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Ready-meet the talented Pixeleiderdown

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Inside Scoops

In this captivating corner of our blog, we delve into the minds and hearts of talented designers, creators, and visionaries. Through candid conversations, we explore their artistic journeys, inspirations, and the magic that fuels their work. Our spotlight is on the brilliant minds behind the magic—the designers, creatives, the dreamers, and the visionaries. Each interview is a glimpse into their artistic universe, where pixels dance, colors collide, and ideas take flight.

Meet the talented ……

Pixeleiderdown

Can you please introduce yourself and provide a brief overview of your background and journey as a creative?

I’m Tracey and I go by the “pen” name Pixeleiderdown. I’m originally from New Zealand and now live in Canada.

I began my creative journey in academia, studying Archaeology. As a self-taught artist, I offered to help fellow students with artefact illustrations. Soon, I started receiving paid gigs from staff, learning the technical nuances from our departmental illustrators.

Later, I transitioned to a medical school museum curator role. The need for an additional illustrator arose, and I worked alongside our full-time medical illustrator. To enhance my skills, I pursued a Dip Grad in Anatomy and Biological Anthropology.

Eventually, I embraced a full-time academic illustrator position in a Geography department. My background in research publications and teaching materials made me a valuable asset. Along the way, I even dabbled in branding and advertising for my department and others

Inspiration and Motivation

What inspired you to pursue a career in Illustration and Graphics?

I sort of fell into it. Despite being academically focused I kept finding there was a need for my talents as an illustrator and graphic designer wherever I went.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your work?
For book illustrations I’ve actually found that the old illustration masters are the best source of inspiration. Arthur Rackham’s fantasy illustrations, and many of the delightful Punch magazine pen illustrations from the 1800s through to early 1900s, have been a great help over the years when looking for style ideas and overall “mood” for many pieces (even for maps). For the more modern design work, such as logos and ultra-modern map styles, I tend to wade through sites such as Ezri GIS portfolios and Dribbble portfolios. Looking at the recent work of others, especially from a good variety of countries, helps provide a “feel” for what’s happening stylistically in design.

Challenges and Solutions

What are some common challenges you face in your creative work, and how do you overcome them?
The most unfortunate one is a lack of understanding on the part of clients for how much time and skill goes into producing what they want. It’s a bit of a red flag to have clients tell me their project is going to be “easy”.
Can you share an example of a particularly challenging project and how you tackled it?

A client commissioned an expansive poster of the Mt. Hood river valley in Oregon—a modernized take on a 1930s illustrated map. Initially, I replicated the layout, added new roads and buildings, and ensured a high-quality result. However, the client’s vision was more intricate: tiny bushes, visible paths, and every structure meticulously depicted. They imagined a Google Maps level of detail, unaware that our illustrated map couldn’t match that precision. After a compromise, we enhanced vegetation, added buildings, and sprinkled in extra elements. Communication upfront would have saved us both time and frustration.

Artistic endeavors often require a delicate balance between imagination and practicality! 🎨✨

Favourite Projects

What have been some of your favourite projects to work on, and why?

I’ve absolutely loved doing portraits for a large variety of clients, especially corporate ones. Sometimes people ask for something very realistic, other times they want a rough sketched style. It’s always fun to draw portraits, an old familiar skill that’s a joy to use.

Tips for Aspiring Creatives

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives looking to pursue a career in Illustration and Graphics?
I’d say to get their crystal ball out, really. This is a time of huge change in the creative field. Anything people get into has to have soft boundaries, areas where they can branch out into as technology moves forward. A bit of clever planning is required – if something you currently want to do might become obsolete, choose skills that allow you to move sideways into other fields as needed.
Are there any specific skills or qualities that you believe are essential for success in this field?

A willingness to learn new technologies, and to consistently keep your eye on where the market is going.

Trends and Future

How do you stay updated on current trends and developments in the Illustration and Graphics industry?

I follow a few tech sites and design forums, and I keep an eye on what’s happening in social media. LinkedIn is useful for hearing about new ideas early on, especially from industry leaders. A good example of this would be keeping an eye on the LinkedIn feeds from designers employed in companies you see as forward-thinking, the game-changers.

Where do you see the future of Illustration and Graphics heading in the next few years?

I think people who are flexible and willing to learn will survive. A black and white refusal to adapt is anyone’s undoing, regardless of their skill set. I can see that the creatives who will succeed in the future are going to be those who take on board new tech and use it to assist them rather than those who panic and assume tech is going to replace them and refuse to interact with it in any manner. The creative field is going to be impacted heavily by AI, and future derivatives.

Future Goals and Projects

What type of ideal project will you be looking to work on next?

I’d love to obtain a part time or full time permanent position in a company that can use my varied skills. That said, I’m hoping to market myself as a rather unique “academic illustrator/designer” and see what sort of clients that will attract. Most of my recent employment has been as a book illustrator, producing stylized digital ink illustrations. While this has been fun, I would definitely enjoy using my academic skills a little more in the future.

How does Readymade Work Help?

How do you think Readymade Work can help you step up in your Creative journey?

This is very much a “don’t put all your marbles in one bag” situation. We can see that many design platforms are struggling, that they’re not sure what their focus should be so they aim all over the place, trying to attract both the high end and low end clients. At that point quality goes out the window, senior designers become disgruntled and leave because they keep on being offered peanuts for their caviar-level skills. A site like Readymade Work can stand out and attract good clients and good designers alike. Quality has its place in this world, and plenty of people want to produce high quality work and be paid well for it. I want to be part of something exceptional.

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