converge! That will never happen but they are one of my all-time-favorite bands and when I think about people who did work for Converge, I think about legends like Aaron Horkey, Derek Hess and Jacob Bannon himself. So yeah, Converge would be a ridiculous dream client. I also wouldn’t mind inventing new pokémon for Nintendo.

But I’m not that picky. Of course I’d love to do more designs for bigger bands or leading indie clothing lines. I want to do more gigposters and album artwork. But right now I also enjoy working on a smaller scale. It gives me the chance to talk to a lot of awesome people who really appreciate my work and who are extremely thankful for all the things I do for them. We stay in touch after a project is done and joke around about unicorns and midget-hookers. I think I already found some dream clients.

I also seen you do photography. What are some of the things you like about doing that as oppose to illustrating?

Illustrating will always be my main focus, photography is mostly just a hobby. I don’t even own any fancy equipment, not even a tripod. But what I truly love is taking photos at concerts, especially when my friends are on stage. I just love capturing their energy. It’s so easy to get lost in the mixture of heavy sounds and flashing lights when you see everything through a camera lens while trying to keep up with them because you don’t want to miss a good shot. And that’s also my way of supporting local bands. I usually just ask for a spot on the guest list and a free beer smuggled from the backstage area and in exchange they’ll get some nice photos for their facebook pages from me.

Basically it’s just another creative outlet. And unlike digital illustration it’s something that can also be done outside with other people. I really enjoy trying out new camera settings and editing techniques. I just have to do that when I see inspiring photos. Getting stoked about trying new things and those blackout-moments are things that I enjoy about both creative fields. But after editing a bunch of photos I’m always looking forward to drawing all day long.

You’re from Germany correct? Are there a lot of artists like yourself there? Do German companies dig the same sort of artistic styles that America does?

Ja! There are a lot of great Illustrators over here. I’m a big fan of Dee Dee Kid and his characters. The guys from Peachbeach and 110secialblack always put out great work. I’m currently working on a Collab with Drop who also did a lot of work for Bad Taste. His work is great and it keeps getting better. There are way more talented people though. WEAREYAWN, dxtr, akrapf, Mike Friedrich just to name a few.

There are some companies with loud and colorful shirts who follow the trends coming from America. And just like everywhere else there are a lot of new ones popping up. I really enjoyed what Party Smartie was doing. But I think they’re not around anymore. A friend of mine runs a line called Roxxilla and I recently did a new shirt for his next line. He told me the next release will be different and I think he’s taking a step into the right direction. Yackfou is another very interesting brand from Germany. Perfidy and Beyond are also some companies that come to my mind. Aaaand we have our own Threadless-like contest site called A Better Tomorrow, international artists are always welcome.

And of course there are a lot of bands over here that need merch designs. Some of them don’t care a lot about their merch but more and more bands are realizing the importance of good merch. However most of my clients still come from the US and the UK. A big thanks to the internet for making that possible.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

some of my t-shirt-industry-favorites are Keaton Henson, Derek Deal, Chad Lenjer, Sockmonkee, Drew Milward, Mr Gauky, Godmachine, Mumford, Craig Robson, Greg Abbott, Benjamin Lande, Chad Manzo, Garret Eagles, the Shantz brothers, Alex Norman, Paul Granese, PitchGrim, Derek Guidry, Killer Napkins, Gaunty, Herky, qetza, Kevvbo, YemaYama and of course Matt Gondek but I probably forgot to name a few.

I’m also a huge fan of 64 Colors, McBess, Alex Pardee, Chris Ryniak, Monaux, Dan Hipp, smallandround …and a lot of other artists, I follow way too many people on flickr and they are all amazing.

Music-wise there are also way too many artists that I like. I listen to a lot different genres, good music just has to be unique and heartfelt. And my playlist has to match my mood, at the moment it’s mostly a mixture of Motion City Soundtrack, Brand New, I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business, Tony Sly, Moving Mountains, Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember, Touche Amore, Chiddy Bang, Crystal Castles, Jaguar Love and much much more.

Any last words?

Thank you for taking my interview-virginity. After all this namedropping I want to use my last words for shameless self-promotion if that’s okay. I just want people to keep their eyes peeled for a little comic story that I’m working on. It’s been on the back-burner for a while but I’m working on it again. I hope I can upload it later this year.