Who are you?
I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and have lived in Austin, Texas for the last 6 years (mostly). I’m a Support Assistant for Dribbble! I’m also an artist and illustrator with budding design skills, producing everything by hand.
What are you working on?
Many things! I’m in the process of pulling together new and existing work to populate an online shop, hosted by a popular women’s outdoor blog/Instagram, called She Explores. Aside from that, and having some commissions coming up this month, I’m also designing my own Tarot deck in collaboration with a sound designer/musician, Jesse Kees, who’s making a corresponding album.
Choose a favorite shot of yours. Why is it a favorite?
I suppose I’d say I’m especially partial to this shot, because I enjoyed the process so much. In general my favorite thing to do is learn about a particular plant, animal, myth, or symbol by reading about it in depth while creating a piece from it. I was especially charmed by learning about nighthawks, which I started seeing outside my apartment at dawn a few months ago.
Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch)?
I live in a tiny studio apartment that also serves as my office/studio, where my mammoth drafting desk weighs more than everything else I own combined. I primarily use felt pens, watercolor, and gouache—the above piece being watercolor and pen. I’ve got an Epson Perfection scanner and use Photoshop CS6 with a Wacom tablet for editing.
Choose a favorite shot from another Player. Why do you dig it?
I’d have to say this shot by Keith Davis Young, with masks inspired by Mayan and other cultures he found highlighted in a National Geographic article. I’m particularly interested in design that utilizes ancient symbols, stories, and archetypes, so that one just really stuck with me. Keith is such an incredible talent, someone I majorly look up to, and I’ve loved watching his pattern work develop more and more this past year, especially. He’s also a really nice guy.
How did you get to Dribbble?
As far as becoming a player goes, in the January 2014 my good friend and one of my biggest supporters, the talented Bethany Bauman, gave me an invite and started nudging me toward Dribbble Meetups. Another dear friend and amazing designer, Justin David Cox, has also been integral in getting me to attend those meetups and get more involved in the community.
As for working here now, I almost couldn’t believe it when I saw the position open up, so I hopped on applying immediately. And to boot, yet another friend, Kristin Bonett, happened to know some of the good folks here and put in a good word for me.
This is a perfect example of the kind of support and lifting-up that happens in the Austin design community, and I couldn’t be more excited about how things have turned out!
Find Hallie at Dribbble, on Twitter, and at www.hallierosetaylor.com.
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