Featured Artist: Cuypi

Today we feature an artist who loves music and typography – meet Cuypi!

Hey Cuypi, nice to meet you! Would you like to introduce yourself? Like who you are, where do you live, what are you doing?

Hi, nice to meet you too! My name is Sébastien Cuypers, I’m 29 years old, I’m a graphic designer from France, near Paris, actually I’ve been working in an advertising agency for 6 years now.

‘I love brain’

What’s your usual way to find ideas for a design? How do you work?

I search for an idea or sometimes the idea comes to me. Then I make some sketches, do research… and if the inspiration is with me, I start it. Sometimes I’m not sure about the result, so I stop and restart many months later, and often the result is better than I hoped for. I think the most ripe ideas are the most successful.

And what do you use as a source for ideas? What inspires you?

The most important is MUSIC. It’s the rhythm of my life, and my life is the rhythm of my music. Before I start drawing an illustration, I put my headphones on and choose a playlist which matches my mood. Then I try to translate feelings into images. I’m also influenced by movies, comics, street culture, and artists like Alex Trochut, Zeloot, Jeff Soto, Jeremyville, Steven Harrington and many more…

Cuypi vs Headliner

Talking of music, you also did the new VKMP3-shirt and it seems that you are doing a lot of shirt-design? What do you like about that? And is there any difference between doing a design for shirts and other works?

Yes, tee-shirt is my first love, I really like working on it. I like the way shirts are a living support, because many people can see it and we can play with it, according to the place, situation, transmit a message, a mood… There are many differences between doing a design for shirts and other works, not the same situation, place and public. Many designs work very well on a screen or poster… but not on a shirt, and many designs work very well on tee and don’t work on posters… I can’t explain it.

Shirt for VKMP3

These typographical elements are prevalent in your designs – I like the way the design of the front is supporting the work as a whole.

Yes me too, I really like typography – Alex Trochut is a master for me. It’s hard to found a good text to illustrate which works alone, so I often put drawings on my designs to support typography works.

‘Nothing to say’

And is this your first gallery exhibition? Or have you had one before?

Not yet. But maybe one day I will do another one.

I’m pretty sure you will have another one soon, stay tuned for that ;). All that’s left to say now is: Thank you very much Cuypi, and  good luck for the future!

Thanks to you, and excuse me for my poor english!

No one will mind about your english, we just love your designs! Check more of Cuypi’s work on his blog.