“I try to make my work feel like it’s moving, even when it’s static, giving a rhythm for your eye to follow through the image,” says L.A.-based artist Daniel Savage. “Lots of repetition and patterns, stuff that kind of looks like music.” Lemonade talked to him about how he brings lines and shapes to life.
Tell me about your commission for #ConnectedByLemonade…
Initially I explored a bunch of dripping paint ideas, but I wasn’t too excited by any of them. I tried to think of something unexpected that could fit in the ‘drip’ template that connected all the other loops. Just thinking of random stuff I landed on a snake. It was sort of like starting with the punchline… working backwards, I ended with the safari hunter in the jungle.
In your illustrations, how are you tweaking and warping the shapes of the human body?
After a few life drawing classes I started to understand where you can push the limits of proportions. Coupled with simple design principles, you get some fun results.
What’s your process like — how much is digital versus hand-drawn?
It varies a lot, so it’s hard to pin down. Sometimes the concept drives the process, other times the process results in an unexpected concept. There’s always a computer involved, and sometimes I throw in whatever materials I have lying around. I like the variety.
Does living in Los Angeles affect the art you make?
I noticed I loosened up and my colors got brighter after I moved here.
Check out more of Daniel Savage’s work, and don’t forget to follow #ConnectedByLemonade!
