Meet Sofia Hydman: GIF Illustrator & Artist

Please tell us a little about yourself and your artistic background. Where are you from? Where are you now?

Hej! I’m Sofia Hydman, a Swedish Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Gif Artist. I work my 9–5 at a design agency in Stockholm and in my spare time I do gifs and illustrations. After I studied my BA in Visual Communications I moved to New York to become an Art Director at an Ad agency, after a while I decided it was time for me to move back home and earn less money. So I did.

What’s your creative process like when you start a new project? Do you like to sketch and plan or just wing it?

Often I get inspired by popular culture or social media. I would say that jealousy is my biggest drive and I spend a great deal of time lurking through Instagram, looking at other peoples greatness. Often I plan ahead; you kind of need to when dealing with animation. Being disorganized or sloppy could end up costing me hours. Hours. And I’m an easy crier.

What’s your studio or work-space like?

I don’t really have a studio, I work at home, during weekends and late nights. I sit on my bed, crooked like a cheese doodle, with my Wacom and Mac, listening to podcasts about crime and sports.

Sofia Hydman Pulp Fiction Art GIF Image 4

Did you always feel destined to be an artist? Were you ever unsure?

I don’t think I have the nerves for being a full time artist, heads to the 9–5 I’m sporting during the weeks, which isn’t bad since I love to be surrounded by creative people and talk about design on a daily basis. And not being depending on my art, money-wise, gives me the freedom to experiment more and have fun with my gifs.

When would you say you developed the style of illustrating you have now?

A few years back, I think, it’s hard to keep track since it’s in constant development.

What are your favorite art supplies? Are there any that intimidate you?

I usually work in Adobe After Affects and Photoshop. Sometimes I miss working analogue but when I do I quickly realize why I stopped. cmd+z dosen’t work in real life. Yet.

Sofia Hydman Rainy August Art GIF Image 5

Do you collect anything?

Likes on social media, plants and the comic book Bamse.

Sofia Hydman Weekend Goals Cake Lady Art GIF Image 9

And lastly, what makes you happiest in life?

Meeting a friendly dog can make me burst into tears in my most fragile moments. Otherwise family, friends and a nice bottle of wine keeps me on track.