Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Pietsch
Hi Travis, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up I was always drawing, I had an obsession with making art. The first time I entered a skate shop as a kid seeing all of the bold graphical illustrations and iconic logos really inspired me. This helped me visualize a path I wanted to take as an artist. In school I would constantly draw graffiti and skateboard logos in the margins of my schoolwork. One of my art teachers introduced me to adobe illustrator and from there, I would make stencils of my drawings and airbrush them onto t-shirts and sell them at school. Looking into possible career paths nearing the end of high school I realized what I was doing was basic graphic design. Using my knowledge of the Adobe Suite I was able to take that experience to college and continue what I was doing with more guidance. After graduating, I landed a freelance position in DC doing illustrations for PBS Kids in their iconic style, and was lucky enough to work on over 150 credit beds. Looking for more steady full-time employment, I took a full-time position as a senior designer at USA Today in Virginia. This is where I refined my layout and typographic skills, since prior to that I was doing mostly illustration work. While working full-time, I would spend nights and weekends on my freelance business doing more illustrative projects to develop my personal style. A couple years later in 2019, I got a job offer at Maven Creative here in Orlando and made the move with my family down to Florida. While developing my freelance business on the side, I was able to land clients like Disney, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Carhartt, NBA, NFL, NHL, and more.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest struggle was breaking into the design field after college. I was lucky enough to land a gig with PBS Kids out of school but since it was a freelance position the hours weren’t consistent. At the time, I was still working part-time at a skate shop to supplement my income. It took a couple years to build up my portfolio with more freelance work before it was strong enough to land a full-time position.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have a strong love for both illustration and typography. Growing up inspired by graffiti and skateboard art there was always a marriage of the two weather it was on a t-shirt, board graphic, or logo. These works also typically work within a restricted color palette due to the limitations of screen printing. I wanted to develop a personal style that was based on these inspirations. My style has evolved over time, but I alway try to remain true to these principles.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see a big trend in Ai art being used in the the design industry. Currently, I don’t think it’s at a level yet where it could be used for final work. I have received briefs where the client has used it as a tool to created mood board images to better communicate their ideas, which is helpful in that sense. But, I don’t think Ai should be used for final work. I have a huge respect for craft and I feel like using Ai for a final piece devalues that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://travispietsch.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/travispietsch
