Diego Leal—Designer / Art director / Basketball Player—Bad Samaritan. Diego uses his 'evil' creativity to send out messages with meaning—not shying away from politics or religion. With his eyes glued to video game graphics from a young age, we can see where Diego get's the personality of the characters he creates!
What are some of your earliest creative memories and what lead you into design?
Video games... I thought those cartridges were most incredible things on the planet ... I mean, there's everything! Illustrations, animations, interactions, printed manuals with instructions. Of course I didn't know a thing about the profession at that time, but was very stimulating for a 6 year old to have contact with that media. I played Super Mario 3 and Battletoads till my eyes bled!
Any passion projects/collabs you would like to share?
YES! My passion projects are always related with religion or politics. We live in weird times with a bunch of conservatives ascending to powerfull positions, so I try make some fun and made people think about it. There's is a personal project called "Coxinhas em Ação" which I make a satire of the political moment we're living in Brazil and another one collaborated with friends called "Coliformia Games" that brings attention to the polluted water of Guanabara's bay in Rio during the olympics. These are my favorite so far. Brasilian elections are coming soon, so my "evil" creative veins are flowing. You can check some stuff on my instagram or behance.
How did you develop your style as an illustrator and what tips would you have for others?
The style changes as time passes. I always try to bring personality to the characters, prioritising the simplicity of the forms. There is a hierarchy in the way you compose an image, and too much detail can end messing the focus of the message I want to pass. A valuable tip is to pay attention to the composition as a whole, considering everything that is relevant to the viewer understanding. If the information needs to be highlighted, think about how the illustration integrates seamlessly with the text. Never forget the sketch... it is at this point that you will realize how each element will occupy a certain space ... nothing is more frustrating than dedicating hours to a drawing and realizing that it does not fit anywhere.
What do you look for in a great client?
The good client is one who knows how to communicate clearly. An email exchange and a call with some detail is more than sufficient to set a budget and a schedule that will not leave either side frustrated. I try to establish a single mean of communication with the client, in order to avoid whatsapp messages outside work time.
In the beginning it is common to do a lot of bad jobs... and that's fine! This work will help you to develop a more critical look and stand out in this profession. So make a lot of mistakes! You'll get a lot of laughter from your old portfolio one day.
Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.
At the moment, my focus has been motion graphics, but I still participate in projects that involve interactivity. It's complicated to define my speciality, because I always try to participate in meaningful projects that have a funny touch, be it through illustrations, direction or conceptualisation.
What career advice would you give your 16yr old self?
Keep drawing on those tables, man. No matter how many suspensions you take, keep drawing on those tables! And give up the beard, it won't grow anyway... find some other artifice for people to take you seriously.
What advice would you give students starting out?
In the beginning it is common to do a lot of bad jobs ... and that's fine! These works will help you to develop a more critical look and stand out in this profession. So make a lot of mistakes! You'll give a lot of laughter from your old portfolio one day, but be sure to update it and gradually delete everything you do not think is in the quality of your current standards. Believe me, your clients do not need to see the jobs you did in the first semester of college... unless of course you're a young genius of design and you're born ready for the market.
Where to find Bad Samaritan online.
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