Philip Sultana — Interview
As our research paper is becoming longer and more complex, we are finding out that there is actually much to be written about Maltese illustration. What started out as a project about a niche Maltese industry, is actually turning out to be far wider than we had anticipated. Illustration in Maltese publishing illustration for example, is quite well documented in some existing academic papers and books — though there is still a lot of investigate.
Maltese advertising illustration on the other hand, is still loosely researched. I know several of my own Graphic Design students have interviewed local Graphic Designers but these are ultimately Degree students, the majority of whom tend to not want to bother the interviewee as much as possible and can be happy with a few short answers.
Who do we interview to know more about Maltese illustration for advertising? One of the first names that popped up was Philip Sultana.
Could you please give me an introduction on yourself and list a few illustration projects that you have done so far, primarily commercial ones?
My name is Philip Sultana and I’m a product and brand designer by profession. I have also worked on illustration projects for my branding clients, both on a freelance basis and through a branding agency I used to work for up until a year ago.
I have illustrated the covers for the 2017 and 2018 versions of the Yellow Pages and worked on multiple illustrations for Cisk’s campaigns. The latest addition to the Cisk product lineup, Cisk 0.0, also features my illustrations on the can. Marosvin’s oldest running wine brand, La Valette, features an intricate illustration of the Grand Master’s sword which I hand drew specifically for the label. Earlier this year I was commissioned to illustrate an irreverent portrait of Queen Victoria for a local coffee brand called Vicky.
Having enjoyed a close creative partnership with Luke Azzopardi’s Couture brand, I worked on multiple illustrations for fabric designs throughout the years, some of which featured on several publications and catwalks, namely London Fashion Week in 2019.
Other illustration clients include Dr.Juice, Malta International Airport, Malta Public Transport and PressEnter Group.
On a personal level, my StarWars-inspired illustrated series seems to have resonated with an international audience as it got picked up by several industry-leading blogs.
As someone who has created various illustrations for local advertising — would you say the local market responds well to the medium?
Once it’s out in public, I think the audience generally responds well to it. This obviously depends on what metric is being used to gauge success though. I feel that illustrations can make a brand stand out and can also make a brand more consistent and memorable, if used properly.
Unfortunately, I experienced certain resistance towards illustrations in commercial campaigns by internal stakeholders locally. On multiple occasions I came across this misconception that illustration can only appeal to a younger demographic. Others believe that it might not reflect correctly who and what the brand represents. This comes from a place of limited knowledge regarding the medium and its versatility. Needless to say, this type of feedback tends to discourage creatives from pitching campaign concepts that rely exclusively on illustrations in fear or rejection.
Would you say there are any common themes in Maltese illustrations?
If so — would you kindly elaborate. And if not, should there be?
I can list three visual cues that make an illustration feel more “Maltese”.
The colour palette, the Maltese skyline and Maltese apertures (doors, balconies and windows)
When it comes to colours, these are typically the warm and vibrant colours found on the Luzzu and Maltese doors. If the piece features exterior scenes, one is likely to find the typical Maltese skylines with flat-top roofs, church domes and antennas. If there is more detail in the foreground, you might likely spot a wooden balcony or two.
Even though one might find it easy to put on cynical glasses and deem these too much of a cliche, I think that this recently found appreciation of all things Maltese is having a positive effect. Hopefully this will continue to create a greater sensibility towards these endemic visual traits of the Maltese heritage and culture outside the creative sphere and hopefully it reaches policy makers too.
In a commercial setting, I think these are also commonly used because their inclusion is an efficient non-verbal way of telling the audience that the message (or brand) originates from Malta. Being a Maltese brand has gained equity with the local market recently.
Would you say you have an illustrative style? How would you describe it and how do you adapt it for commercial projects?
Being a brand designer, I have trained myself not to really have a style that I impose on the brand. As a result I wouldn’t be able to point out a particular style I’ve used in the past.
Having said that, whether it’s using cleaner lines or rough brush strokes, I have to admit that I do enjoy the drama of a backlit starry night sky though.
How can we make local illustration better, particularly when it comes to working with commercial clients?
This would need to be tackled from three different angles. Firstly, up and coming illustrators need to be educated on how to price and value their work. This should have a positive effect on the whole industry and those who put in the required time to deliver quality work will benefit from this.
In parallel, major local companies should also be educated on the positive effects of illustration in a commercial sphere. This should increase appreciation and hopefully make them more likely to allocate enough budgets, time and expectations in their projects for this medium.
Then there should be a stronger drive to increase general awareness. There are a lot of talented illustrators in Malta that the general public know nothing about. TV or an online series might help in elevating this medium.
We would love to thank Philip for lending us some of his time, and to tell us about his experience as one of the leading Maltese designers and illustrators in advertising. Surely a lot of think about. We are taking notes as we go along to drive this industry forward.
If you are a professional Maltese illustrator, please take a moment to read about our upcoming MCOI Online Directory . The MCOI directory is a way for clients or even galleries and art directors/ individuals who would like to collaborate with you — to be able to find you, to get a feel for your work, and of course to get in touch with you. Its main purpose is to encourage clients to hire illustrators. More details here.
