A Friend in My Head: Graphic Artist Hudson
In 2015, I became more engaged with the online art community and started to follow some of my favorite artists on Tumblr and Instagram. I had a particular interest in artists who could create alternate persona's of people, tell narratives of lands I have never been and use their platforms for social justice issues. There was one artist in particular that caught my attention and I saw that he was accepting commissions so I hired him to make some art for me. It was a collaborative process as I sent over images and gave several ideas about the look that I wanted him to create.
Hudson Says
“I am lucky enough to work with people that are very passionate in what they are doing.”
In 2017 when I had him create the pup image of me I didn't know much about Hudson as an Artist. About a month ago I wanted to have paper dolls of myself made and I commissioned Hudson once again. I thought about asking one of the artists on campus, but I was already familiar with the quality of Hudson’s work and naturally he was my first choice. This time we got to know a little more about each other during the process of him asking what kind of looks I wanted to have created. I decided to allow far more creative control this time and was very much pleased with the results. He used elements from the 90's and things that were culturally relevant to me. I was very much interested in creating images that showed me from different perspectives. I am not always perform my masculinity in normative ways and this project allowed me to have a tangible way to create different looks while presenting the same person. I have not yet decided how I would use these images outside of decorating my home and making gifts for friends but I am sure it will come to me when I am ready.
Fetish Persona Inspired Designs by Hudson
Post Paper Doll project, I asked Hudson if he would be open to a interview since I am looking to engage people and create community with my blog. He enthusiastically agreed and I was glad to get to engage with the art community in this way. In the back of my mind I thought about Issa Rae, the creative content creator and producer behind Awkward Black Girl and HBO's Insecure. During an interview she discussed the importance of networking across, that she uses artists that she has worked and they help build one another up.
Hudson creates 90’s inspired looks while
paying hommage to the band Garbage
Hudson tells me that he enjoys opportunities to work with new people and he would like to take on more projects in the future. So without any further delays here is what we discussed after the completion of the Paper Doll Project:
Where are you from? And what is the art community like there?
I Live in Brazil and I am happy to say the community is building up very well. I see artists supporting one another and educating people how they can support artists in general. I also have to mention the fact that we now have a comic con regularly every year, the first edition ever was in 2014. There people can actually be out there selling/sharing their art for a larger audience, which could be a first step for someone to make a living based on their artwork around here.
I was first introduced to you on Tumblr in 2017 and enjoyed your style of graphic design. I see that you have stepped away from the platform, does this have anything to do with the recent changes in Tumblr’s policies?
No. Tumblr is a great platform, because it still chronological. But apparently, people there just care about porn and minimalistic art. Indeed that I contributed with that doing some (not so much) #NSFW artworks, but with time, I got frustrated. I started to think that people there weren't seeing my work as I would like them to. Of course, Is not up to me to decide what people might like/share. So after some thinking, I decided that the best option was me to leave. It was like, 2017.
What made you get into graphic art and do you have any other artists that have inspired you?
I Always been a creative person. I used to paint since I was a kid, I grew up playing with Plasticine, because that could give me the possibility to create whatever I wanted to. I really think it is something natural for me.
What is your reason for waking up in the morning?
I found out that I'm good with sports, So its being something fun right now. I know it doesn't have a very deep meaning, but, I woke up to hit the gym, so I can have better chances of winning. Found out I'm a competitive person as well.
What are you curious about right now?
Nothing right now, but Sometimes I wonder why people are so evil to the point of ruining a pizza with pineapples.
What would you ask for if the answer was yes?
Bringing back the sanity of politicians around the world, because damn, WTF is going on, people????
Are their any projects you are currently working on?
Absolutely, but I don't want to talk about them, because I have this weird superstition that If I talk about them, I end up not doing them.
Is there any particular work that you are proud of that you would like me to share?
Recently I've been kicking my own ass on every artwork I do. The tag #drawthisinyourstyle Is awesome because it connects artists and make you step out of your comfort zone. I did two pieces for the tag, An they make me proud because It was challenging to me and I wanted to deliver this same challenge to others. I think it embodies most of my ' guidelines ' to work, extreme opposites, nice colors, experimentation, etc.
What kind of people would you like to work with in the future?
Honestly, I think I am lucky enough to work with people that are very passionate in what they are doing. I hope it stays that way.
Are you currently accepting commissions? If so, Where can people find you?
I'm always accepting commissions. You can check out my Instagram, I always check my DM's.
Or, people can email me directly. Both works for me.
My Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/hqueuli/
E-mail: holiqueheal@gmail.com