Serge Seidlitz
Serge Seidlitz

Self-Initiated

 

USA ROADMAP

SELF INITIATED GOLD AWARD

PROFESSIONAL

2006 – IMAGES 30

An English/German hybrid, born in Kenya in 1977, Serge grew up travelling between the UK, Russia & Asia. Serge combines elements of popular culture with these diverse influences to create a body of work which both relates back to an iconic graphic language and also explores innovative and original ideas through maps, information graphics, character design and much more.

The work was produced in 2006 when Serge had just started working freelance and was trying to get some new work in his portfolio.

“My agent was going on a trip to New York and asked for something that he could put in his folio to show people that would stand out and we thought a fun illustrated map of America would be perfect. It has been a very popular piece of work that has led to many commissions.”

“When I won the Gold award in 2006 I was fairly new to freelance Illustration as I had previously been working in-house as a graphic designer at Cartoon Network, winning Gold gave me an enormous boost in confidence in my work, as I felt that I was onto something that people would like and most likely commission. I’ve been working full time as an Illustrator ever since.”

sergeseidlitz.com

BRIEF: A self initiated project inspired by the idea of an American road trip.

MATERIALS: Designed entirely on my old tiny-screened laptop using a mouse and Freehand 9.

RESEARCH: Lots of Google-imaging different US States.

PROCESS: Hunched over laptop moving stuff around the screen until it looked good.

RESISTANCES: The North East coast has too many little States to fit in and look good so I just left them out.

INSIGHT: Make it look good in black and white first and then worry about colour when it works in black and white.

DISTRACTIONS: Yes – always.

NUMBERS: 52 States  (minus California and a few others. Opps).

FINAL THOUGHTS: Maps are fun to make, and this one reminded me a bit of the treasure maps I used to draw when I was a child.







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