An interview with graphic designer Josephine Pallus

Josephine Pallus is a young graphic designer and a massive video games fan. Through her elaborate images, we can visualize a world of fantasy and characters with a lot of details.

In this interview, we wanted to talk to her about her studies and her plans for the future.

print24: Hello, Josephine! Would you mind, in a few words, describing yourself and what you like about your work?

Josephine: Hi, my name is Josephine Pallus. I’ve been drawing since I was little and love how it is possible for me to combine traditional art with new styles.

print24: How have you decided to become a graphic designer?

Josephine: I don’t see myself as a traditional graphic designer. I’m more into concept art and illustration. There was no specific moment where I decided to become a designer. I always liked to be creative. At the age of 13/14 I learned that you can do “real” art with the computer. Someone has to build those digital landscapes we’re using, right?

print24: We can see on your website that you’re still studying. Can you tell us a bit more about your course and what this is leading to?

Josephine: I just changed my degree course. Since last October, I’ve started studying Game Design at the HTW in Berlin. Video games are not just games anymore. A lot of game-specific mechanics are used in other media, for example in medicine. Moreover, I love topics such as Virtual and Augmented Reality which is also obviously a big thing in concept art. Thanks to those technologies, games and movies are going to merge step-by-step.

print24: Is your life as a student compatible with your freelancer life?

Josephine: With these studies in October, I still have to figure out how to find extra time. Of course, I’ll have to adapt to Berlin and meet new people. Surely, I’ll have to wait maybe two or three months before being able to estimate how much time I can dedicate to my commissions. But it’s important for me to seize opportunities for two reasons: on one hand, life in Berlin is not exactly cheap and every euro you earn helps you carry on with your studies. On the other hand, the freelancer job is important to stay in touch and show what I’m capable of.

print24: How do you get new clients? Do you wait for people to discover you or do you promote yourself actively?

Josephine: As I’m still studying, I haven’t promoted myself actively. I receive my commissions either through online enquiries or through the companies I’ve been in an internship with. Of course, as soon as the right opportunity comes over, I will be more active and promote myself to other potential clients, for example, by sending them my portfolio.

print24: What sort of software do you use to create your impressive artworks?

Josephine: I use Photoshop, very classical. I think you can’t work without it. I also use Blender for 3D projects and Fusion360, which is perfect for shaping technical objects. I’m looking forward to using programmes like Maya, 3dsMax, Houdini, Nuke and Zbrush at the university.

print24: On your website also, you’re telling us you have a focus on films and videogames. Which films and/or video games would you say influenced your artworks the most?

Josephine: I could give you a very long list but my favourites are artbooks from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the ones which belong to the Metal Gear Solid video game series. I highly recommend them to anyone who is into Science Fiction.

print24: You are a very diverse artist! On one side, we have the heavy stuff such as grandiose spaceships and dragons and on the other side cute polar bears and lovely cows. Do you find it hard to switch from one style to the other? Which one is your favorite to explore?

Josephine: It’s not hard to switch at all. It’s very exciting to check out different styles. Sometimes people ask for robots, sometimes they want cute little cows. It’s good to be able to present both styles.

print24: Do you have a favourite character from a comic or a game? Which one is it and why? If you were to draw or redraw its concept, which one would it be?

Josephine: Sometimes I redraw my favourite characters just for fun because it’s awesome to see them in a different style. I’m a huge Iron Man fan though, the design is probably the one which affected me the most.

print24: What would you say to people willing to become graphic designer and follow the same course as you?

Josephine: People ask how I developed my own style and which tools I use a lot. You don’t create your own style overnight so my main advice is to be patient. If you keep going you’ll slowly find out what you like and what you’re good at. At the beginning, it’s also good to use free programmes like Blender or Krita and spend your money on high-performance technology. There are also so many online communities, mentorships and tutorials, especially on YouTube, which can help you in case you have questions or want to dive into specific topics.

print24: Any new projects for the upcoming year?

Josephine: I first want to fully get used to Berlin and create contacts within the city and my university.

print24: Berlin is considered a Mecca for creative people. Does the environment help you with inspiration for new projects, or do you hold no importance to where you live as an artist?

Josephine: Of course, being in a hotspot such as Berlin is really important. I hope that, during my studies, I’ll be able to create contacts and build a small network. It’d be cool for me to work on a separate project with fellow students. But at this digital day and age, you can work from virtually everywhere.

print24: Many artists promote themselves on Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Behance. Which role does Social Media play to you?

Josephine: Of course, Social Media does play an important role. You can find my art here on my Homepage as well as Tumblr, Deviantart and Instagram. When I will soon start working on real projects, I will probably upload them on Behance or Artstation.

print24: Ideally, where would you see yourself in 5 years?

Josephine: I don’t want to pinpoint it. My degree opens a lot of doors for me. Besides the gaming industry, I also think a job in the film industry would be exciting.

Thanks a lot for this opportunity to know me and my work better.

print24: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview!