Students of Design

Hank Washington – the Pen Tool, Cheeto Eyebrows, and Representation Matters – Ep13

Episode Summary

Hank is an Art Director, Designer, and Illustrator originally from the muddy backwoods of Mississippi. He's created work with Instagram, Netflix, and Adobe, and he's the force behind Hank Designs Studios and Fuzzies Co.—a culture-focused illustration project. Our friendship goes back to 2019 when I met him at Design Week Huntsville in Alabama. He gave a fantastic presentation, and afterward, I taught him some of the secrets of competitive Skee-Ball—then we made it rain redemption tickets on dem fools. Tune in for a talk about avoiding math in Adobe Illustrator, finding inspiration for Fuzzies characters, and speaking on the main stage at Creative South.

Episode Notes

Hank is an Art Director, Designer, and Illustrator originally from the muddy backwoods of Mississippi. He's created work with Instagram, Netflix, and Adobe, and he's the force behind Hank Designs Studios and Fuzzies Co.—a culture-focused illustration project. Our friendship goes back to 2019 when I met him at Design Week Huntsville in Alabama. He gave a fantastic presentation, and afterward, I taught him some of the secrets of competitive Skee-Ball—then we made it rain redemption tickets on dem fools. Tune in for a talk about avoiding math in Adobe Illustrator, finding inspiration for Fuzzies characters, and speaking on the main stage at Creative South. You can find Hank's brand identity work on his website, and check out his gallery of culture-focused illustrations at Fuzzies Co.

Questions for this interview.

• What kind of impact did Jamal Collins have on your career?
• What kind of design work are you primarily looking for?
• Which Adobe Illustrator tool or feature do you think people sleep on the most?
• What helped you get the hang of the pen tool? Do you have any tips for using it more effectively?
• Custom lettering—are there situations when you start from an existing digital letterform instead of a sketch?
• Can you explain what Fuzzies are for anyone who doesn't know?
• What kind of impact do you eventually want Fuzzies to have?
• What are the elements or components that make a Fuzzie a Fuzzie?
• Are Fuzzies always based on specific people, or do you create some from your imagination?
• What's your approach to color when bringing a Fuzzie to life? Do you have a core set of colors, or start from scratch with each character?
• Can you tell us about the lead-up to Creative South and how you became a speaker?