Anthony Cummins

Every graphic designer is a failed artist, and every artist is a failed graphic designer.

As someone who inhabits both worlds I don’t really knows where this leaves me, but I am extremely fortunate in that I can accomodate both in my life.

Since first discovering the art department at school I have always had a love of painting, drawing and photography. I enrolled in a graphic design course at University, seeing it as a means to combine these passions, and have never really looked back.

My first “real” job was as an illustrator for a software company – a weird role I know – but one that definitely helped shape the direction of my life. Since then I have worked in photographic studios, marketing departments and print shops, both here in Australia and in the UK. In 2003 I started my own design practice in Sydney and in 2008 we set up an art gallery as part of the business.

I primarly shoot my photos on a 10 year old Pentax SLR film camera. I still love the process involved with shooting on film, and the fact that you can’t review the images until it has been developed.

A friend introduced me to the Canon G11 digital camera last year and it has become one of my favorite toys. As a point and shoot digital camera that lets you adjust “film speed”, shutter speed and aperture it is great for pushing the boundaries of digital photography and experimenting with it as art.

My illustrations start life out in a sketch book and are then scanned and brought into Adobe Illustrator to produce the final product. I still work in coloured pencil and paint occcasionally and have recently bought some canvas in the hope of encouraging myself to use these techniques more regualarly.