Chris Asimoudis: Graphic Designer of the Saints

This week, Chris Asimoudis, Graphic Designer and Artist behind The Saints takes us through his process for taking a show graphic from a thumbnail to a final artwork.

Artist of The Saints

Q: How did you get involved with The Merry Beggars?

I was blessed with the opportunity to be involved with the Merry Beggars in July of 2021 when I responded to an online request from Peter Atkinson. He was looking for a designer who could help develop The Merry Beggars' overall visual brand, which included creating a custom word-mark and the Jester figure. Afterward, branding, graphics, and illustrations were developed for On The Night Train and The Saints.

The Process

Q: What’s the process for getting a graphic created for “The Saints”

The creative process for developing the illustrations for The Saints takes place in stages.

Once a creative brief is prepared, the first stage is to provide rough thumbnail sketches that are crucial in establishing all the visual elements that symbolize the unique aspect of each Saint.

I think the same holds true for anything creative…whether it’s an illustration or a logo design, most original creative starts with hand-drawn sketches of some kind, which give you a basic idea of how the illustration or design is going to look.

From there the next stage is to draw out a completed pencil drawing of the illustration based on the thumbnail. This image will undergo several stages.

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and once approved the 3^rd and final stage is to scan the pencil drawing and add color through a couple of software programs.

Advice for Young Artists

Q: Do you have any advice for young visual artists?

The world of visual arts is expanding as technology is opening up new opportunities for artists. With so many facets and disciplines to choose from, the question is, what interests you most? Some artists know exactly what they want. Others discover their passion after dabbling in a number of design disciplines. I liken it to a sail boat that sets a course, but depending on how the winds blow, it may be forced to zig-zag along the way to get to its destination… but sometimes, during the journey it can veer off course into areas that end up being even more interesting.

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Chris is a multi-disciplined artist who works in advertising, branding, corporate communication, illustration, and industrial design. He has helped clients such as IBM, The New York Times, Polaroid, and the New York Festival Awards. He studied Interpretive Illustration at Sheridan College, Oakville, Canada, and received his accreditation with the Association of Registered Graphic Designers in Canada. Chris shares patent rights for product design, has artwork in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and has won numerous advertising and design awards.

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Check out Clare of Assisi at thesaintspodcast.com!