We had the opportunity to link up with Will aka ill wookie. He's a graphic designer/artist based in the UK. We just so happened to stumble across his Instagram and thought his work was dope. Check it out.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a town called Guildford just south of London, UK. But I studied in Brighton by the sea which was amazing and why I never left!

When did you get into art/design and why?

I have always been more creative than book-smart. My family have a long history of being amazing painters/ creative minds so hopefully that has been passed down to me…

What would you say are some big influences to your creative process?

Obviously other artists are hugely influential, I find it really inspiring to see how some artist from various practices have made a living from their passion. It gives you something to aspire to. Music is another very large part of my day-to-day life that affects my artwork. 

How do you take your coffee?

Almost every way, I like to spice it up and keep myself on my toes. (But no sugar.)

Walk us through a day in the life of ill wookie.

Wake up. Coffee. Day job. Beer. Design work. Pizza. Bed. Repeat. I work two jobs alongside my design work. I am also in a band so I spend a lot of my time writing music and wishing I were out on tour.  

Any future projects in the works?

I am lucky enough to be very busy with design work at the moment, which I am extremely grateful for. This month I have taken part in the Vans deck exhibition, where each artist got to customise a skateboard that was then exhibited in the Vans Brighton store. Alongside this I have been customising a pair of Dr.Martens 1460 boots for a raffle supporting UK charity RISE to aid victims of domestic abuse. Future projects include work for Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (an independent record label based in Oxford, UK), ‘BIFF’ a local food festival based in Brighton and some work for the 10th anniversary of 2000 Trees Music Festival.

How would you describe your style/what do you seek to express with your work.

For the most part I would describe it as an illustrative alternative to a traditional flash tattoo style. I tend to use quite dark imagery, but I try to add a positive twist by tackling it with a light-hearted attitude. 

To learn more from ill wookie, check out his Instagram as well as his website.