Athos is a renowned illustrator whose work encompasses a diverse range of fields, from the paper products industry to school object collections, textbooks, map design and advertising visuals.

Athos previously worked as a still-life photographer. His work today includes photo retouching, magazine layouts, Web design and flash animations. On top of that, Athos is a colorist, a digital art instructor and a Wacom Evangelist.

In short: His name is Athos and he’s here to solve problems.

So how does a Pioneer solve problems? “It’s very important to understand the briefing, to lay out a clear path towards the technical realization of the project, and to mark the deadline in your calendar. You should know exactly how you expect to implement a project, and also have at least two or three alternatives in mind.”

No sooner said than done: It took Athos no time at all to present the concept and first draft for his Pioneers of Now self-portrait – a scream and explosive “hair of ideas” to express the reverse concept of looking into the artist’s head – and he was even quicker to implement some minor changes we suggested.

More Pioneer advice from Athos: “Do some research before you start drawing. That way, your exploration begins on a distant planet and not in your chair!” That’s why he not only spends a lot of time scouring the Web but also visits fairs, reads books and magazines, watches films, and so on.

Conclusion (and we agree 100%): Being a Pioneer is a full-time job. If you don’t love it, don’t do it!