Loughlin Brady Smith

For me it wasn’t something I ever consciously knew or wanted. It was instinctive for me. I never had tv as a kid, so I spent all of my time making, painting & creating.

My mother brought me to The National College of Art & Design when I was just 11 years old. I came home and told her that’s where I was going to study. I knew where I was going to end up before I even started secondary school. That’s how much I knew I had to be an artist in some way, there was no other option! I studied Graphic Design there and graduated in 2020. They were the best years of my life so far, not just from what I learned and how much I developed, but because of all the amazing people I met.

As artists we have a particular way of looking at the world. Some find it strange and maybe hard to understand, but it’s incredibly important for us to share this expression we have so that we can encourage others to expand their own ways of thinking. Art helps us be more understanding of each other and the ways of human nature. I’m a visual artist so I need to know the science of art in order to make things look good for everyone else!

Art is what I am and need in life. Art is my purpose and for me, creating is as important as eating or sleeping.

Arts saves the world from mundanity.

Paint is what really excites me, and I find it fascinating because of its purpose and history. Before cameras, all we had were painters to make sure we knew people existed! Then some people decided to experiment with paint and express themselves, branching away from paint as a purely functional material. Now there are so many beautiful ways in which we can use and manipulate paint to express ourselves and show the world how we want to see it! Craft in general is where my heart belongs though. Our hands are what made us human in the first place, separating us from other species. Anything hand-made pays homage to our incredible capabilities.

My friends inspire me, especially Shane Keeling. Shane displayed such an admirable belief in himself when we were beginning our art journey together that I knew we could have the career we wanted if we worked hard enough and believed in ourselves. I wouldn’t have the drive I have now if I hadn’t been witness to him. I get inspired everyday by things that aren’t letters though. I’m massively inspired by architecture and structures, as the same method applies to designing letters. You are constantly working with space and balance, and a job isn’t done until it’s done right!

Make for your own sake, people will either like it or dislike it. That’s art.

That’s a tough one! You have to know the rules before you can break them. A good artist does this well in order to push the boundaries.

If you’re not having fun most of the time you're doing it wrong.

Look after your body, you’ll depend on it much more than you think!

Sign writing is a craft that dates back thousands of years. Before printing, the only way to help people find their way around was through hand-painted signage. It involves a lot of knowledge in lettering & layout. Letters are formed using a brush & paint, serif letters for example were born because of the mark a brush leaves on the corner of a brush stroke.

Very tricky! Also very satisfying. Gold leaf in an incredibly delicate & valuable material. You must be patient, careful and considerate of the material. One puff of breath can blow it away!

No, just gold leaf and paint really! Sometimes I like to work with Ink and paper, even glitter on glass! Always leave room for experimentation.