We recently connected with Braeden Raymer and have shared our conversation below.

Braeden, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I was fortunate enough to be able to pursue art in college, and during those years I made it a goal to try as many techniques and materials as possible. I felt that I would more easily find my niche if I narrowed it down by process of elimination. My undergraduate program mostly discouraged digital art, so I didn’t really explore it until graduate school, but it really sped up my learning process.

As for what I could have done better, I should have been more constructively critical in my experiments. There’s this “10,000 hours to mastery” rule that people mention, but what they don’t often mention is that repetition alone doesn’t lead to success. I think I could have improved quicker by being more aware of what was working or wasn’t, and then applying that experience to the next drawing.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I work mainly on illustrated graphics for print, like clothing and merchandise illustrations or book covers. A lot of my inspiration comes from editorial illustration, so when I approach an assignment, I’m looking to find a solution that is interesting graphically or thematically. My illustrations for United State of Indiana, for example, have given me a chance to flex this muscle by finding clever ways to combine Indiana icons with pop culture. My hope is that people familiar with the state can recognize the Indiana references just as easily as the pop culture ones.

I bring this same approach to other assignments as well. When I was hired by Terakeet to illustrate the cover of their Culture Book, the prompt was relatively simple: a rocket launching into space as a symbol of the company’s growth and ambition. I wanted to personalize the concept so it could be more unique to the company and its employees, so I incorporated the company’s logo as the rocket’s window. I also enjoy including subtle gags or easter eggs in some of my illustrations, even if only a few people will appreciate them.

A recent accomplishment I am proud of is being accepted into the Society of Illustrators’ annual publication and exhibition in NYC. This was a long-term goal of mine, and I did not expect to reach it so early in my career. Seeing my work exhibited alongside some of the best illustrators in the industry was an honor, and it’s encouraged me to keep improving so I might be included again in the future.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

What were initially advertised as a way for creatives to take control of their own revenue, quickly devolved into just a “get rich quick” scheme. I think the trend has mostly died down, or at least AI art has become the primary discourse in the industry, but I feel that those promoting NFTs never had the interest of artists at heart, just profits.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

In my experience, people seeking to hire an artist for whatever reason are looking for a sort of jack-of-all-trades. I find it in my best interest to learn as much as I can and to be flexible in the types of subjects I draw and the techniques I use. Don’t feel like you have to lock in your niche too early. Try to seek additional skills that make you more desirable, like understanding printing processes so you can provide appropriate file setups, or learning some animation skills so you can animate your work for social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.braedenraymer.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braedenraymer/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/braeden-raymer/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@braedenraymer