Meet the Cover Girl: Ellie Braun
Meet the Artist whose two-dimensional digital work graces the cover of our Fall 2019 Issue. Ellie Braun (@elliebraun.jpg) is a digital artist/designer from Metro Detroit, Michigan. She’s currently a junior at UW Madison majoring in Studio Art, with a concentration in animation and graphic design.
This interview was conducted in a Madison coffee shop and has been edited for clarity.
Eliana Wasserman:
So, Ellie, you’re the cover girl! Were you surprised to see your art on the cover of Illumination?
Ellie Braun:
Yea I was surprised, I wasn't expecting it.
EW:
Have you ever imagined your art being blown up on the cover of a print magazine?
EB:
I have not, because all my stuff is digital and I don't usually transfer that into physical form. So, it was really cool to be able to see it laid out and all the colors printed out.
EW:
Your digital pieces all have some really interesting names. Like “Pattern underscore one underscore 2” Like is there some inner, deep meaning to the titles of your pieces?
EB:
Uh, no. It’s just because I have multiple files and versions of the same titles.
EW:
Oh, I totally understand, like when you’re on Illustrator or something and you keep noticing mistakes, so you keep saving more and more files. Finally, you end up with “Real_final_complete_FINISHED1.” It’s a mess, but it’s the biz, haha. Anyway, what is your process like for artmaking?
EB:
For the pieces that I did for Illumination I really just work in Photoshop, primarily, and I use different Photoshop brushes as well as different images to collage. I just keep on layering things on top of each other until I find something that I like. I [usually create] when I’m bored or when I have a creative spirit of energy. There’s not much thought that goes into it, it’s more just about getting my creative energy out onto a page.
EW:
Cool! And you mentioned that you are an art major, what art classes are you taking this semester?
EB:
I’m in ceramics because I have to be [for my major], and I’m also in an independent study with my animation teacher, and I’m in a graphic design and coding class.
EW:
So in graphic design and coding does it kind of build off the stuff that you already know or are you learning new skills? What’s that like?
EB:
It’s kind of an intersection between the digital work that I was already doing but also the new skill of coding. And it’s really interesting because coding is an area that I have been interested in for a while and wanting to learn. This is the first time [the university] is offering this class so I’m very excited to be able to apply it to the art that I make.
Ellie’s piece Pattern_1_2 also appears in Illumination: Fall 2019
EW:
Wow, I can't wait to see what you come up with! That’s so exciting! I want to circle back to your art background and learn a little more about how you’ve come to the place you are now with art.
EB:
When I was little, my mom and I would always do creative things. She’d make jewelry, so I’d make jewelry with her. We used to write stories and draw pictures and stuff like that. But I really didn’t start making art until my junior year of high school. Wait- that’s not true. I made art in high school but I didn’t get into digital art until my junior year, and that’s when I realized that that was my niche: that I really liked and enjoyed doing that. So, I’ve just been building on those skills since then.
EW:
How did you decide that Madison would be the place for you to continue your art after high school?
EB:
I originally was going to be a film major, and then I was going to double major in art. But the advisor said the art program was a four year track and I should start with art and then add the film major. And then I never added the film major. So, to answer your question, I really didn’t look into Wisconsin as an art school beforehand, but… you know. It’s adequate.
EW:
It’s adequate!? Tell me more about how you feel about Madison outside of the University. Like what’s the art scene like here? Does it enrich you? Is it subpar? What are your thoughts?
EB:
I mean, there’s definitely a bigger art community in Madison compared to the one where I grew up. There’s, you know, the MMoCA, the Chazen, and there’s a good amount of artists here. However, I think there is a ceiling to the art scene here. But I think that you can definitely become pretty well known within the Madison area. Like I don't think the possibilities are exactly endless here, but there’s definitely stuff to start with. I think it’s a good place to start as an artist.
EW:
Speaking of that, you are a junior now. You have some time to think about this, but do you have any plans for the future after graduation?
EB:
Outside of college I’m hoping to get a job in a creative agency, but that’s not necessarily my long term goal. My long term goal would be to start a community center for the humanities, where there would be art classes and lectures and a library and things like that. I think that my long term goal for my art career is to make art accessible to everyone.
EW:
That’s so cool! Final question: do you plan on submitting your art to Illumination’s next issue?
EB:
If I come up with something in 2D, yes.
EW:
Please, please do. I hope to see your work in print again! Ellie, It’s been so much fun interviewing you, thanks for your time!
EB:
This has been fun! Thank you.
Eliana Wasserman is Editor-in-chief of Illumination and loves drawing still lifes and hanging out in parks.