When he’s not lending his talents to teach other designers on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Udemy, Tennessee-based designer Charley Pangus creates merchandise and logo designs inspired by science fiction.
Read his exclusive interview below to learn how his creative approach has evolved over the years, what’s inspiring him lately, and why he recommends Stills as a top resource for designers.
Stills: What is your design process like?
Charley Pangus: My design process is pretty chaotic and sometimes unorganized. My work relies heavily on imagery and photo manipulation, so I often start by blending images through various compositing techniques using adjustment layers, layer masking, and more. I always wanted my designs to have some dimensionality, so I try to avoid anything that looks too flat.
I achieve this by adding shadows and highlights to my work to sell that depth of field. Depending on the composition, this process can take me a few hours or more. At the point where I’m happy with my competition, it’s not over yet. I still have to add textures and various processing methods to add the final touches, such as halftone patterns, filter gallery, grain, threshold, and much more.
How has it changed as you’ve evolved in your career?
I began my career by designing logos, badges, and other vector art. As time passed, I developed a passion for photography, significantly influencing my current style. In the past, my work was somewhat one-dimensional, but nowadays, I avoid one-dimensional designs unless necessary for a client’s requirements or the piece’s visual appeal.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I often draw inspiration from different sources like Pinterest, movies, and my everyday surroundings. Our life experiences and upbringing play a significant role in shaping our style. Being born in the ‘90s, my work often has a vintage feel or vibe. We all have unique preferences, and we should embrace what we like.
I just watched Dune II, and now I love those desert dune tones and anything sci-fi, but I can’t give all the credit to this movie alone. I grew up watching movies like Coneheads, Alien, Spaceballs, Star Trek, and Star Wars.
How do you get your head back in the game when feeling burnt out?
Whenever I feel burnt out, I’m not pushing myself out of my comfort zone enough. It’s easy to get used to a specific template, texture, set of photos, or even the methods I use to work on my projects.
I try to change different factors to break out of that cycle and overcome this. However, there are times when I need a break, and I have learned to accept that it’s okay to take a breather. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick drive to a coffee shop or a change of environment to reinvigorate my creative energy. Despite being a creature of habit, I thrive best in my office.
What is your ‘secret weapon’ when creating? How did you develop this skill?
I don’t have a secret weapon, but I use many tools more frequently than others. One of those toolsets is the filter gallery in Photoshop. While this is a well-known tool, some of the filters provided by Photoshop can be cheesy.
However, I’ve learned how to make the most of this tool over the years. I also understand that manual labor is essential. For example, I sometimes use tonal ranges and a filter gallery to manually separate colors. While this takes more time, it often yields interesting results that I love nine out of ten times.
What are some hurdles you had to overcome?
Finding my style and trying not to let other people’s success or work negatively affect me. Staying true to myself has always been my main priority. Like everything in life, it’s always easier said than done.
Social media makes this even more difficult, but it seems like a necessary evil. I know that to be relevant, I have to share my work and spread the word, but at the same time, I see other people’s work and immediately judge myself. We all do this even if we don’t want to admit it.
What do you like about Stills?
I like and enjoy Stills’ interface and the simple and refreshing design. Many designers, including myself, struggle with finding high-quality images with the correct licensing. Initially, I used to download images from Google without much thought, but I quickly learned to be cautious of this approach.
Fortunately, websites like Stills are incredibly useful for professionals who want to streamline their searches and easily find high-quality stock images every time.
How is it a good resource for designers?
The convenience of being able to search for an image effortlessly and knowing that the results will always be high quality is incredibly helpful.
In the past, I would sometimes spend hours or even days searching for the right images to use in my designs. It is a game changer to save that time and allocate it towards actual designing. If you value time, quality, and great photography, use Stills. It’s that simple.
