Who are you?
Hi, I’m Joel Robinson 🙂 obinsun is my online art handle.
When did you start making?
I’m a life long doodler, but I didn’t start to pursue art until after I dropped out of college in 2013. I was making pixel art back then, but soon switched to illustrating for tees which is now my full time gig. I have only returned to making pixel art recently, thanks in part to joining Tezos.
How did you hear about Tezos?
I heard about Tezos thanks to Rick Crane. Rick is a legend in the t-shirt community from way back, and when he started posting his work on Hic Et Nunc I was intrigued. Tezos drew me in initially due to the low cost of minting combined with the clean NFT aspect, and I’ve stuck around because I love the energy and authenticity of the Tezos art community.
What would you call your style?
I would call my style simple and sweet. Whether it is pixel art or digital illustration, I like to give my work room to breath, and that usually means less is more.
What inspires your work?
Comics, animation, video games and D&D are some of my biggest inspirations.
Why do you create art?
I love how art connects people. I have dealt with a lot of social anxiety, but through art I am able to be involved in a beautiful community of supportive and interesting people. Making art is my happy place, so being able to share it and bring happiness to others means a lot to me.
Are there any works that you have made that you would like to highlight?
I am having a lot of fun with my obintown series. I wanted to combine my love for the collaborative storytelling of D&D with the style of a classic RPG video game. Most of my other work is pretty self contained, and tapping into more than the surface level aesthetic is a struggle for me. Being able to explore a narrative driven project has been a welcome challenge. All the more fun because I leave certain decisions in the story completely up to the community though twitter polls that accompany each piece.
What do you have planned coming up?
Im in the early stages of another pixel art project with the working title Side Questing. I want to incorporate collecting monsters and item utility tokens that can be burned to complete different “side quests” in order to be sent a corresponding reward drop.
Is there any life advice you’d like to share with us?
I always want to encourage people passionate about art that it is as viable a career path as any other. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not a serious option. If you are able to put in the work there is always room in the industry for one more artist.
Is there anyone you want to shoutout?
Gotta mention my bud Rick Crane again! Check him out @rickcrane if you haven’t yet. You won’t find nicer guy in the tee or NFT communities, he’s seriously killing it in both.
Anything else?
Thanks John for the thoughtful questions 🙂