“I don't think I really believe in inspiration in the usual sense,” says Dima Moiseenko from his home studio in Madrid, Spain. “Sometimes everyday things inspire me, like watching movies or series, listening to music, watching a dog play with a ball in the park or something. But usually, I just start working and I trust the flow, and keep going. And when I’m in the middle of the process, I get more and more desire to create something cool and fun — this is my main motivation. So I would say that my inspiration comes from everything and nothing.”
Dima’s dynamic illustrations and rubbery characters that sometimes defy the laws of physics definitely ooze both cool and fun. He’s never shied away from the challenge of flexing and adapting his style to suit whatever project he’s immersed in.
“I like the idea of being flexible and adapting to each project. For example, in projects for tech brands I usually work with a vector-based style, maybe even a little bit geometric. But for publishing — like books or board games — I prefer more of a textured style. And I feel more freedom when I do personal work so I like to try out different crazy techniques or unusual approaches.”
Dima is originally from a “small, gloomy town” in the Urals in central Russia, and fell in love with his adopted home town of Madrid after trying out Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Barcelona. “People just are happy here,” he says. “And I just caught their flow, they're so super friendly, and I just thought ‘this is my place’. I love to explore Spanish culture and try new things — art, food, anything.”
When it comes to his favorite type of projects, Dima really can’t pick one. “I think my favorite project is just the next one,” he laughs. “The one I don't know anything about yet. Because my favorite part of a completely new project is when a client describes the details and I can imagine something while they’re talking to me. It's the rhythm or something. Some people, some artists are afraid of blank paper, but for me, the most fun part is when I just start working.” He also likes to keep a wide range of logos in his portfolio. “I really like working with small, local clients because you really make a difference for their business, but the bigger clients can lead to some more exciting collaborations.”
