Contributor Spotlight: Tithi Luadthong AKA grandfailure

Tithi Luadthong, who goes by grandfailure on Adobe Stock, is an interior illustrator by day, and a fantastical stock artist by night. We caught up with the Thailand-based artist about his journey into stock, and the creative process behind his science-fiction inspired illustrations.

Adobe Stock: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Did you always want to be an artist?

Tithi Luadthong: I am from Thailand and graduated from Interior Architectural Design in Bangkok. Since I was a child, I loved to draw pictures and copy the drawing techniques from manga cartoons, and I wanted to become an artist since I was about fifteen years old. Today, I am a full-time interior illustrator.

AS: How did you get started in the stock marketplace?

TL: I found the information about stock photography from the discussion web board in Thailand and it sounded very interesting. For me, it is wonderful to pass on the joy that my own paintings give to me. Stock illustration is the best hobby for me because I can create what I like, whenever I am free from my job like the weekend or in the evening.

AS: How do you decide what illustrations to create and sell on Adobe Stock?

TL: The illustrations I sell on Stock are my creations and have no boundaries. I am very proud of all of my creations, and I am so happy to see that my illustrations are applied on the products such as bags, blogs, album covers, and more.

AS: Can you tell us a little bit about the creative process behind

Normally my artworks are scenery paintings, like a landscape or cityscape. When I paint this style, in order to make it different, I decided to put story, theme and emotional in my picture. When I have a new idea, I start drawing sketches. Then I start coloring with the main color and gradually add in more details and other colors. When I create my artworks I use Adobe Photoshop. This program is flexible when I need to adjust tone colors. I use the brush tool and adapt it more texture when I paint everything.

AS: There are elements of science-fiction in your work – are there any artists or genres you look to for inspiration?

TL: My favorite artist is Tsutomu Nihei, who is a manga artist. His artworks is outstanding, especially sci-fi scenes.

AS: Do you have any advice for illustrators and graphic designers trying to get started on Stock?

TL: It’s important to enjoy what you do, and specialize in it. There are many customers who buy illustrations from stock website, and I believe that the market is growing, so it is a worthwhile venture to explore.