Advanced Photoshop Magazine interview Dojo Design Studio

September 17, 2009

Dojo were interviewed by the popular Advanced Photoshop Magazine to chat about the industry and how we use Photoshop. The two page interview appears in issue 61, available 10th September 2009, and showcases some of our work.

Read the uncut interview below...

Advanced Photoshop

Welcome to AP! Let's start by hearing a bit more about the studio and the kind of work that you do.

Chris Torres

We started Dojo Design Studio in February 2008 after working together at another design company. During this period we became interested in combining our skills and setting up our own studio. After about a year of planning, we bit the bullet.

We selected the name Dojo as it means ‘the place of the way’ or ‘art’ with our strap line being ‘The Way of Design’. We both also have a keen interest in Japanese art and film.

Looking at which services we could both bring to Dojo, we realised the list was extensive. I have 17+ years in print design, web design, and video production while Tom’s 13 years covers graphic & web design, 3D, multimedia and illustration.

Because of our careful planning, we were inundated with projects from the word go. Some of these projects were from clients we already had a relationship with, but mostly they came from clients who found our site and were impressed with the design and with our showreel.

Our projects cover a wide range of sectors, including catalogues for the fashion industry, web solutions for the renewable energy sector and digital video sequences for films such as Dougray Scott’s ‘New Town Killers’.

We also are producing a lot of work for the Tour Operator sector which has blossomed since the success of a Scottish adventure company’s website we designed and launched.

At the moment Dojo is run entirely by Tom and myself but we are looking to slowly expand over the next year.

Advanced Photoshop

What has been your favourite commission to date?

Tom Hart

This is a hard one for both of us. Every project carries it’s own challenge and once implemented, provides a great sense of satisfaction. My favourite commission would have to be a children’s book called ‘Hippopotamud’, which is both educational and entertaining! I have produced the illustrations by hand, colouring on this occasion using watercolours. I then produced hi-resolution scans of each illustration which were then colour corrected and edited in Photoshop. This saves a lot of time if alterations are required. Changing an expression for example, would require me to just redraw the mouth and eyes then retouch these into the original illustration.

Chris can’t choose between two projects. The first would be the album art for hip-hop artist Eastborn. The album’s theme is about the Illuminati and there alleged influence on the world. Chris used hundreds of images to create the final artwork, which contains lots of hidden symbols and messages. His second project would be the jewellery catalogue for Enhance Accessories. He loves designing for print. Sourcing the right paper for a project, creating mock-ups and selecting the best print techniques. He especially loves working to tight budgets as he sees it as a challenge to produce something that looks twice the price.

Advanced Photoshop

What would be your dream commission for Dojo?

Chris Torres

For both of us it would be more projects for the TV & Film industry. Working on the sequence for New Town Killers and a 3D scene for Taggart whet our appetites! We enjoyed the whole experience and would love to do more.

Advanced Photoshop

What are you working on at the moment?

Tom Hart

We are currently working on a Tour Operator’s website aimed at adventure holidays. Chris has built the website templates using Photoshop. He will then code W3C compliant XHTML and CSS which will be integrated with their online booking system.

I am currently illustrating and designing the website for Dalduff Farm, a fine food producer. The illustrations are being used across their website, van livery and promotional products. These are sketched by hand and brought into Photoshop to be cleaned up, edited and coloured. I also produce visuals of the web design in Photoshop, which can then easily be reproduced as HTML.

For the music industry, Hip-hop artist Loki has asked us to create his new album art, which will be built along the lines of Eastborn’s.

We have many commissions lined up from the renewable energy sector, such as rendering products and systems in 3D. These stills are enhanced in Photoshop then animated and scripted in Flash for interactivity. A picture tells a thousand words and product demonstrations like these allow the viewer to easily understand the benefits of green energy technologies.

Advanced Photoshop

What techniques do you use to create your images? Where does Photoshop come into the equation?

Chris Torres

We honestly would be lost without Photoshop as we use it on every project we do. For example, colour correction of model shots, the creation of web ready images, to composing illustrations and album art. If Tom is producing one of his illustrations he would either do it by hand, or from scratch in Photoshop. We usually give the client a B&W version to approve first, with colour added to the client’s specification. Photoshop’s layers and tools make it so easy to change colours or composition on the fly, especially when the client is sitting next to you.

Photoshop is also essential when creating album art as I would produce a rough montage first. Sitting with the client, I have the freedom to move or change elements until they are happy. I would then go on to create the first draft for approval and then the final artwork.

Tom tends to sketch out designs first by hand while I tend to do roughs in Photoshop or Illustrator first. There is no right or wrong way as the end result always exceeds the client’s expectations.

Advanced Photoshop

Where would we have seen your work?

Tom Hart

If you have seen ‘New Town Killers’ you would see our work on the sequence that appears on Dougray Scott’s computer screen. A technician was off-screen triggering the animation, while the actor pretended to move the mouse. This helped with continuity during takes by relieving the actor from doing two things at once.

Again we turned to the flexibility of Photoshop to create the storyboards and the final images contained within the sequence.

Advanced Photoshop

What would be your advice for artists hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Chris Torres

If you want to start on your own, take a deep breath and do it! You will never look back. No matter if there is a recession or not, if you’re smart and creative enough, there is always work available. Businesses and organisations will always need to promote their products and services.

When we produce work, we listen carefully to the client’s requirements. It is easy to come away from a meeting thinking one thing when your client is thinking another. Never tell them their idea is rubbish! Be diplomatic about it. Advise them towards the direction you know will work best. This will give you the creative freedom you enjoy, while exceeding the client’s expectations. Follow their brief and blow them away with your professionalism and creativity!

Also, an up-to-date folio is essential. There is nothing worse for a client than looking at irrelevant or old projects. If you do not promote yourself with style and vigour, then why would a potential client think you would be any different with them?

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We would like to thank Advanced Photoshop Magazine for taking the time to interview Dojo and for giving us the chance to pass on a little advice to its readers.

www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk