I’m so happy to have the 2nd featured graphic artist since Julio was featured months ago. Bobby (not sure if that’s a nick name but that’s what he’s called) was referred to me years ago for a job opening and it’s so interesting to see how his work has transformed. I especially like the look of his new brand identity/logo – simple!. He is a young freelance graphic designer based in Lagos, Nigeria. See his bio below:
“My name is Adewale “Bobby” Akande, and I am a Freelance graphic Artist and self-taught Illustrator and web designer, I was birthed into this challenge-full atmosphere called life in the ghetto mainland part of Lagos, Nigeria. I started my adventure in life as a creative artist at a very young age I can’t even remember, portrait drawing of celebrities with an HB pencil, yes an HB pencil was my favourite activity then and as time goes by it became an hobby and I became famous for this at the age of 10 in junior high school and it went on through senior high school where I had to help my classmates do any subject assignment that involves drawing till I graduated high school at the age of 15.
After high school I never had the thought to pursue a career in digital design as of then I couldn’t even use a computer and I have minimal or no access to such facilities, it never really bothered me because all I could think of as a career in the future was taking on a profession where I’ll always be on a white and black custom, wear a wool-made head cover called wig and defend or prosecute people in a house called court where I’ll have to call who knows who “my Lord”. Aw! Boring! Isn’t it? I had a second option of studying economics in case that didn’t fly because money was an issue then and studying law needs a reasonable fund.
I had my first time experience of witnessing a design being created digitally at a friend’s (who was also my best friend/class mate in high school) house some months after graduation and this was how I grew interest in designing digitally and after a year of learning how to create design with coreldraw and grew more interest for digital arts
But still I never thought of it has something to pursue as a career until I realized that doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in life, this was my second year in college as I ended up studying Estate Management because the Principal in the Law firm I worked as a graphic artist/office assistance/cleaner told me I can make cool money selling and managing Lands and Landed properties, Yes! He was right, I can make a pretty sum from the Real Estate Industry but then I realized, “this isn’t me, No! this is not the Bobby who became famous in high school for his drawing abilities, this is not guy who won’t go a day without romancing his computer…” because ten years from now, I still see myself as a designer. I almost quitted college in my second year to pursue a degree in Creative Arts but somehow I was talked into finishing since I was just a year away from graduation.
And that was it, I founded my purpose in life and listening to motivation tapes and lectures really helped me and somehow I felt this serenity in my heart that I was on the right road as I have found the straight path. I have been able to gather four years of experience so far in the industry where I have worked for 5 organizations including a law firm, two design studio and two advertising Agencies before I decided to settle as a freelancer in the middle of 2014. Designing has become the biggest part of my life and nothing else in life gives me more pleasure than this. I have great passion for minimalism, logo creation, typography & branding, and love playing with the Pen and Bezier Tool on Coreldraw when I’m less busy. My recent revolution was learning how to design Websites with WordPress and the Almighty Adobe Muse. People call me a workaholic because I dedicate most of my time to work, I rarely watch TV and sometimes I have gone days or weeks without watching TV at all and I am also an addict. Wait! It isn’t what you are thinking… Hahaha, I’m an addict of late night works, most of my best works were done between 11pm and 3am. You can find my posts across Social Media with the #Workaholic and #FreelancerofLife.
My name is Bobby and this is a summary of my journey into the Digital Art Industry, nourish your eyes and refresh your mind with some of works, Enjoy!!!
