Trixie Burgos

Trixie Burgos is a Filipino illustrator based in Laguna, Philippines. She started working as a 2D Game Artist back in 2016 creating game assets, but she fell in love with design and illustration after creating mascots, various stock elements, and graphic design templates. Currently, Trixie is committed full-time as a Freelance Illustrator for Canva.

When she’s not creating, Trixie finds inspiration by absorbing and admiring other people’s works of art through browsing different platforms, watching films, and immersing herself in her most-liked, art-heavy content hobby— gaming.

Hi Trixie! Tell us about yourself - how did you get to where you are today? What first sparked your interest in design?

I wasn’t really into drawing or design when I was a kid; I just wanted to be a veterinarian. But hanging out with my then best friend, who was always sketching and drawing, sparked my interest in art. After a while, I found myself buying my very first sketchpad and started drawing too. My growing love affair with art expanded and I got into crafting as well—making and designing a personal calendar by hand, sewing mini felt boxes, phone cases, card holders, pouches, you name it. It was up until recently that I found solace in creative journaling, which like crafting, brings me great satisfaction.

Growing up in a traditional Asian/Filipino household, I had second thoughts about whether I should pursue my love for art as my major when I stepped into university. This is due to the traditional Filipino perception that you can’t make good money and one’s future might seem bleak and uncertain when you major in art. They wanted me to pursue something else in the medical field. Nevertheless, I pushed through and managed to major in Multimedia Arts instead of the traditional path a lot of us take, and oh boy, I’m glad that I did! I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else other than art. Though, I’m quite sure I would’ve chosen to major in Fine Arts if I knew about it beforehand.

Trixie Burgos

How would you describe your design style and how has it changed over time?

When I was just starting out as a designer, I was too focused on defining my art style. I later found out that that was so unnecessary and misleading. I somehow found my stride, however, after finding out that I usually lean towards more cartoony, colorful, organic, soft, and textured pieces. I’ve always struggled to find and stick to an aesthetic that can pass as my signature look. There’s just a lot to try! I eventually realized that I always have the option to explore and try something new when working on my personal pieces. I have always thought of it as a weakness but looking back, my ability to adapt and switch styles whenever necessary is actually more of a strong point for me now than a weakness.

Are there particular themes you like to explore through your work?

I’ve been interested in illustrations that involve textured and abstract pieces lately. I try to explore and incorporate colorful, sketchy, and anything with fantasy elements into my work.

What is your creative process like and where do you find inspiration?

Before sketching, I always make sure to prepare and put together a mood board, or a collage of reference images that I’ll be using throughout the process to get the feel and the visuals of what I wanted to make. It’s normally just a mix of pieces I find on different platforms and a handful of subject references. Once I get all that sorted, only then do I start brainstorming and sketching. I rarely do thumbnail sketches, but it helps a lot when generating ideas for compositions—especially if I have too much I want to consider doing.

What’s been one of your favorite projects to work on so far? What would be your dream project?

One of my favorite projects I’ve done is a collection I did for Canva. It’s a spot illustration element collection of podcast listeners and creators. I never thought I’d ever illustrated a lot of people in such a short period of time. It was challenging but utter fun to make!

Dream project? I’ve got two! One is to build a brand of my own. I’ve always wanted to have a shop that sells stickers, art prints, original pieces, keychains, pins, and the like! The other one is to illustrate a whole children’s book.

Do you have any favorite design resources?

I love scrolling through works of different artists on Instagram, Pinterest, and Behance, and I sometimes buy children’s books for art inspiration! I think doing a lot of observing helps me to immerse myself and learn their approaches to their pieces, which can be overwhelming sometimes but it does help.

What advice would you give to new designers who are just starting out? 

First, don’t focus too much on creating your own art style. It’ll eventually come along as you grow as an artist. Trends change over time and so will your preferences. Being able to make designs in different approaches can help you grow as a creative. Just focus on creating what you want and your work will speak for itself over time.

Second, if you hit a wall or you feel like you’re in a rut, do not hesitate to pause and take a mental health break. Forcing yourself can only bring burnout and unnecessary self-doubts that can hinder your creative process altogether. We creatives occasionally need a total break from everything to do absolutely nothing, to recharge our creative juices.

What are you working on now and what’s up next for you?

Right now I’m taking that every once in a while mental health break from work and everything else. But at the same time, I’m gradually collecting resources I would be using later as I start my journey toward my children's book illustration dream project! I still have a lot to learn but I’ll get there. I just have to trust the process whilst moving forward.

Thank you for sharing with us Trixie! To view more of Trixie’s work, check out her portfolio on Behance.

Trixie was nominated by Canva. All art courtesy of Trixie Burgos.