Nicolai Sclater has gone from a graffitist and apprentice mechanic to one of the most exciting designers working today, with a list of clients including Ted Baker, Time Out, Ally Capellino and Secret Garden Party. Here he explains how his Norwegian heritage, a love of fairground art and a canal-side studio came together to create his career…
I left school quite young, without getting any qualifications.
After school I did an apprenticeship as a mechanic and kept my creative stuff going through graffiti: I painted a lot of trains. Eventually I went to Middlesex University to study graphic design. It was in the arse-end of nowhere but the facilities were mind-blowing.
I didn’t use computers at university at all. I was able to go to the textile department, the printing facilities, the fashion department, wood-working areas. If we were asked to make a poster, everyone else would go down to the computer suite and do it on Photoshop. I would go to the woodworking bit and actually build a poster. I’ve always been much more hands on.
I enjoy art as a trade. That’s why I like the old commercial artists who would just produce posters, paint signage: they were just standard guys who did their stuff.
My bookshelf is full of so many influences. The majority of them are cars and motorbikes, but I’m also interested in fairground art and old graffiti, lots of things. There’s also the influence of my Norwegian heritage; all the furniture I grew up around was hand-painted by my father and his father. Once an object is customised it becomes a unique, one-off thing.
When I decided to become a signwriter I went to meet this guy, Julian, who lived on a boat on the canal, outside my studio. He painted the names on all the boats, and was this pirate guy with loads of earrings. He lent me a book, which I then returned a year later.
I try to stay away from looking at stuff that is too similar to the things I’m interested in. The things that you find beautiful aren’t necessarily the things you can make. You should just persevere with the way you are working and maybe get outside opinions from friends and peers. Look at things, and be inspired by things, that are completely unrelated to what you’re making.
I spent hours when I first came to London buying bus passes and travelling around looking at all the chicken shop signage. I think it’s hilarious that they all use the same three colours and the same pictures.
My 3D work came hand-in-hand with my breaking into hand-drawn typography. I was already working on typography and branding for various companies and design agencies. Then, as a personal project I started making little hand-painted signs, like one for my girlfriend who is a hair stylist. People liked what I did and I was getting more and more commissions and eventually the other design work sort of fizzled out.
Learning to use enamels changed my world. For commercial work it’s great. But, saying that, you can get a great effect with gouache on metal – you should experiment.
I don’t regret [leaving education young]. It made me who I am and able to run my own business. If I’d gone through a formal education system I think I would have found it very hard to go freelance. I needed a bit of life experience.
Don’t be scared of what education can offer you, but also don’t be scared to get out there and dip your toe in.
Nicolai Sclater was talking to Nell Frizzell. To see more of Nicolai's work, visit his blog.