Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Russell.
Hi Colin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My freelance journey happened by accident really. I was working full time as a coffee trainer right before covid happened. I was laid off and just dove back into my drawing with all of my newfound free time. Folks started reaching out about hiring me to help out with some basic logo designs and some mural inquiries followed from there. I decided to take the jump into freelance work full-time from there just to see how it would go, and two years later, we are still here.
I have been very lucky with the timing of my work gaining traction and to have a really great circle of friends and clients that want to support my work and to see it grow.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has been a mix of both. It feels like everyone has a side hustle these days, which has been super inspiring to watch so many new folks diving into their passions and finding ways to push themselves in their own creativity. With that growth has come a larger number of people bidding for the same projects, which has created a much higher level of competition to get your work out in the world. While that has been a challenge, I welcome it with open arms. It has helped me grow at a much faster pace than I would have without the added competition and I believe that is the case for lots of other creatives in the city. The quality of work that everyone is creating is really awesome.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mainly work on illustration, graphic design, and murals. I take a lot of inspiration from early 20th century cartoons and comics (think the works of Max Fleischer or Steamboat Willie era Disney). Because of that, a lot of my work focuses on black and white with the occasional splash of color. That color pallet, I believe helps set me apart from a lot of other creatives in the city as well. Murals and illustrations these days are very bright and poppy and having a strong contrast of images with little to no color really stands out.
Honestly, I am just really proud of being able to get to where I am now. I have been drawing my whole life and have always loved it. It has been a place for me to have some emotional release as well as just being able to draw things that make myself and others happy. Being able to share that same work on a larger scale more recently has been an honor, and I cannot wait to see what projects come next.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Atlanta is a proud city that isn’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in or want to see changed. That unashamed approach to life really shows throughout the city. Folks pushing for what they want to see happen instead of just waiting around for someone else to do it. That energy is really felt in the creative scene here as well, with people always pushing themselves to be better and to lift each other up.
What do I like least about Atlanta? It’s hard to say really. Overall I have really enjoyed my time here and have been faced with a lot of challenges that in the end have made me a better person to myself and to the people around me. So I don’t have many bad things to say. The traffic is pretty brutal though, haha.
Pricing:
- Murals: $15-25 / sq. ft.
- Logos: $300
- Merch Design: $200
Contact Info:
- Email: ghosttownillustration@gmail.com
- Website: www.eerieandcheery.com
- Instagram: @GhostTown.ATL
- Twitter: GhostTownATL
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCet6BsB3smsbP13J7u80FZg
