The creative economy is one of the world's drivers, and a booming field in Thailand right now is graphic design and illustration. We see hopeful designers bombarding cyberspace with their works on a daily basis. Some have even managed to achieve a certain celebrity status and draw large followings, thanks to their cute creations and undeniable good looks.
Thailand has never been short of talented graphic designers and illustrators.
As their forebears are now firmly established, new crops of fresh faces are popping up, and the challenge for the best of them is to distinguish themselves.
Danaipat Buranasathaporn, Panlert Srisroi and Sittipan Taysub have staked their claim, and are definitely ones to watch.
Having already exhibited, Danaipat speaks artistically through eye-catching colours and caustically humorous drawings of feisty bombshells. Sittipan has recently employed his angelic lines and pastel obsession on a mainstream movie poster and a magazine cover. Panlert, a music freak, exercises his kind sense of humour with his graphic manipulations and off-kilter cartoons.
Expect great things.
How would you describe your work?
Name: Sittipan Taysub Age: 26
Education: BA in Communication Arts from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang
Position: Freelance illustrator
I've always liked to draw portraits, using pastel watercolours. I like the Renaissance and Art Nouveau periods very much, and they seep into my works a lot. I like to mix things, and I am not sure if you can call that a style on its own. I also like to experiment and love sketches. The unfinished sketches seem to have more movement, and you can draw your own conclusions from them too.
How did you get started?
Ever since I was a kid, drawing was the one thing I loved to do, and that I could do. I think I'm quite lucky to find myself quite young, and my academic career was geared towards artistic directions.
Before I entered university, I had thought that if I concentrated on pure art I wouldn't probably be able to put food on the table, so I went for communication arts instead. But the more I studied, the more I realised that my heart wasn't really into commercial arts. But I also discovered that illustration was definitely more of my calling, and I was set to pursue this career.
When I first graduated, it was a bit difficult because I didn't know where to begin, but a day magazine gave me a chance, and that's how I got started.
How would you describe your work?
Name: Danaipat Buranasathaporn
Age: 26 Education: BA in Communication Arts from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang
Position: Graphic designer at PTT Exploration and Production/freelance illustrator
I think you can call it pop art. The difference is my drawings combine Japanese manga and 50s American pin-up girls. I mostly draw women.
How did you get started?
Even as a child, I always I drew. I watched cartoon series on TV, and I drew them. I always dreamed of doing this for a living, but as a kid I didn't know that it could be a real job. But once I was in university, I kind of knew which direction it could lead me. That was my start.
I think every career is difficult in some aspects, and once we find our jobs easy, we'll become stagnant. Every new step poses a new challenge. As for me, I think I'm the biggest problem! I just have so many ideas, but sometimes I don't actualise them, and they become dead in my brain, stopping me from developing further ideas. So I think it's best to move on as fast as possible once I finish something.
How do you want the Thai graphic and illustration industries to develop?
Is it developing? I guess it is. Social media is very important these days. Besides keeping updated, it also allows newer generations to strut their stuff and come into their own even faster. Now when I look at works from some university students, I feel intimidated too. They're that good, and they're still young. I think they'll become the future. I think what's more worrying is employers and clients as it doesn't matter how many good, high-quality designers are out there if the clients still can't accept new ideas, opting to stay within the same box as always.
How would you describe your work?
Name: Panlert Srisroi Age: 27
Education: BA in Philosophy from Kasetsart University
Position: Art director at Seed Cave
Most of my works are mixtures of minimalism and basic graphical forms with pop art colours. They're infused with dark humour, sadness, sarcasm and extremity. I get bored easily so I try to find something new to put in my works in terms of techniques, styles or forms.
How did you get started?
I've always listened to music and I've always been a reader. Book covers, album artwork and music videos deeply influence my aesthetics. People like Andy Warhol, Peter Saville, M/M Paris and David Shrigley made me want to be a designer, so I started practising.
What are the perks and downsides of your job?
The hardest part for any designer is to apply restraints, and how to get messages across artfully. Everything has to be at the right amount yet outstanding. Marketing mechanisms can also be problematic, and old school ideas can be hard as well. So you have to fight yourself, and you have to fight the clients also.
The perk would be self-isolation. You don't have to deal with as many people.
Sittipan Taysub
What are the perks and downsides of your job?
The most difficult period was at the beginning, as I didn't know anyone. Social media is now a great help to get your works out there, but it also allows everyone to display what they want to display. So the competition is quite fierce these days.
How do you want the Thai graphic and illustration industries to develop?
I think the illustration scene is more open now. I have seen the changes happening for the past five years. But what remains the same is that people still view illustrations as accompaniments, so they don't get as much value as they should. The reward is not so great, and I think it'll take more time for that to change.
What are some of the crucial factors to being a good designer?
Always be open-minded, have a good style and be clear. Still, having a good, individual style can be tricky as it can become obsolete. So you must always constantly move forwards.
Your inspirations?
My emotions. I also try not to lookat others' works too much because I don't want to absorb their styles subconsciously.
Currently, there are issues in Thai creative circles regarding using references to the point of plagiarism, what are your thoughts on the matter?
I try not to directly look for references. I look outside of my field for inspiration. We're living in this age where information is free and easy. Clients play an important role in this. They always ask for references even before we begin to do anything. Luckily, for illustration, the visual aspects are already strong, so they use our works to dictate art directions.
Your thoughts on Panlert's and Danaipat's works?
Danaipat is friendly and entertaining, and his works are exactly like that. They're fun, fresh and new, and he always manages to surprise you.
Panlert is a hardcore music head, and that has become his whole being, and whatever he does, it's always music-related somehow.
Danaipat Buranasathaporn
What are some of the crucial factors to being a good designer?
Creativity. It might sound difficult to come up with new things every day, but we can twist, swerve or turn from our old ways to create something new.
Your inspirations?
Places. People. Street graffiti. Toys. Music. Architecture. Everything, basically.
Currently, there are issues in Thai creative circles regarding using references to the point of plagiarism, what are your thoughts on the matter?
This is such a scary thing for any designer. I remember when I was in school, and I followed my friends to a library. Instead of being inspired by what we read, we returned home with other people's ideas and works. I think you must be careful when using or sourcing references as sometimes you just subconsciously memorise them. Still, I think each designer knows best what he/she is doing.
Your thoughts on Sittipan's and Panlert's works?
Sittipan is a perfectionist. I mean everything is pretty, detailed and carefully chosen and thought out. He has a strong artistic foundation, and his style is highly recognisable.
Panlert's definitely influenced by music. His works are totally opposite from Sittipan's. If Sittipan adores absolute beauty, Panlert works with raw energy, garnered from music.
Panlert's works display youthful recklessness. Party kids or rockers would understand his works right away.
Panlert Srisroi
How do you want the Thai graphic and illustration industries to develop?
I think it's progressing now. There are so many talented designers out there, driving the competition even higher. But I still think that we're lacking diversity and excitement compared to the past. It's strange how we have more great designers, but we also have less fun. I would also like the clients to pay more attention to design works, and try to break out from the norms.
What are some of the crucial factors to being a good designer?
Professionalism, ethics, honesty and diligence.
Your inspirations?
Indie music, pop art, book covers, existentialism, sadness, dark humour, nonsensical matters, communism art, internet art, Andy Warhol, Peter Saville, David Shrigley, Roy Lichtenstein, J.D. Salinger, Marcel Duchamp, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche.
Currently, there are issues in Thai creative circles regarding using references to the point of plagiarism, what are your thoughts on the matter?
It's sad. I think self-respect is one of the most important things in life. I think every designer knows what is referencing and what is copying. It's a vicious cycle, really.
Your thoughts on Sittipan's and Danaipat's works?
Danaipat revels in cuteness and sass. It's a good contradiction that he pushes innocence against experience. It works very well.
Sittipan's works are just beautiful. His drawings express strong, internal emotions through gentle lines and soft colours.
How would you describe your works?
What are the perks and downsides of your job?
