Tic Top 5: Interview with Ryan Hall aka Dougy74 Design

Welcome to Tic Top 5 where we ask an artist or specialist the hard hitting questions (not really they're actual quite easy). Todays artist is U.K. based Ryan Hall aka Dougy74 Design who's an Illustrator, Creator and Exhibitionist of Paper Toys.

From an early age Ryan has had a love for creating especial with paper but it wasn't until university that he found his true calling as a Paper Toy Maker. Influenced by his childhood pop-culture love such as Masters of the Universe, Doctor Who and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has seen his work on exhibition and seen in print and online media over the last 4 years:

2013

The Bad Robot Experience Art Show, Gallery 1988, CA, USASave & Destroy Art Show, Galerie Maurer, Zurich ,SwitzerlandSNL / Is this thing on? Art Show, Gallery 1988 , CA, USA The Doctor Who Exhibition, Artboy Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

     

2012

The Old School Video Game Art Show, Gallery 1988, Santa Monica, CASave  and Destroy Art show, Ficzone edition, Granada, SpainStar Wars Celebration VI, (part of the Rancho ObiWan display)  Orlando Urban Paper 2012 Art show and workshop, Arnsberger Kunstsommer GermanySave and Destroy Art show, Animacomic, Malaga, SpainMay the 4th Star Wars, The Hang Gang Art Show, Leeds
Made in Wales Exibition, The Cardiff Story Museum, Cardiff (Solo show)Rancho ObiWan, The Star Wars Museum, California (Permanant display)
Toy Break Online Show

2011

Mr Freeze takes over Christmas, Orbital Comics, London ( Solo show )Gallery under the Stairs, Scala Cinema , Prestatyn ( Various work )Adventures in Time, Space and Paper, Rhyl Gallery, Rhyl ( Solo show) Oriel Scala Gallery, Prestatyn (Various work)Rhyl Pavilion Arts and Craft Show, Rhyl ( various work )

2010

Glwndwr end of year degree Art show, North Wales School of Art and Design, 
Wrexham Publications/PressStar Wars Insider magazine October 2012North Wales Journal January 2012Attitude Magazine June 2011

Paper Craft isn't just gluing pieces of colored paper together but an art form in it's own right. Ryan's work invokes happy childhood memories of Saturday Morning Cartoons and Toy Play. The characters themselves that he creates breath personality and a style like no else. This is why we thought Ryan would be great to answer the Tic Top 5 for today:

1. How did you start in the industry of creating & customizing?
   When I was a kid hahaha, I just didn’t see a cardboard box, I saw Castle Greyskull or the Planet Hoth and would just construct my own playsets for my toys. But it was my time doing my illustration degree at university that really started me off doing my paper sculpt work, for some of the briefs we had to take a more 3D route with creating the characters that you could actually see and touch, and from there I just enjoyed taking this flat piece of card and transforming it into a toy. With such a simple medium you get some amazing pieces of toy art, from there it all developed in to something I really wanted to carry on doing, so then I just worked hard in getting my work out there to build up a following.
2. What was the first toy or item you customized or created?
   I remember as a kid just making my own life size K-9 from Doctor Who, which was just lots of boxes and tin foil. To anybody else that’s basicly what it looked like but to me it was the tin dog.
   
   
3. What influences you?
   Creative people! To be around other creatives and seeing what they do and there opinons is something I couldn’t do without. Kids! I do workshops with children and to just see there imaginations come to life and enjoy making something is just amazing to see.
   
   
4. What are your weapons of choice?
   As a paper toy maker, my scalpel and blades. Even just my scissors to be honest, without those im pretty much lost. My sketch book also for just ideas or rough sketching.
   
   
5. If you could collaborate with anyone (living or dead) who would it be?The illustrator Amanda Visell, her work is just amazing and the way her illustrations just work from 2D to 3D models is just awe inspiringly brillant. I would very much give my right arm to collaborate with her to see how my paper sculpts and her illustrations would look together.

If you'd like to get in touch or know more about the awesome Ryan Hall here's his links:

• Website: Dougy74 Design
• Facebook: Dougy74 Design
• Twitter: @Dougy74Design

Who's next in the Tic Top 5 hot seat?