Who are you, and what do you do?
Hi! I’m Torben or Turbo Torbo on all platforms. I’m a freelance illustrator from Berlin, Germany, and I draw things for games and anything playful.
In the past I did artworks for various TTRPGs (Notorious, Last Sentinels, Orbital, among others), boardgames (Merchants of Andromeda, Lost & Found Collection, Notorious Card Game), video games (Space Sprouts, various serious games) and I’ve been involved in creating and maintaining the yearly key art for anime & gaming convention POLARIS in Hamburg. Whenever I get the chance I also design funky user interfaces like this app or this browser MMO UI.
I’m also co-founder of the teeny-tiny indie game studio Schleuder Games.
What do you use to get the job done?
I work on a Huion Kamvas Pro 24 4K with a no-name ultrawide monitor as a second screen. When I’m not working from home I use an OMEN 16 notebook with a Huion Kamvas Pro 16 2.5K. Honourable mention: My Logitech MX Vertical mouse, it really helped me get rid of wrist pain.
On the software side I draw in Clip Studio Paint Pro and use Lazy Nezumi Pro as a ruler extension that helpes me out so so much. I got my own library of custom brushes but what I find myself using really often are the Micron brushes by Halftone Hospital (Space Sprouts for example was drawn completely with this). For final drawing, layout & export I use the Adobe Suite, but I’m currently trying to get more used to Affinity. I also use Miro extensively - for moodboards, project management, client feedback, whatever. Most of my direct communication is handled via Discord, for emails, document editing and cloud storage I use Google products.
I also do lots of traditional drawing. Currently I’m working my way through a dotted Rhodia Goalbook, but I’m always on the lookout for new sketchbooks that I like. Most of the time I use Muji Ink ballpoint pens, Pentel Sign pens and Pigma Micron fineliners. Posca Markers and Arrtx color markers when I feel colorful. And lastly a small shoutout to Pentel Pocket Brush, my beloved.
What would be your dream setup?
I’m good on the technical side. I would love a bigger dedicated space for drawing though. A nice space with lots of natural light. A big old table for drawing, cutting, binding. Big drawers for properly storing artworks and prints. Nice large bookshelves filled with rad art books and comics. And a sweet comfy chair to have a coffee break and read (and then nap for a bit).