Art Director and Illustrator, Roberlan has been intrigued by technology and vintage art since childhood. Holding a degree in Marketing and Advertising, he started in the signage industry, and now works for Brazilian advertising and design firms while freelancing globally.
His journey began in 1993 with Paintbrush and evolved through Photoshop until he discovered vector art, which became his primary medium. Along the journey, Roberlan developed a unique style blending retro, cyberpunk, and tech-inspired themes.
Today he is famous in the creative community for his awesome psychedelic artworks and his inspirational character. Music, vintage objects and Brazilian culture are among his main influences and we are happy to know his only plans for the future are making more of his amazing art.
Keep reading and get to know This is Blasé and his work!
How did your journey into illustration begin, and who or what were your major influences?
I started as a kid and I remember walking on the streets and paying attention to the signs and billboards. And one thing that always fascinated me as a kid was technology so my very first drawings were robust and camcorders. After some years I got my first PC and I started making art on Paint. Until I discovered vectors and adopted it as my main art medium. My major influences were the advertising, both new and old. Music and one artist that particularly influenced me was Salvador Dali. Not only his art but also his crazy stunts.
Brazil is very rich in visual styles, culture and art. But too bad here people don’t have the same way of thinking of other cultures, and do not care keeping the things of the past alive. So the fact that I like to make these 60s, 70s inspired art is a kind of time travel to keep the past alive.
I’m highly influenced by Brazilian culture and I try to incorporate it as much as possible into my art. Sometimes is subtle. I work mostly in English to keep the artworks and messages as universal as possible.
I started my very first digital vector artworks creating vintage ad-like pieces with a strong political message, but these often ended in controversy and sometimes with art removed. lol. So over time I wanted my artwork to be more light and fun, as I believe this approach is a more effective way of sending a message to the viewer. So i started putting all of this into this mix. Also, I always loved the way these psychedelic artists from 60s and 70s created those complex posters mixing typography and images. That also helped shape the way I see and create this kind of art. A lot has evolved. I started my first artworks on the 90s using my mouse and Paint brush (now MS Paint) and now i work with Adobe Illustrator and i use a Huion Kamvas tablet monitor.
There is not really a “creative process” as each art is created and planned and executed in a different way. My process in fact is pure CHAOS. But usually happens like this: I start with a sloppy, lazy sketch on paper, on any piece of paper nearby. Just a rough crazy sketch, mostly to remember the idea. And then I take some time (actually a loooong time) with the idea in mind. The idea stays there until I feel it’s time I start trying to make it happen in Illustrator. Sometimes I succeed in taking the image out of my mind. Sometimes not.
By being my worst and hardest critic. From time to time I feel boredom with my work so I feel an urge to create something new to refresh things. Sometimes this process is very painful and I end up with nothing innovative, but usually I insist and I start coming up with stuff I like. But I try to keep things that make my work recognizable, elements you will look and see it’s mine. If I smile after I hit the last “Save” I know I’m on the right track.
In one of your recent videos, you talk about facing creative blocks. Would you mind giving our users some advice on how to get the creative juices flowing again?
There is no magic trick or formula, the only thing to do is to start working on whatever way you can. Draw a line on the screen and that’s your starting point. Try making some cliche art or just moving forward until your mind starts putting all the pieces in the right places. Some people might say go out and take a walk and see the streets and people blah blah blah… but honestly when I’m blocked this usually doesn’t help much. The only thing that really works is opening Illustrator and trying to come up with something. Hard work pays every time.
One project that was particularly challenging was for a UK band many years ago. The idea was to create an artwork, band logo and album cover. The challenge was that they had very different and clashing references like 1980s chrome and 1960s psychedelic art. The references and ideas the band had were very conflicting. So that was a huge challenge. Eventually, by working together we were able to make sense of it. Lately, to avoid this kind of thing I include on all my presentations examples of my work so clients always know what they will get.
Most of my “sucessful” and satisfying projects happen when clients just give me carte blanche to do whatever I want to. I recently worked with a company to create three posters for the band RBD US tour and that was one of the best projects I ever had the chance to work on. It felt like I was having fun. It was great and fulfilling indeed.
Could you name some illustrators or artists who inspire you today, whether from Brazil or the global art scene?
What piece of advice would you give to young illustrators who are trying to make their way in this field?
Looking ahead, where do you see your art and yourself in the next five years? What are your future plans?
I’m trying not worry too much about the future, but what i really want is to continue making art all day, every day, as mush as i can until i’m old.
Want to know more about This is Blasé?
If you want to go deeper into the work of Roberlan Peresqui, aka This is Blasé, we recommend checking out his Behance profile, Instagram account and website. He is very generous with his followers, sharing inspirational quotes and posting new artwork regularly, so be sure to follow him!
And if you are ready to be inspired by more stories of talented artists, take a look at our interviews with 3D artist Trey Trimble and illustrator Bern Foster. They share tips, tricks, and their unique paths into their creative professions.
We will post more interesting stories soon, so stay tuned for more episodes of Indieground Interviews!
