Adventcraft is a graphic design and photo manipulation business run by November’s Doom vocalist Paul Kuhr. This will probably seem like a strange interview so let me explain how this came to be. Seeing how I’m a student in college studying the same stuff that Paul does for a living, in one of my classes I was to interview someone in the graphic arts field. After thinking about it for a few weeks Paul popped into my mind and so I decided to interview him. Paul has done cover artwork for some well known underground bands such as Absu, Behemoth, Skepticism, and of course his own band Novembers Doom. Finally my thanks to Paul for doing this... since it is kind of strange.
JJM: When was Adventcraft first started, and what type of services do you usually perform?
Paul Kuhr: I've been doing freelance Design work for the past 10 years or so. Adventcraft itself didn't start until 2003, as I used to be under the name "Rainfall Graphics". Typically I do CD cover design, and layout work, but recently I have been working on many websites.
PK: It's basically a one-man operation, but I do have a person who I use for original photography from time to time. I do hope to expand someday, but right now, there's not even enough work for one-person full time.
J: Typically how long does it take for you to complete a project?
PK: That depends on the project. From start to finish, on a standard project, it could take anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. It depends on how critical the customer is, and how close I can come to their vision.
J: Is there any specific project that you are most proud of?
PK: Most of the pieces I have been most proud of, were not used by the customer. I tend to design a piece, and I will love its outcome, and the customer changes it so much, I no longer have the same feeling for the piece. But, at the end of the day, the customer has to be happy, not me.
J: Do you have any long-term goals for the company?
PK: I would like to see a network of sorts in the future, where many artists who do this same work, can work together, farm work to each other, and share resources, to make all of our jobs easier, and allow us all to be more creative using photography, or resources we might not be able to get otherwise, For instance, If I need photography in a desert, I can't get to that easily living in Chicago, but maybe an artist in Nevada, or Arizona would be able to take the job, or at least, supply me with the photo resources.
J: It seems most of your clients are either from bands or record labels. Would you or have ever done anything non-music related?
PK: Sure! I've done work for companies, and businesses like McDonalds, and some local medical supply offices, among many others. I will work on any project, as long as I feel I can deliver what the client needs.
PK: I use Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, InDesign, and for web Adobe GoLive. There are other programs, but these are the foundation. All on a Macintosh.
J: Did you take some courses to learn how to use the various programs you work with or did you just teach yourself?
PK: I took a 2-year Photo-offset course in College, but I am mostly self-taught on the software.
J: I’m sure each project you do carries a slightly different price tag, but typically how much do you usually charge someone for your services?
PK: It depends on the depth of the project. If it's only a CD cover design, it will be less then if it's a full layout. Sometimes we will work out a set price up front, and sometimes it will be hourly. Every project is handled differently.
J: Well, that is about it. Thanks for doing this interview Paul.
PK: You're welcome! I hope this helps you out!
http://www.adventcraft.com
Paul@novembersdoom.com
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