Featured Artist: Andremullerdko

The DBH artist andremullerdko, or André, is a self-proclaimed “nerdy 32-year-old” from Brazil. He jokes, “when I am not in my cave drawing and hiding from the sunlight” he can be found reading Manga, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or watching basketball – even if he is admittingly “really bad” at sports. André loves to both poke fun at himself and poke fun at the world through his art. His lighthearted designs keep his audiences laughing and encourages them not to take life too seriously.

Andremullerdko confesses that although he has been working as a professional illustrator for over 13 years, he has yet to find his personal art style. He often gets bored with a single technique and is constantly looking to try something new. His art – which is heavily influenced by Japanese culture – is “really flashy, with a nice mix of weirdness and cartoon vibes.” He feels “blessed” to have found a profession that allows him to express his creativity and sense of humor every day.

He admits that he has struggled with the age-old anxiety of whether his audience will like his art. However, he has since learned to channel this anxiety and use it as part of the creative process; he tries to follow the “no pain no gain” motto. He recognizes that creativity is “skill that you develop through practice, trial and error, experimentation, and a lot of thinking in the shower.” He accepts that his art is constantly evolving and “growing” is just an exciting part of the process.

André understands the importance of finding joy in the creative process. He reminds other artists that they should not be afraid and, instead, they should “be proud that [they] have the courage to be vulnerable and expose [their] artwork to others.” Nonetheless, his most important advice for new artists is: “buy a good chair, your back will thank you later.”