We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrew Haskell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Around 2019, I had been out of undergrad for four years. Work was hard to come by, but I managed to land an opportunity working for a signage firm in downtown New Haven for nine months. The pandemic starts. At first I’m crushed at the office downsizing and transferring my work on three projects to the more permanent designer in the company. Then I look at it differently. Maybe it’s a chance for me to learn more. I begin to teach myself Adobe After Effects. I begin with tutorials but eventually decide to delve into the program and see what the boundaries of possibilities are. I look for what art styles are being made alongside tv shows and video games, and try to create extra elements that stay cohesive to what’s already been made in terms of materials. I feel like I went about it the right way, and that being more efficient at the processes programs can pull off just comes with repetition and discipline to learn more. At this point in time I feel like obstacles haven’t been with what I can imagine but more about behind the scenes issues of what can be designed, specifically in rendering and cutting down sizes of animations. I also feel that the more I learn, the higher the ceiling is for possibilities. I always see something new that looks amazing and wonder how it was created or why it fits the concept that the creative made it for.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

It’s been a crazy journey so far. I would say that I was introduced to Adobe programs back in high school art class. This was photoshop, dreamweaver, and illustrator. Before that I knew there was passion and a goal to be an artist, but I feel like my calling really came once I got my hands on the digital creative programs and got to explore. I’ve been a contract graphic designer, I’ve freelanced, and being a motion design graduate student is the step I’m on right now. I can’t wait to see where I go next. I provide style blended narratives that combine 2D, 3D, type, and tactile drawings. I feel like my strong suit is working with typography because of my background in graphic design.

I believe what sets me apart from others is willpower and taking constructive criticism or failure as a lesson to learn from because of my journey. The work that I am most proud of has to be my recent work for a projection mapping class. Our assignment was to create a 30-60 second animation that would be played in a town; Alys Beach, for an exhibit that takes place every year called Digital Graffiti. I had run multiple simulations in cinema 4D to create a pinball machine that interacted with a ball as it rolled from the top past the flippers and into the bottom of the setting.

The main thing that I would want potential clients, followers, or fans to know about me is that I find satisfaction in challenging myself or being challenged to push the boundaries of my design skills. Ideas or narratives come to me, and a lot of the time, I’m lost in thought picturing how and why it could be created to fit a concept. Overcoming it is why I love and have passion for expanding and being able to offer these skills.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Communicate. I am a believer that it’s still not just what you know, but who. If we as students and society reach out to each other and tell each other about events or opportunities happening in our area, then I see it as everyone gaining a new chance.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish that I had known about conferences and networking events earlier on in my journey, even back in undergrad. While my college wasn’t art focused, I feel like it would have helped me more if I had taken the steps to see what events or connections I could have made around the city of Boston. I’m sure there would have been a lot and it would have helped me develop sooner into the creative I am now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anhask.design
• Instagram: andrew.haskell_ or andrew.work_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-haskell-429769a8/

Image Credits

Andrew Haskell
www.anhask.design