Dumitru, please tell us a bit about yourself and your creative background.

I have been passionate about drawing since I was a child. In fact, since I was little, I was looking for a way to express my feelings and thoughts. I was drawing both at home and during classes.

After graduating from high school, in 2009, I studied photography and image editing in my hometown of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. This helped me to understand the basic principles of art. Photography also helped me to better understand people and their behaviour. There was a period when I was thirsty for knowledge, buying and reading books. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to create an image that is pleasing to the eyes but at the same time conveys a story and a feeling. I wanted to express so much at once with such a small thing—a picture!

“The idea that with just a sheet of paper and a pencil, I could create a new world every day, regardless of the circumstances, was captivating to me.”

What made you want to start a career in illustration?

As much as I loved photography (and still do), it often imposed creative limits on me: technical limits, limits related to the environment, finding the right model, etc. I wanted to grow creatively and express myself in a free way, and illustration turned out to be perfect for this. Now I can create the right environment and the right model. The idea that with just a sheet of paper and a pencil, I could create a new world every day, regardless of the circumstances, was captivating to me.

Travelling in different countries, I often saw illustrations I admired on different billboards in airports, the underground, and on websites.

A turning point was when I travelled to Warsaw, Poland, in 2016. There I entered a shop selling vintage posters and books from the 60s and 70s. It was extremely inspiring, and I couldn’t get enough of looking at them. I had a similar experience in Lviv, Ukraine, in 2017. Thus in 2018, I decided to buy a tablet and start creating. I took a risk and now I am happy with the choice I made.

A lot of your illustrations are created for websites. How did you come to specialise in this type of illustration work?

I like to help others express the vision they had when they created a website. The thought that the sales and popularity of the site will depend, to some extent, on the result of my work motivates me to do the best job possible. I feel like a part of the team and that I contribute to the company’s identity.

Secondly, I wanted my work to be useful and practical. I like to create illustrations that people need, not just the ones I like.