2003: Dipped a toe into computer science II at the university. Dropped out real quick. Switched to communications design – a much better fit.
2003: Started freelancing as an illustrator. That never really stopped.
2009: Graduated Dipl. Kommunikationsdesigner from HBK Saar. I illustrated Joanna Newsom’s song “Monkey & Bear” as propaganda posters.
2011 – 2021: I explored leadership roles on the visual side of the games industry: concept artist, art director, team lead, creative advisor, talent scout, design director.
2010s – 2020s: Taught design and concept art in various schools. I like sharing stuff and had the opportunity to do so there.
2025 april – august: Selling strawberries, ’cause before starting university was the best time to try something completely different.
2025: Let’s try the magic reset button in real life: started a dual study program in career guidance (Beratung für Bildung, Beschäftigung und Beruf – HdbA Schwerin, Agentur für Arbeit Berlin Süd
2025 december: I quit the dual study program.
2026: I guess it’s back to freelance
Currently
I’m always going through books, albums, and other things – here’s what stuck lately:
I am excited, hopeful, fearful, anxious, energetic, motivated to start freelancing again on August 1st. I will take some time to adjust, it has been almost 4 years of working solely with/for KARAKTER after all. I will take one step after another to see where this change leads me. I put up a website (link above or bagatzky.de ), though there is nothing new on there since I can’t show any of the work I was involved in with KARAKTER yet. I started exercising my draftsmanship again which I put up here in the past few days already. While I have projects ideas to explore, I will start small with individual images first. One step after another.
There’s not much I can say in regards to these other than that I’m continuing my daily practice. Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes the head gets in the way. Even though these compositions utilize value groups, I often draw a rudimentary sketch to bring down my idea first. Even after all this time, I’m primarily a draftsman rather than a painter.
On thursday I joined the Drink & Draw livedrawing twitch stream. Unfortunately I was quite late and only managed to catch the very last pose of the drawing session.
I then learned that they also run a discord on which I discovered a daily challenge. I decided to join in since I need the practice. Here are my first two days of composition practice.
Hey everyone, after enjoying some great opportunities with KARAKTER, I decided to start freelancing again beginning 01. August 2021.
I am currently working on a website, but content is limited to only a handful of projects that I want to show (despite them being years old).
I’m looking for projects that allow me to continue fulfilling some of these following roles: Director, Coach, Moderator, Sounding board for ideas, Teacher, Communicator, Confidant, Promoter, Catalyst, Stylized artist (character and background art), Maker, Problem solver, (Dad-)Joker, Talent facilitator.
I’d like to be involved in opportunities that allow me to take the idea of a thing and exaggerate it to the point that you can’t look at it without shaking your head while also smiling. I would like to turn things on their head, to find visual solutions that lead with an emotional response rather than their groundedness in reality. I would like to explore the creation of “world reality” based on artists’ perception rather than the common understanding of believability.
Additionally, you might find this list of games that caught my eye from this year’s E3 trailer parade informative: Aragami 2, Dodgeball Academia, Trifox, Kena, Omno, Ratchet & Clank, Sable, Unexplored 2
If you read until this point, thank you. I appreciate it. If you think you know someone who would benefit from my involvement, ask that person if you are allowed to share their contact info with me and I’ll reach out to them once I’m free to do so.
For recruiters:I am not interested in opportunities as an Art outsourcing manager to check incoming deliveries! And no UX, no UI. Also, I am not a hard surface 3D artist.
I missed my typical Wednesday post window since I was neck-deep in learning something new. But today while listening to a Harry Mack freestyle I had the urge to do a new drawing.
