Von: Collaborations & Illustration

Vonhideki is the collaboration of illustrator Von and product designer Hideki. Launched in 2005, the team has had multiple exhibitions throughout London. Von's solo work and company, Hellovon (founded in 2006), have been featured ubiquitously, from the New York Times and The Guardian to Wallpaper and the galleries of Serum Versus Venom. Behance caught up with Von to discuss entrepreneurship and how collaboration has fueled his creative endeavors.

Companies Hellovon and Vonhideki were launched through relentless passion and sheer perspiration. Time and energy are scarce commodities, but Von's passion kept him devoted to his projects. In his own words, "...I just put in a LOT of hours. It takes time to establish a good web presence, to get your work seen regularly in editorial, to build up a reputable contact list, to network, to refine your techniques, to learn how to deal efficiently with clients and realize when and where you have gone wrong. I guess, for a lot of people, taking that step from working a full time job to going it alone is very overwhelming. I felt ready and had prepared for it as much as I could while still at my old job in a design studio, but there are some things you just can't prep for. You just have to have enough faith in what you are doing... Being able to look at the scene with an objective eye and realize when and where you can make opportunities for yourself is key."

When it comes to organization skills, Von believes that "efficiency comes with experience." He expands, "It is difficult at first dealing with clients, producing the work within deadlines, invoicing accounts, and successful self promotion by yourself. It soon becomes second nature but can be quite a messy ride."

Von recalls finances as the source of much frustration in the early stages of start up. As he explains it, "I had savings to compensate for the income of someone only just starting out, which helped. Setting myself up to sell through galleries as well as taking on commissioned work has been a huge help in terms of income. Within a year I earned twice as much as I did when working full time in a design studio." Still, Von admits the importance of finances in his business. "As personal as the work of an illustrator or artist can be, it is necessary to keep a certain distance and remember that, at the end of the day, it is commercial work...it is paying your bills."

The ability to measure the cost-benefit scenario of work is an important part of professionalism. As Von describes it, "You should never let your standards slip as your work is what builds your reputation, but keep in mind how much you're being paid, how much time that is worth broken down to an hourly rate, etc... To find that balance between commercial realism and the right level of personality, passion, and quality in work is vital."

It is pure passion that has kept Von disciplined and focused. "This is what I've always wanted to do. My time working in a design studio put me in great stead and I highly recommend doing time in a studio to learn the basic essentials. You learn so much about sending stuff to print, dealing with clients, and how not to do things too. Once I did the apprenticeship, pure drive and hard work... Simple." Ultimately, throughout his past experiences, Von was closing in on his lifelong vision. "Image making is what I have always loved since childhood. I was always determined to make it my career and for me to be successful within it... As ridiculously cheesy as it sounds, it is a case of realizing my dream and doing my best to make that dream an increasingly financially viable one."

Von's interest in the merging of different fields has spawned collaborative projects. As he explains it, "I am not interested in only being an illustrator in the traditional sense. Boundaries between disciplines are blurring more and more and it is less a case of being an illustrator or designer only but being defined by the sum of your outcome which could span a number of things. I am also extremely interested in environment and interior design - there are a lot of amazing things happening with that in shops and restaurants over the world, especially in Japan. Hence my product design company Vonhideki with good friend and industrial designer, Hideki."

Von's advice to the creative professional community? "There is something a person very close to me always says. 'If you take a triangle, one point is 'the fee', one 'personal enjoyment,' and the last 'exposure and profile.' If you apply that triangle to each job you do and get two out of three points you're doing very well...' That and work your asses off - and you can't help but do alright for yourself."

More on Von

Hellovon

Vonhideki

Vapors Magazine

The Tastemakers Society

Q-cube

Dazed and Confused