Interview with Chris Scholten

Chris Scholten is an extremely talented Multimedia Designer residing in the Netherlands. His style reflects his passion for art and his  faith in Christ. In our interview, Chris talks a  little about how his love for art led him into the world of design, he also talks about his alter ego Crisco Spectrum. So lets get into another great interview with a talented artist..

1. Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of multimedia design?

Hi, I am Chris a multimedia designer from the Netherlands. I started drawing as a child and had the odd idea to be drawing for commercials when I grew up. I always knew that I wanted work  in a creative field of business. As I grew older the internet got my attention and I started to focus on that more than I did on my drawings. It went pretty quick from there, I joined a media school and after 4 years I graduated to be employed in a company I interned with.

Gladiator

2. I see Christ reflected in many aspect of your work, please tell us about how you became a Christian.

I have been a Christian all my life. My parents raised me with the word of God.

The Book of Life

3.What made you pursue a career in multimedia design? What are the advantages, compared to just being a graphic designer or Illustrator?

I had to make a decision and chose multimedia. I thought I could learn the graphic designer/illustrator business on the side by myself. I think that worked out pretty well. Still have a lot to learn about the print business though.

Waterbrand Ad

4. How did you come up with the persona of “Crisco Spectrum”? Who is your favorite superhero?

I came up with Crisco Spectrum when I was having fun with some friends. We were talking about superhero’s etc. etc. From one thing came the other. Crisco was my nickname for online games so that part was easy to figure out. But the second name was a bit harder. I wanted it to begin with an “S” because my own last name does too, and it would fit better with the logo. The design of the hero was based on Spiderman (my favorite superhero). Only more with a Venom touch.

Crisco Spectrum

Crisco Spectrum 2

5. Your Illustration called “The Cross of Christ” is extremely powerful, please talk about the creation of the illustration and the process you used to create it.

Well, this is an ongoing project for several years now, improving every time my abilities improve. The cross is actually based on an older illustration, which I created when I started using editing software. This image was also used for my church in the header of the web page. You can find the old one here:  I am my worst critic, so sometimes I recreated pieces that I made before, just to see how much I’ve improved. I do this because normally you don’t see yourself grow that fast.

The Cross of Christ

6. What is one of the most important Biblical lesson you have learned that you have applied to your designs?

I try to visualize what God means to me and try to make it visible for everyone else to see. To express myself in the artwork is something God wants us to do. He is the creative one as we can read all about that in the first book of Genesis 1:1. I just love His creativity and passion for what He is doing.

The World in His Hands

7. Who are some of your “art heroes”? Meaning those in the field who you look up to, Why have you chosen them?

Well this varies from time to time. I follow the work of an agency in my own country and some others, because I really like what they make. The company Ars Thanea and Momkai.

An Owl's Wisdom

8. Where do you go to find design inspiration?

I visit several websites like:

• Web Creme
• Logo Pond
• Gui Pulp

Ibanez Acoustic

9. Thanks again for providing INSPIKS with this opportunity to interview you. Any final thoughts for aspiring designers out there?

There are a lot of Christians out there with a talent and passion for design! Use it in the way God wants you to and don’t take criticism personal, that is a tough one for me though !

Descending of the Holy Spirit

10. Where can we find Chris Scholten/Crisco Spectrum on the web?

• Website
• DeviantArt
• Linkedin
• Behance Network
• Premium Network Online