Conversations with Olivia Brett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Brett.

Hi Olivia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a graphic designer and illustrator from Fort Collins, CO. I am currently studying graphic design at ArtCenter College of Design.

Growing up, I always loved to draw. For the first few years of my life, I distinctly remember drawing nothing but horses, most of which had 8-10 legs (you know, to show that they were in motion). My parents always encouraged my creativity, and I started my first art business at age 8 – it was a gallery full of SpongeBob fan art that my lawyer-uncle, unfortunately, had to shut down due to copyright issues.

I began my college career as an aerospace engineering major in Florida, but I realized very quickly that art had always been my true passion, and I was sorely out of place. I transferred to Colorado State University and studied graphic design and business – and freelanced as a graphic designer/illustrator throughout my undergraduate studies.

Now, I am an MFA candidate at ArtCenter College of Design and am working on my graphic design thesis this semester! My thesis is focused on graphic design in filmmaking, so I have definitely been in my element, and I now have an excuse to watch movies in all of my free time. When I’m not drawing or designing, I love to play the guitar and drums, visit galleries and museums, spend time with dogs, and talk with people about their favorite shows and films.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenge for me, in both designing and illustrating, is that I can be impatient. Specifically, I get an idea and want to execute it immediately, and it’s sometimes hard for me to move past that first idea. It took a long time for me to learn, and accept, that your first idea is not always the best – sometimes it helps to get it “out of your system,” before moving on, but nevertheless, you should always move on! I have often spent a good amount of time on my first drafts and ideas, and because of the time commitment, it can be hard to accept when a piece is not working – but the extra time and exploration always pays off in the end.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would say that most of my art is influenced by my interests outside of art/design – history, music, film, and current events are big sources of inspiration for me. As a child, I was completely obsessed with the 1960s and The Beatles, and this period of history continues to influence a lot of my work. Designers like Saul Bass and Milton Glaser have been very inspirational to me, and much of my design work is inspired by mid-century modern aesthetics. As an illustrator, I am inspired by so many different artists. Lately, I’ve been looking at the work of Leyendecker for inspiration, along with comic book artists like Bruno Redondo and Dan Mora. Also, like many artists, my art was completely rebooted over the summer after the release of Across The Spider-Verse. Studying the art of this film has been a really fun way to push and develop both my illustration and graphic design work!

I think what really sets me apart is my integration of illustration in my design work. Although I’ve been told by some that my portfolio is too illustrative for the graphic design world, I think that my work is uniquely “me” because of this fusion of hand-drawn illustrations and type. I have been slowly learning how to better integrate both of these art forms in my portfolio, and favorite pieces fall at the intersection between graphic design and illustration.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I spent my last two years of college online during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that was definitely a learning experience that I will always remember. During that time, I realized how important community is for creative people. Collaboration was a lot different via Zoom, so now that I am able to work alongside designers and artists in person again, I realize how collaborative the artistic process really is. I also learned the importance of stepping away from the screen – both for creativity’s sake and because I work best when I am fully pretzeled and hunched over my desk drawing and creating, which is not sustainable!

Contact Info:

• Website: oliviabrettdesign.com
• Instagram: oliviabrett.ai
• Other: https://linktr.ee/oliviabrett21