Tim Alblas

Tim Alblas is a graphic designer and artist living in Hamilton, ON. Specializing in branding, logo design and illustration, Tim works as a freelancer with local businesses as well as musicians. His artwork and illustrations combine multiple mediums and techniques, including watercolour, ink, acrylic and digital tools.

“I am a very hands-on person, so incorporating a lot of traditional mediums in my work is very satisfying to me and adds a lot of interesting textures,” Tim says.

Website: alblasdesign.com
Instagram: @alblasdesign
Facebook: facebook.com/alblasdesignWhat stands out for you as one of your favourite career highlights so far?

In the last 2 years I’ve had the chance to do a few murals around the Hamilton area as well as some hand-painted signage I designed for a local butcher shop. I enjoy designing the pieces, but to physically get out and install your own work is a lot of fun.

How’d you get started as an artist?

I began drawing at a very young age. I remember having a childhood friend whose dad was an animator for the show Gargoyles and I always thought that was really cool. Naturally that friend was a good drawer and I think there was a certain competitiveness to keep up with his skills, which really kick-started my interest in drawing. I continued pursuing art and design throughout high school and college.

What is your creative process like?

I find my best work comes when I don’t overthink too much and just start creating. As a designer I am usually problem solving creatively for someone else and thinking about how the public will see their brand. So when it comes to creating my own art, I try to block out that mindset of pleasing people and make it a fun experience for myself. I treat that creative process as time to experiment and have some fun with colours, techniques and subject matter. Some of these pieces never see the light of day, but I still consider it valuable time spent to figure out what I like and don’t like.Who or what influences your art?

Music and media has always had a large influence on my work. I like listening to new music to create things or finding interesting colour palates from movies or photography to work with. Being outdoors in nature is always inspiring to me as well, and there are also a ton of designers and artists locally and internationally that I love seeing new work come from.

What are you currently working on?

Currently I am working on a few logo design projects as well as a packaging design project for a local start-up business.