LomoAmigo Elen Winata on Customizing the Lomo'Instant

Hailing from Singapore, Elen Winata shares her insights about having a career as an illustrator and introduces her distinct style to the Lomography community.

Learn how Elen customized the Lomo'Instant — from vector mock-up to the actual sticking of Elen's art on the camera. Read on and get inspired to spice up your own camera collection!

Please introduce yourself to the Lomography Community.

My name is Elen Winata and I am an independent art director and illustrator based in Singapore.

What is your origin story as an artist?

As a child, I have always loved drawing and often used it as a medium to get my thoughts across. My school textbooks and exam papers were always filled with doodles!

Growing up I wanted to do something related to art for a living, so choosing to major in design was something that came naturally. I studied Graphic Design for 2 years at the Art Institute of New York City, and then came to Singapore to work as an art director at a local design house, Kinetic. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to dabble in advertising while working at Tribal Worldwide.

As I progressed through my career, I couldn’t help but feel that I wanted to draw more. Because of that, four years ago I took the plunge to leave my full-time job in Advertising to focus on illustration works.

I have been lucky enough to meet many supportive peers and clients along the way who have guided and enabled me to do what I love for a living, and I am grateful for that every day.

Can you tell us more about your art style and your vision as an artist?

My style can be described as clean and vibrant, mainly focusing on vector illustrations. I believe that design always has a purpose, and should be easy to understand. Design without meaning is pure decoration, and that is not what design is about.

What's it like being an artist in Singapore?

Singapore being a hub in Asia has made design very accessible to me. There are many festivals throughout the year – a great way to discover local and international talents, as well as connect with them. I also like how tight-knit the creative community is in Singapore, everybody seems to know everybody else.

What was your first impression of the Lomo'Instant ?

The first thing I noticed about the Lomo’Instant was how well designed it was! The white base is perfect for customization, although it looks nice as it is too. It is also pretty light, which makes it a great addition to bring out for walks or casual events.

Tell us more about how you designed the Lomo'Instant. How did you conceptualize your project?

I wanted to convey the idea of the Lomo’Instant being the perfect camera for capturing spontaneous moments - and thus designed the illustration as if it’s bursting out of the camera lens. I incorporated elements that I think the camera is perfect for, from coffee dates to a walk in the park.

What medium did you use?

I first conceptualized the drawings using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. After I was satisfied with the design, I started creating a base template to paste the artwork on. First, I measured the camera to get an accurate sizing right to the smallest details. After many trial and errors, I printed the artwork on sticker paper to be pasted on the camera.

Any upcoming/ongoing projects you would like to tell the community about?

I am currently working on a series of illustrations for an F&B brand, as well as a few personal projects. I can’t wait to share them when they’re out!

Check out Elen's work and impressive list of clients through her website and her Instagram.

written by crissyrobles on 2018-11-06