Meet Selin Tahtakılıç, a freelance illustrator from Istanbul who enjoys using flat shapes, texture and a 'childish' colour palette throughout her illustrations. Selin gives us her top 5 global design crushes, tells us about how she used to create dresses with her grandmother's scarves, and shares what she hopes to accomplish in the next 5 years—one being seeing her book published!
Talk us through a typical working day include for you right now.
I usually wake up at 9 am. I make a delicious breakfast with tea. I’m not a coffee person. I always watch something when I eat something. Then I check my to-do list and reply emails and the day begins! I always work in cafes when I don't want to be at home. This is the best part of my job.
Where do you see your career in 5 years?
I want to see my book as finished and published. I love to see my improvement day by day. I hope I will never give up as a freelancer.
2019 for you in a sentence.
Okay, you are working hard but don’t forget yourself!
Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.
Basically, I’m using flat shapes with texture and colors as well... I have a childish color palette generally. When I draw for myself I like to put some feelings to my illustrations.
Any hilarious stories about you as a kid being creative?
I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was a kid. I was creating dresses every time I found my grandmother's scarves. After long studies and searchings, I entered the fashion design department. I studied only one year in fashion design then I decided to study graphic design. I was a graphic design student at heart. The following year I found myself in graphic design. After 5 years I graduated from graphic design. Now I am working as a freelancer.
Who are your top five design crushes globally right now?
There are many but 5 of them,
Where to find Selin Tahtakılıç online:
Behance: @selintahtakilic
Instagram: @selintahtakilic
