Ever wondered which tools an award-winning creative director uses daily? I had the chance to speak with Anna Hollinrake at Vertex 2024, where she gave me the low-down on all the creative tech that she couldn't do her job without.
If you're not familiar with her skillset, Anna is a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, art director, game developer, concept artist, and regular speaker with over nine years of experience working in the animation and games industries. She was the art lead on Fall Guys, and has lent her artistic styles to IPs including Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion (one of my fave games), and Magic: The Gathering. She's also been pretty busy lately running her own indie games studio, Electric Saint, which she co-founded in 2022 alongside technical director, Pavle Mihajlovic.
Must-haves
A flip phone that can take a beating
If you want to go a little bit off the grid and give your brain a break then this flip phone is an excellent choice. As Anna describes it, "It's smart enough that it can still run WhatsApp. I've been delighted with it. It's got a physical keypad. It brings a sense of tactile joy that I've been longing for." This low-spec phone can also help you avoid unwanted social distractions, "I don't allow myself to go on TikTok Just because I won't do anything. But also, I just don't feel good when I'm on my phone", she tells me. Maybe we could all do with a social media detox once in a while.
Do people still use paper?
It might sound obvious but plenty of creatives manage to get by using a traditional pen and paper, and in Anna's case, it's the Leuchtturm 1915 classic-size notebook that comes in handy. "I do all of my daily bullet journal to-do's in there, and I have this really pretentious fountain pen. It's like a special Pearl edition". We didn't get the exact name or model of Anna's fountain pen, but we can bet that it's probably one of the best pens for artists. You can also find some deals on the latest 1917 model Leuchtturm notebook below.
A Premium drawing tablet at an excellent price
One of the best Huion drawing tablets around, this is the model that Anna uses on the daily. We also love it because it offers plenty of the premium features that you need, including 8192 pressure levels and anti-parallax measures, all at a reasonable price. The compact 21.5-inch Full HD anti-glare etched display delivers 140% sRGB coverage, and includes a substantial rubber stand that can be adjusted for your viewing angle. This tablet should merit serious consideration from anyone with an interest in digital art. See our Huion Kamvas S22 Plus review for more.
Software
One of the best Adobe software for creatives
Anna told me that Photoshop is her most-used digital art software for creative work. "I try with Procreate, but I can only really use it for sketching". We highly recommend Photoshop for creatives from all backgrounds needing a range of tools to get the job done, especially when working professionally. Photoshop remains to be the industry standard software when it comes to digital art, and especially since the Firefly integration came along it's become more powerful than ever. Take a look at our Adobe Photoshop 2024 review for all the details.
An immensely powerful open-source tool for 3D creation
When it comes to 3D modelling, Blender is a top choice as one of the best free 3D apps. Anna tells me that Blender is a key tool for her workflow, " I use Blender a lot. I've been slowly moving all of my 3D knowledge over to that because I just couldn't be bothered to deal with licences anymore." Its ease of use is a big selling point, "I really like it. It's it's got its quirks, but I hate exporting things. And I can just do everything. I don't know where everything is, not even close, but when I studied Game Art at University, I did 3D. So I kind of got past the horrifying learning curve with Blender". See our Blender 4.0 review to learn more.
One of the most popular game engines
Anna lovingly describes Unreal Engine 5 as her "absolute darling" and we totally get where she's coming from. The latest Unreal Engine 5.4 has been released and Epic Games has seriously upped its game (pardon the pun). The software that has been powering everything from video games to films and visual effects, if you aren't familiar with Unreal Engine 5, then we have a guide on everything you need to know about it. But basically, it's a game-changer. Okay I'll stop. We gave Unreal Engine 5 a glowing 5-star review last summer, and found that it represents a mammoth leap forward in technology for the games industry – so you might want to put it on your radar.
Anna's wishlist
An iPad can be a drawing tablet too
"I am desperately roaming around trying to find someone who has the latest generation iPad. Because it's got the hover feature, and that may be a game changer for me and makes me actually want to paint on an iPad. But I haven't been able to find one." Anna tells me. "I specifically like the iPad. Because I've got a Huion Kamvas at home. But there's part of me, in my bones, that wishes I could go back to just the flat tablet on the desk-type thing because it's really bad for my back, and I just don't like holding my arm up. I'm a whingey baby is what I'm saying."
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