Today, we’d like to introduce you to Derek Quinlan.
Hi Derek, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I graduated from MICA in 2016 and became almost laser-focused on developing my skills as an illustrator; I spent my thesis designing wallpaper, so I knew I wanted to go down the route of designing patterns.
I started looking at sites like Spoonflower not just as a place to sell my designs but also as where I could engage the community I wanted to break into. See, Spoonflower holds monthly design competitions, and although most of the time, the prizes are something like x amount of store credit, now and then, they partner with a brand that has some pretty cool opportunities.
One of those times was with a company called Betabrand. I initially didn’t win the competition on the Spoonflower site, but I got in the top 10, which meant my work was in the running to be selected by Betabrand to get made into a product and earn royalties off sales. I was one of two designers to make the cut and that gave me the confidence boost to not just make patterns but make the kind of patterns I wanted to see.
From there it just kinda snowballed, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some awesome brands who are into the same weird horror stuff I am. It would have blown my ten-year-old mind if I had discovered that I would eventually make some official Godzilla merchandise.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes and no.
Any illustrator will tell you there are ebbs and flows when you get work, especially when it comes to freelance. Sometimes, I’ve got projects lined up back to back; other times, there can be long stretches where it’s just crickets in my inbox.
I’d say the biggest struggle lately has been the lack of exposure social media provides anymore. Even a few years ago, I could steadily rely on Instagram to get my work out to a wider audience and even net me some clients. There’s been a shift from image-based media, and it’s becoming harder than ever to see your work by anyone.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an illustrator who specializes in all-over print and apparel design. I would say I’m mostly known for injecting things like horror, comic books, and sci-fi into traditional pattern design.
Probably what I’m most proud of (at least so far) is the work I did for the book The United States of Cryptids by J.W. Ocker. It was the largest project I’ve ever done, with around 30 or so interior illustrations along with the cover. I had over a month to do it, and I’m still really proud of some of the monsters I drew from that!
Aside from my style and subject matter, I would say my work output is my biggest asset in terms of what sets me apart. I can bang a pattern in 3-5 days, less so if there’s not a lot of back and forth. When I designed the Halloween logo for Tumblr, they scheduled about three weeks for the project, one week for concepts, and then two rounds of revisions. But they shaved a whole week off since they had no feedback when I submitted the final for the first round.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My spouse, Mackenzie, deserves all the credit I can give them. They’ve been endlessly supportive every step of the way, always give me feedback if I’m stuck being indecisive, and hype up whatever weirdo idea I’ve got rattling around.
Contact Info:
- Website: Derek-Quinlan.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landofquin/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-quinlan-0702aa91/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/landofquin
