For this week’s interview we have Alessandro Pautasso, aka Kaneda, a photographer, graphic designer, and illustrator based in Turin Italy. Kaneda is specialized in vector art, artist of the Graphola Collective, and has some really cool works on his site nosurprises.it.

1- The Abduzeedo team really loves what you do. So, tell me a bit of how did you start and discover that you wanted be a designer?

I've discovered that I want to become a designer\illustrator since I was a child, when I saw an illustration book about the beatles by Alan Alridge.

Then my father bought me an old secondhand mac...and later I frequented an art istitute....that's all :)

2- How do you come up with those great drawings and illustrations? Tips on how to create those pictures?

To create my illustrations I use only a graphic tablet (Wacom Intuos3 or a Wacom Bamboo), I draw my curls/swirl only with the pencil tool of Adobe illustrator.

3 - Tell us a bit of your career?How did you learnhow to draw?

I'm 25 years old and I'm a graphic designer for a little agency in Turin-Italy, I started to draw since I was a child (my mom was a painter) then I'm signed up to an art institute and the passion began something real.

4 - Who are the designers you like and inspire you? And what sites do you visit, or what do you do to get inspiration?

I love very much designers and it's too hard to choose some of them. let's start with the master artists: Alfons Mucha, Gustav Klimt, Edward Munch and Egon Schiele, are those that influenced me a lot, I love the Expressionism and the Liberty/Art Nouveau.

About the contemporary artist I love the Alan Aldridge works (the illustrator of Beatles illustration book): http://www.alanaldridge.net the Malleus poster art. http://www.malleusdelic.com/ and the works of Jasper Goodall http://www.jaspergoodall.com/

5 - Tell us about the apps you use? How long have you been using them?

I use every day only Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop my first personal computer was a mac LC475 with Adobe Photoshop 2.5/3, and I use Adobe illustrator since version 7.

6 - What about your hardware?

I use a Mac. I have a PowerMac G5 1,6ghz, 3GB of RAM + Wacom Intuos 3 + Lacie external HD 250gb, and a Macbook Pro 2,4ghz, 4gb of RAM + Wacom Bamboo + external hd Wester Digital 500gb FW800

7 - Again, thanks for the opportunity of talking to you. One last question: Any advice for designers out there, who, like me are willing to improve their skills and become a master?

Just believe and have a lot of passion, what is important is to go on experimenting new things everyday, enriching your mind reading new books (die-gestalten.de or victionary.com is better) or watch sites like www.cpluv.com, drawn.ca, flickr.com and obviously abduzeedo.com ;)

Some works

More Information

• Website: http://www.nosurprises.it/
• Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/kaneda99/

About author

I'm a 24 years old apprentice graphic designer. I learned most of what I know thanks to internet, so i'm glad to participate, sharing what seems to me great to share!