nonslick

Tobias Hall

2011-09-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

Technically, I have lived in Essex my entire life, but I usually advertise myself as being from London, partly through shame, but also because my town is on the Central Line so I figured that counts as London. I graduated in Summer 2010 so have been working freelance since then.

There's been a lot of talk lately about whether illustration degrees are worth their money, how do you feel now about your education and did it prepare you well for the professional market?

I can obviously only answer this question based on my University experience, and I think the answer would be 'No'. There's no doubting that I got about 10 times better at putting together a successful image, but i'm not sure how much of that is down to the tuition and how much of it is down to just drawing a lot. I feel as though the same would have happened had I practiced as much and compared the standard of my practice to that of the industry leaders, because that's essentially what pushes me to get better. Obviously the fact that you have a structure in place at University helps; the briefs are there for you and you are given honest critique afterwards, but you can find both briefs and critique all over the internet now.

The other thing is that on my particular course there wasn't a huge emphasis on the workings of the industry, so on graduating I didn't necessarily feel 'prepared' to confidently quote a fee or interact with clients. That said, my illustration course was only in it's third year at the university and there were still plenty of positives (meeting like-minded people in the same situation etc.). I'm sure also, that there are plenty of Universities out there that offer a more complete course, but even so, with the increased university fees I'm still not sure it's worth it.

I feel the same way about the new fees, the degree courses are great for getting you motivated, making sure you draw every day to deadlines etc and at £3000 a year it's probably worth it just for that but at £9000? I think that's a lot to ask. So how do you create your work? I'd guessed it involved some kind of digital collaging but there's some pretty large-scale work on your site!

The process is always the same with my work; I always begin by drawing the focal point of the image in biro fairly accurately, but with semi-loose lines. Then I scan it into photoshop where I colour and texture it before adding other doodled and/or written elements which further portray the brief. Then if I'm going to be painting the illustration on a wall or elsewhere, I will use the original illustration as a guide, or sometimes as a template on an OHP, before painting with matt emulsion and acrylic and using Uni Posca paint pens for line work.

That mural you did for Zizzi is huge!!! How did you get that job and how long did it take? From the pictures it looks like you worked through at least one night.

I assume you're referring to the one in Earls Court? That was my first job for Zizzi, they saw my work at NewDesigners soon after I had graduated, which is a huge design exhibition for graduates and takes place at the Business Design Centre in Angel, London. It was also my first even mural, so eve after practicing in the summer house at the bottom of the garden it was quite a nervy affair to begin with. The whole project was part of a major re-furb, so the restaurant was closed for a week or so. My work took 5 days to complete, but thankfully no nights. I start work on my fourth project for Zizzi this weekend, it's at my local restaurant and they are keeping it open for this one, so i'll be painting through a saturday evening service, which should be fun. You can see all the work I have completed for Zizzi on my website.

…………………

So since we last spoke you've done another image for Zizzi, how did the painting go? Any nerves having to paint this in front of a crowd? No paint spilled into any soups I hope!

Yeah it went well actually, I just plugged myself in to some music and tried not to turn around to often! I had a nice space cordoned off, so that made the whole thing more relaxing, and meant there was no chance of painty pizza or the like. It was probably up there with my most ambitious mural in terms of detail with the pens, so i'm pleased with how it turned out.

Looks fantastic Tobias, really well done! And I hear you're now on the design team for Zizzi, is that correct? What is that going to involve?

Yeah basically I left my job working at a bar in the hope that I might find some part time work more relevant to what I do, whilst I knew it was a massive stab in the dark, Zizzi was my first port of call because I knew I liked how they worked. It just so happened that they were looking for someone in design and marketing, so Pia Fairhurst (head of design at Zizzi) recommended me to the Marketing Director, and we have just sorted out my contract recently. Like I say, we’re still in the fairly early stages, but I know I will be working three days a week and will be involved in design for print and web, as well as photography of some new/refurbished restaurants. I will still be doing the mural work for them too, which is good.

Sounds like leaving the bar job was a good move! Do your photography and design skills influence your illustration at all or do you find it's more the other way around?

I always use photography as reference when I draw, and it's always my own photography wherever possible. I also tend to use a few graphical elements in my work and I certainly have a love for beautiful graphic design, so yeah I guess I would say that they both influence my illustrations.

Are there any particular artists or illustrators that have influenced the development of your style?

I think initially it was David Foldvari who I idolised, in the early stages of uni I pretty much copied his style completely (the results are pretty embarrassing to look back on), but then it kind of grew into what it is today - it's still changing too. Keith Haring has always been one of my favourite artists generally, and he has inspired some of the doodled elements to my work. At the moment my favourite work is coming from Kilian Eng and Yuri Ustsinau, they're tearing it up right now. Oh, and one other artist to mention, Ruben Ireland - his work is incredible.

Any advice for young illustrators?

I'm not sure I am qualified to give 'advice' out to anyone, especially seeing as I am a young illustrator myself. But yeah, of course there have been times where I have thought, 'What am I even bothering for?', especially when there are so many other incredible artists out there - I just thought I could eventually be good enough to make money from what I did, and I didn't like the idea of giving up without having a real go. It seems to be paying off now, so that would be my 'advice'; just keep your head down, produce work you want to produce, and produce it as well as you can. I think if you are intimidated by everyone else's work it's probably a good thing, because essentially that's what will push you to improve, I know it did me.

Anything to say to the old pro's?

Thanks. They help me improve by creating work that makes me realise mine's not good enough, and I haven't come across an unhelpful one yet. I think that's one of the best things about this industry, yeah its hard to get by, but I think generally speaking there are friendly creatives about that will help you get your stuff out there, or give you good advice.

Thanks Tobias, great speaking to you! More of Tobias’ work can be seen at www.tobias-hall.co.uk and http://tobiashall.tumblr.com

Kelsey Dake

2011-09-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

1. A/S/L

22/F/PHX

2. Like a ton of incredible illustrators, you choose to go to Art Center in Pasadena for illustration (Sooooo LA). Why did you choose Art Center and what is the biggest thing you learned while studying there?

Art Center and I sort of met by accident. I was supposed to be in LA to tour Otis but I got there a few hours too early for their tour so I headed up to Art Center and was floored, I mean come on, they had the Clayton Brothers in their catalog. I had also checked out MICA and RISD and I don't know Art Center seemed like the perfect fit. Besides, I had heard stories about how many kids drop out after the first term and that you had to draw 100s of strangers for a single class, so it sounded like a wonderful challenge! The biggest thing I learned there was that it's never cool to just be comfortable with what you know, but it's better to have a bag full of tricks you're constantly adding to and to always push yourself to do new and different things with each piece you create.

3. You lived in Brooklyn not long after graduating from undergrad and then moved back to the south west a year later. What was most beneficial for you at the time for moving to the east coast and what do you miss now that your not in Brooklyn other than not being able to quote the Beastie Boys everytime you went home on the subway?

Actualllllly I lived way way way downtown in the Financial District, right above the J&R actually! The main factor for moving to NY was basically the same as most folks, I wanted to launch my career (if you can make it here you can make it anywhere *add a dick masturbating hand motion*) no but yeah, that was the main factor. Besides, I had lived on the west coast my entire life and was a little sick of the sun. But now I definitely do not miss snow or humidity.

4. When I was in undergrad, all of my teachers yammered on about how none of us would make money if we didn't work in full color. YET, 95% of your client work is strictly black and white and the other 5% is one to three spot colors. What is it that you think makes your work appealing to Art directors to just use your black and white drawings?

I worked with a very smart guy named Frank DeRose when I was in NY, the most important thing I took away from that experience was that I need to do me 100% of the time, and that while not everyone will appreciate that, the ones who do appreciate it will be my biggest supporters. So with that being said, I think the ones who are hiring me are personal fans of my work and that they want me to do me. And part of me doing me is either it's completely black and white or a single spot color. I'm being hired because they know I know what I'm doing and trust me to make something they'll like.

5. This sort of relates to the previous question but alot of your illustrations are either straight up portraits or vignette still lives/conceptual still lives. Why is it that you choose not to draw backgrounds?

Sometimes I think they're way too distracting and never nearly as impressive than whatever is in the foreground, so what's the point in having one then? I'm more about making statements than scenes.

6. Boston Terrier or Pug? In and Out Burger or Shake Shack? LA or NYC?

Neither, In and Out, NYC

7. What got you into making zines?

Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson, and I was already way into making big screenprints so it was a kind of natural progression! Plus I think someone is more likely to hold onto and appreciate a hand pulled zine v a mass produced lazorrr printed postcard, so I did it a lot at first for the promo aspect too.

8. I know that your a pretty avid biker. Do you ever do biking marathons or run marathons at all?

I hate running and I've thought about bike racing, but I do it more for shits and giggles. Come on, I'm an artist I have never been athletic my whole life!

9. Why do you love to draw hair?

I can zone outtttttttttt, and I'm a bit like a squirrel, shiny things excite me. Nothing better than a pile of shiny, greasy hair.

10. Inkers typically have a particular brush and ink they use that they prefer. Nathan Fox uses a Winsor Newton Series 7 brush and speed ball ink, Yuko uses Japanese sumi brushes and Dr. Martins black magic. What do you use?

I use a Kaimei Japanese brush pen, and then just whatever ball bearing cartridges are made for it (it's all in Japanese?). I'm quick and dirty when I work so ink and brushes and I don't get along very well. But I do love me some Black Magic for large flats!

11. Do you have any advice for the young illustrators who are just getting started in the field?

DO YOU, NOT WHAT'S COOL (that goes for you too graphic designers!)

12. Any advice for the Vets?

Never get too comfortable? (my one year old career doesn't like doling out advice to vets hahaha)

13. Final Word?

grip

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All of the work is under copy right by Kelsey Dake.

To see more of Kelseys work check out: Kelseydake.com

Thanks Gurl!

JUSTIN RENTERIA

2011-05-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

1.Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I'm originally from Los Angeles. My family moved to Denver when I was in Elementary school, so I've been here most of my life. I was still working full time at a job I had worked at since I was 16 after I graduated, so I didn't begin illustrating full time until about three years ago. My first two years after school I was only illustrating part-time.

2. How was your experience at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design? Did you feel prepared for the real work upon graduating?

I lived at home and drove an hour across town each way, every day. And I worked whenever I wasn't in school, just to be able to pay tuition, so I don't feel like I had the "real college experience" that some people get. I wanted to go out-of-state. I really wanted to go to Art Center, and I was accepted into the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but there was no way I could've afforded to live on my own, and pay my own tuition (plus, I got a really good scholarship to RMCAD). I think I was fairly ready to jump into reality upon graduation from RMCAD. I think that things change so quickly, it's hard for any school to really prepare students for what's coming. The best they can do is teach students how to adapt to changes in the market. I guess I wish they would have focused a little more on the business end of the profession. After all, you are running your own business.

3. How has your work changed in your 5 or so years as a professional image maker? what directions do you feel it going in?

My work has changed A LOT! What I was doing a year after I graduated, is completely different from what I was doing in school. And what I'm doing now is different than what I was doing a year after I graduated. I think it's just part of the way artists evolve. Artists are supposed to evolve. Maybe not quite as fast as that... but I thinks it's important to grow. I'm definitely moving constantly towards a more simplified, minimalist way of working. I'm really drawn to the colors and shapes in the design and illustration of the 1960s. I love images that communicate an idea, with as little visual information as possible.

4. your work is obviously very concept driven (and great ideas at that) - how do you go about brain storming when a project rolls in?

Most of the time I just start writing down everything that comes to mind. I'll read the story or brief, and try to get a main idea out of it. I'll reword that idea into a few different phrases, and jot down words that come to mind when reading that phrase. Nate Williams had a great tutorial on getting ideas, http://www.n8w.com/wp/3242 . The tutorial basically sums up everything I learned in school about deriving a good concept from a story.

5. what mistakes would you caution young illustrators NOT to make? what were some of your mistakes (if any) when starting out?

I don't know if this is good advice, but I would tell nubies not to obsess over "style." I know nowadays we're supposed to sell ourselves as a "brand," and you can't have brand recognition if your work doesn't look exactly the same as all your other work, but that goes against everything I've ever believed in, about art, creativity, human nature. I think the most successful illustrators have a style that can almost be copyrighted. And maybe I'll never be as successful as those illustrators, but I don't know if my restless tendencies will ever allow me to stick with a visual identity long enough to be characterized as "my style." So maybe my advice to new illustrators would be to disregard my advice!

6. you obviously put a lot of thought and care into your promotions - do you have any advice for new illustrators looking for ways to market their work?

Well, I think postcards still work. ADs and CDs will always keep the postcards they like. Postcards are easy to stick in a folder and carry around with you. But sometimes going the extra mile every once in a while pays off. I'll probably always send out a postcard or two, but then occasionally I like to send out something really special, like a booklet. Even if you only print up enough to send out to 20 or 30 people, if the illustration is really good, and you take the time to design it well, it'll get noticed. And that's the most important thing- making sure the work you're sending out is high quality. You can spend a thousand bucks on a really nice booklet to send to people, but if the illustrations inside are crap, they'll just toss it, and keep the cheap postcards with really great illustration.

7. what are your thoughts on working traditionally vs. working digitally? does your heart hold alliance to one over the other?

The computer/interweb has made life for illustrators exponentially easier. Can you imagine having to ship a huge painting to an art director every few days? But aside from the convenience of turning in assignments, the programs have made work quicker too. Not better, but quicker. And that's the reason why I think I'll always keep my work at least partially traditional. If the program doesn't necessarily improve the quality of work, why completely forgo the joy of getting dirty? My illustration is almost always some combination of traditional collage and printmaking, along with digital.

8. when do you experience your greatest periods of growth - either professionally, or personally?

When I stop to take a breather, and really think about things. When you're so busy that you can barely take a time out for a meal, it's hard to grow because you're on such a roll. You're not experimenting or going out into the world to experience things and be influenced- you're down in your studio or office, knocking out the illustration. It's good to look up from the drawing board/computer screen every once in a while.

9. tell me about cars.

Cars are fun. The older, the better. The older they are, the simpler they are. When I look under the hood of a new car, and see all those wires, I get very intimidated. I like just about any car made before 1970 (before they started worrying about fuel economy, unfortunately). The style of body, the chrome, the dashboard. It's like a time machine. I think the history is what's most exciting. My car has an old tube radio, that only has AM stations. I feel like I'm in a different time period when I get in.

10. i notice (and appreciate) environmental themes in your work - are you as scared shitless about global warming as i am?

In a word- yes. I think most people in this country are pretty insulated from the immediate effects (besides the Southern coast, with all the hurricanes and tornadoes and flooding), so we have yet to do much. And lest you think I'm a hypocrite, I do realize how my 60 year-old vehicle affects the situation. I try to limit my driving as much as possible. I put 20 bucks worth of gas into my tank at a time, and I only do that about once every other week, to give you an idea of how little I drive. I actually enjoy riding the bus sometimes.

11. whats the best part about being a dad?

How much she makes me laugh. I've never been the happy-go-lucky type (I'm actually kind of a grumpy old man for a 27 year-old), but I find myself smiling a million times a day. Of course that's not only due to my daughter. Her mother has a lot to do with it too. The two of them really make life fun.

12. whos work / what (in general) are you loving right now?

I feel like I should have been born in a previous decade sometimes. I like movies, t.v., cartoons, music, cars, art from previous eras. It's just what I'm drawn to. Most of the art and design that influences me, and that I most enjoy looking at, is from the 60s and earlier. I really like a lot of illustrators working today, don't get me wrong. I just pay more attention to the past. I know he isn't really illustrating right now, but I always loved James Jean's work. He is truly a talented artist. I got into Fables just because I liked the covers so much!

13. last words?

I hate caramel. It's sticky and chewy, and it's way to sweet. Thanks, Pete!Really big thanks to Justin for the great interview. All images above copyright Justin Renteria - check out more of his great work here: http://www.justinrenteria.com/

Victo Ngai

2011-05-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I am from Hong Kong and didn't become a full-time illustrator until I graduated from RISD in 2010. However, I started drawing since I was a kid; my parents were very busy and I would tell stories with my drawings to keep myself entertained.

2. How has moving from Hong Kong, to Providence to attend RISD, affected your way of thinking about making art?

RISD is awesome, I learnt a lot and have met some of the most influential people there_including my teacher Chris Buzelli . Chris reminded me why I like to draw in the first place when I was overwhelmed by grades and competitions . He also pointed out to me that" style is merely one's habit of drawing, everyone is born with a unique style as everyone is born unique". This helped me to be honest with myself and eventually found my own voice. Being away from home/parent's protection and the insanely high RISD tuition also motivate/haunt me to work my butt off.

3.What are the biggest difficulties of being a female illustrator from HK living in New York, and what are it’s advantages from not being born and bred here?

It's interesting that you emphasize "female" in your question. I have always been referred as "he/him" on blogs maybe because of my confusing name-"Victo", but I actually kind of enjoy the androgeness . Being a foreigner can be hard sometimes when it comes to socializing- not understanding cultural references and American slangs make it difficult to carry on conversations. I also have made many stupid mistakes because of language barrier. I once got a phone call asking me to do a full page and 3 quarter pages and I misunderstood it as one full page and one 3/4 page...
Advantage- I think the fuel of creativity often comes from our personal experiences. So having an international background and experience of living in different cultures definitely helps when it comes to finding inspirations.

4. Every time I look, I see that your illustrating for someone new, somewhere. Is there a particular method of promotion that you prefer over another that has helped you get work?

I think the new media, especially blogs, has helped me a lot to get my works out there. I e-mailed a few major blogs about my work when I graduated and they were kind enough to feature them. Then a lot of reblogging happened and everything kind of snow-balled from there.Through the power of internet, I was contacted for gallery shows, magazine interview and jobs from places and people I had never heard of and therefore wouldn't have reached on my own. I think it's important to keep it a two-way street -mailers and other promotional materials are great for reaching people but it's even better if people are able to discover you and come to you. For the same reason, I think getting into annuals and competitions is also a wonderful promotion.

5. Are you interested in animating your work?

For sure! I love animations and have thought about being an animator at some point. Actually, I have a little animation on my site.

6. How would you define a good illustration?

Well thought out ( communicate an idea clearly and creatively ) , well executed ( solid composition, intriguing style and characters .etc ) and hopefully thought-provoking.

7. Why do you work in a hybrid of making things, scanning them in, and changing them digitally?

The hybrid enables me to achieve the hand-made organic look I like while still enjoy the beauty of digital. Digital is great as it enables me to combine materials previously made with various media which are traditionally "incompatible". It also lets me work backward thanks to the layer function-i.e. have my line work done before working out the colors and value but can still have the line on top of everything in the final illustration.

8. What are you up to when your not illustrating? Do you find it important to take a break?

Just chill and enjoy life, I especially like to eat and travel! I think It's very important to take breaks for both the body and mind. Body- freelance illustration is a pretty high-stress job and since you are your own boss, it's very easy to overwork and compromise health if "breaks" are not planned into the schedule. I have learned that in the past 1 year with big prices paid. Mind- it's essential to take breaks to recharge and refresh, otherwise it's easy to run out of steam if there's only output but no input.

9. What’s your goals for 2011?

Get back at reading and exercising; travel to at least one new place; get better with using greys and subtle colors; work for new clients.

10. Any Advice for the young guns just getting out of school?

Not just work really really really hard, but work really really really hard at the right things at the right time. For example,concentrate on building a strong portfolio before being bothered and distracted with promotions.

11. Any advice for the old guys?

I don't think I am in the position to give them any advice. But I guess if I had been doing illustration for a while, I would like to remind myself from time to time why I started drawing in the first place, so illustration won't turn into a mundane job. Maybe also change things up a bit every once in a while to keep things fresh and interesting for myself?

12. Final Word?

Thank you very much Fish! I haven't typed so much since I did that Art History paper about Islamic architecture in senior year. :)

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All work is under ©opyright of Victo Ngai

You can find more of her work: Victo-Ngai.com

Thank's Victo

Lydia Nichols

2011-04-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I hail from the Keystone State; specifically, a little piece of southeast Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia called Bucks County. I was born and raised there, though I've had many different childhood homes. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I started 'illustrating'–like every other kid growing up, I spent many days armed with a pencil, crayons, and several sheets of paper. In high school I juggled art and music (I played trombone in the marching band, jazz band, orchestra, and dixie band across all three years), but ultimately chose to pursue visual art in college. At that point, I hated painting, but loved to draw and write, so illustration seemed like a good fit for me. I attended Syracuse University and received my BFA in Illustration in 2007 and after that, I moved to NYC and here I am now–illustrating as much as I can.

2. A lot of your personal work, delves into growing up in the Keystone state (Pennsylvania). Either still life, animals, pattern, ect. Are you trying to document a sense of place with the work for others to appreciate or are you trying to say/do something else?

The old adage, 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'–I really think it's true. I have a lot of nostalgia for Bucks County now that I haven't lived there for a number of years. Part of it probably stems from the fact that I mostly grew up with my grandparents and as they get older and area changes, I grow wistful for the past. Bucks County is a really historic area (think George Washington and William Penn) and it used to be largely farmland when my mom and her siblings were growing up and even up until my youth. In recent years, however, it's been developed into McMansions which is just depressing. So I guess these pieces are trying to hold on to the Bucks County of yesteryear and the days when living didn't mean being glued to a computer and spending oodles on ugly, humungous, shoddy houses.

3. How has working as a sign painter/designer for Whole Foods affected your current work?

Hmm, I honestly haven't given it much thought. It definitely heightened my appreciation of hand painted signage–what an art form! It also helped to loosen me up a bit. It was certainly an interesting position, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm glad those days are done!

4. Are you a trekky?

No, not at all. I'm not sure I've even seen one full episode, but still, it was a fun assignment.

5. One thing I’ve noticed about your work that I don’t see other illustrators doing, is that you have a lot of work that are broken up into panels. Is that a conscience thought or is it just a way you started weaving into your work without really thinking about it?

It happened slowly, and somewhat out of necessity. For a long time I struggled to create successful compositions that conveyed all of the necessary information, and then I realized that instead of one all encompassing image, I could create a group of little vignettes to accomplish the same thing. It was like a giant weight had been lifted (no joke!) I've definitely been influenced by comic artists–Chris Ware, Dan Clowes, Craig Thompson, etc–as well as street/folk artists like Margaret Kilgallen, Barry McGee, Jim Houser. There's a certain amount of 'paneling' that appears in all their work and I guess it seeped into my subconscious and one day I just tried it myself. Since my style is fairly minimalist, I think it works well for me, and it also allows me to explore patterns and color in ways I otherwise couldn't.

6. I saw that you have a separate website for where your painted objects exist and another for just your illustration/design, though I don’t see much separation in the work itself. Why do you keep the two on two different sites?

You're right; there really isn't much separation aside from materials. I'm not sure I entirely know why I keep them separate–just for organizational purposes? It's funny that you say my 'illustration/design' work, because I don't really consider myself a designer. I tend to think of myself as illustrator strongly influenced by and in awe of design, but not a 'designer' per se. Actually, I know a fellow illustrator that signs his e.mails, 'visual communicator' and I think that that is perhaps the best descriptor. Anyway, I'm getting way off track. My painted pieces aren't as consistently narrative/functional as my illustration, so I think that's a big motivation to separate them. It's been really fun experimenting with paint, string, wood, etc. and I like how pressure–free it is. I suppose I want to stay free of expectation, so I don't display the two in the same place.

7. Have you ever considered painting your illustration work?

Yes, but deadlines make digital finishes so much more realistic. If anything, I'd like to get back to screenprinting and maybe even relief for some of my illustrations. There's a lot of incredible digital work being made out there these days, but I'm a sucker for tangibles–pieces you can hold and really look at. That's why I started painting again this past year!

8. Have you come to a conculsion on what MFA program your going to go to this fall?

Haha, nice try. I have to keep some things secret, no?

9. What are you listening to these days?

Let's see, I'm totally digging Tokyo Police Club's 'Champ' and The Tallest Man on Earth's 'The Wild Hunt' for when I'm feeling a little more mellow. Also on the list: Girl Talk, Delta Spirit, Surfer Blood, Cut Copy, Local Natives, Caribou, Fleet Foxes, and two of my all-time favorites, Andrew Bird and Sufjan Stevens. I also love to listen to Ella Fitzgerald on vinyl, especially in the winter and with a cup of tea. I love jazz, but real jazz; none of this 'smooth' Kenny-G influenced junk.

10. Any advice to illustrators just breaking ground?

Perseverance. Figure out what you want and work until you get it. Sometimes that means a struggle or a bit of sacrifice, but it's worth it for those 'yes!' moments along the way. Use the internet. It sucks, but it's a reality. If you have a website, a blog, a Twitter account, Dribbble, whatever, you're more likely to gain exposure and a following than if you keep to yourself and just send out the occasional postcard. I've gotten a lot of work just by being visible on the internet. Draw/sketch. Really. It's good for you–like fruits and veggies.

11. Any advice for the vet’s in the field?

Golly, I don't think I could be so bold. Ok, one piece of advice (this goes to the new kids too)–get a decent website. One where every image doesn't pop out into it's own window, one that doesn't take 15 minutes to load, one that doesn't use Flash, one that actually allows you to see the work. No frills, no fancy background, no crazy type. Keep it simple–like a physical portfolio, it's there to highlight your awesome work, not overwhelm it (or the viewer!)

12. Final Word?

Watch 30 Rock. Like sketching, it is good for you.

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All work is under ©opyright by Lydia Nichols

Her illustration work: http://lydianichols.com/

Her Painted work: http://hulloitslydia.com/

Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed Lydia!

DANIEL FISHEL

2011-02-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I grew up most of my life in a trailer park south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. While attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, in 2007/2008, I started screen printing show posters for Siren Records. I had to take a regional rail train an hour north of Philly to get to every show to sell my screen prints at the venue to barely breaking even, but it was completely worth it! After making and selling prints I started illustrating tour posters, record covers, and t-shirts. This helped build toward my portfolio to aim for editorial work, ect…. I currently live in Queens, NY.

I often forget that you're in your final year at SVA MFA Illustration as a visual essay program. This is partly because you make a lot of commercial work, and partly because that work is so refined. So, I guess I’m wondering how you have time...
Thanks for the humbling comment! I am in the studio from 7am/8am until 11pm/midnight everyday for the most part. Sometimes I have to work later to meet a deadline but that’s the nature of what I get myself into. I have everyday blocked out in the hours I spend working on pieces for school/personal work, experimenting, client work, and even for the time I need to take off to settle down. I am in my second year so I have a super flexible schedule, where I write out what my thesis is, set the bar, and make the deadlines. All I have to worry about it showing up to class, and create work every week in the form of sketches, or finishes for my advisor.

How has your work changed over the past few years, what have influenced these changes, and where do you see it going?
When I was younger I always wanted to draw like an old master. At the time, I felt like that was what made you an artist, but I failed time and time again. After accepting how I drew naturally and worked on expanding that, I realized it was a better approach then trying to draw like Delacroix or whoever. What got me into illustrating and played some role on “style” were zines by Cristy Road, Raymond Pettibon’s record covers he did for Black Flag, Skateboard decks, and a hand full of show posters plastered all over the walls at the Ottobar in Baltimore when seeing the Subhumans/From Ashes Rise play in 2004. Seeing all this built a personal frame of reference that I often go to when creating images.
My drawing skills went from bad to satisfactory over the last 5 or 6 years. I am always striving to get better. I started making work in acrylic early on, and moved to rendering stuff out on the computer in art school. I wouldn’t have moved to the computer if Tom Leonard didn’t push me to continue exploring it as an option. I owe him a lot for that!!! I started out as mentioned by doing rendered out stuff, to doing flat silk screeny stuff, and now I am doing flat painterly stuff using exclusively photoshop. The next step is probably to explore limited color, adding more figures in my pieces and upping the contrast in my work. Application is up in the air. *Sirens call to all art directors*Why are you drawn to conceptual illustration?
If you eat candy, it taste really good, but it doesn’t really fill you up. Now if you eat a balanced meal, it will be filling, taste good, and stick around with you for a while. That’s kind of why I am drawn to conceptual illustration. It’s a lot like having a balanced meal. Not to say that once in awhile you can’t enjoy chocolate cake.

I know your process in a bit of a hybrid between traditional and digital, but do you prefer one method of working over the other?
Illustration = Hybrid, Gallery = Traditional. With my traditional works, I tend to take my sweet time and figure the piece out. So my fully painted traditional pieces take 10-80 hours unless they are super small. Most of the time, when I do a “hybrid” piece, it takes me 2-15 hours to go from start to finish. Also I am more confident with my color choices and composition when it comes to making doing a hybrid piece.

What do you like / hate to draw.
I love drawing everything, I hate it when a drawing goes wrong, but that’s the fun of it. Trying to work out the drawing and get it right.

I've noticed that you tend to draw people "looking away", is there some deeper, psychological reason for this?
I’ve been exploring in my recent work, various ways I can evoke a sense of tension. When a figure is “looking away” it’s usually my way of showing a dramatic emotional disconnect between either the viewer or another figure within the painting. I could use a facial expression to do the same thing, but when I draw it, it often comes off a little corny.

Define "being rich"
When you can legitimately “make it rain.”

How much of an impact has your time spent involved in the punk / hardcore scene had on your work?
Punk/hardcore taught me to think for myself, do things myself, and work hard to earn what you have. Of course the visual language of the subculture has played a role on my artwork, but its more transparent today than it was five years ago. All influence should be.Why is being straight edge still relevant?
The Edge will remain relevant while drinking, and smoking remain relevant. I am a firm believer in the Edge and PMA. Other people’s habits are their anchors, not mine. I don’t let that stand in the way of me having fun.

Top 5 edge bands - NOT including minor threat or youth of today (far too obvious)?
Aw man! Well in no particular order….
1. Champion

2. Carry On

3. Floor Punch

4. The First Step

5. Chain of Strength

Honorable mentions…

1. Set it Straight

2. Let Down

3. Miles Away

4. Good Clean Fun

5. Mind Set

6. Down to Nothing

What do you do when you're not working?
I like to try out different places for dinner, I ride my bike when I can, go to punk rock shows, and occasionally I go to Philadelphia to hang out with friends down there if all my New York friends are busy. I visit galleries pretty often when I find out about an opening.

Who’s work are you loving right now?
Mia Christopher work is super fun! Clare Rojas is another fine artist I’ve been following whose work is incredible. I just picked up Blexbolex’s children’s book “Seasons” and it’s pretty breath taking.

skateboarding or hockey?
Although I am a Flyers fan, I got to go with Skateboarding since I have “Sk8 or Die” tattooed on my shin.Any goals for 2011?
Gain more clients who want to use me for the printed page, the digital screen, or for the application of products.

Balance more time with people who want to hang out and professional work life.

Do a little bit of traveling for short spurts of time. Like going to Canada for a weekend or to other east coast jawns.

What do you want to tell young illustrators, just getting into the biz?
Know 150 Art Directors names off the top of your head that you want to work for and need to get your work in front of/keep it personal. Get to Know 50 Contemporary Illustrators you think are awesome and stay in touch. This business is about making connections not only digitally but also in real life. If you have the opportunity to meet them, do it. Don’t be shy or nervous. They are people getting/giving work, just like you.

One other piece of advice I have to offer for young illustrators to remember. YOU’RE AN ARTIST. Yes your work has to be within the context of whomever you are working for, but your personal work can be your illustration work. It’s probably as easy as shifting it 5 degrees to bring it into context for whoever your illustrating for.

What about the older guys?
Stay up to date on what’s going on around you (trends, technology, ect), and with that knowledge, don’t be bitter, stay honest, humble and cautious to younger illustrators. Your influence, for some young creative person can make or break their creative soul. Not everyone can take tough love.

Final words
“Unguard, I will let you try my wu tang style”

all images copyright Dan Fishel - check out his great work here: http://www.o-fishel.com - Thanks Fish!!

Marco Wagner

2011-02-23T05:56:00.001-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I was born in Würzburg, a small town in Bavaria, central Germany
where I still live and work as a freelance illustrator since 2006.

2. What is the art/illustration scene like in Germany? I’m really interested to hear what’s going on overseas.

Like in the USA, Illustration suffered from the economic crises started in 2009, but now it feels like it’s getting better. Generally Illustration gets more appreciation in Germany than years ago, but I would love to see more illustration in advertising. Ad Agencies are very interested in illustration and create ideas on illustrated campaigns, but it´s often the client who does not venture it. Yet!

3. Throughout a lot of your work, nature and ornamentation (dots, map markers, rhombus, ect) play a role in how you develop concepts. Are you pulling from a personal frame of reference using nature and ornamentation for your conceptual solutions or is there another reason.

Well, my kind of developing concepts reminds me to a situation when I was a small child in kindergarten. We had a big box full of LEGO, 98% bricks and 2% special pieces like, colored glass bricks, flowers, wheels, .... Every kid tried to get some of the special pieces to improve and to decorate what he had built with the bricks. So now, I also have a box with special pieces that delight my heart like the LEGO pieces in kindergarten. And I try to use them ( dots, rhombus, needles, wires,...) to create my illustrations and make an illustration that fits for the concept and additionally makes me feel more in love with it. It’s a very good feeling when it works!

4. One of the reason’s that I really love your work, is that your concepts are very poetic. When your given an assignment/working on a personal piece, what do you do you’re your starting to crave out a conceptual solution? writing lists, lots of drawings, lots of coffee?

Haha, thank you. Well, few coffee, few drawings, but writing down every stupid idea coming into my mind. Best time for stupid ideas is short before sleeping so I have my list on my bedside table. Writing down helps me to draining my head. And when I think it´s enough for 3-4 good concepts I start to do the rough sketches. And they are very rough so thanks to all ADs who trusted me! So that´s how I work for illustration jobs. For personal pieces the process of cogitation is much longer as I love to do small thematical series of works.

5. Do you feel that there’s a lot of separation between your gallery paintings v.s. your illustrated paintings/mixed media?

Well, actually not. I know that my personal pieces are a bit morbid and dark and wouldn’t find a place in illustration. Furthermore I work digital/mixed media for illustration jobs by contrast to my gallery work. But they have also a lot in common, like composition, colors, ideas, elements and my box of special pieces.... I try to balance everything.

6. Do you think you were prepared leaving art school to start a career in making art for a living?

Not at all. Just this advice: it will be hard!

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7. If you weren’t living in Germany, would you live anywhere else?

Maybe in czech republic, as my wife originally comes from CZ. Landscapes are beautiful, and the mentality of people is awesome and the atmosphere often inspires me.

8. What are you up to when your not painting/drawing? Is it important to you to have down time?

Of course I take my rests. I love to spend time with the family, do sports, go hiking, cook, all the good things.

9. I know when I attended ICON6 in Los Angeles, there was a big divide between illustrators or were hesitant about illustrations being on digital tablets (iPad, Nook, ect) both still + animated/interactive, and those who were accepting it with open arms. With more and more things being appropriated for the web and digital devices, I was wondering what your thoughts were on these changes?

We should be open for all new developments that offer opportunities for illustration. As you know I love the mix of analog and digital regarding to esthetics, but my development in the last 2 years was contrary, because I spend a lot of time doing paintings and drawings for exhibitions. I really love new media, digital working but will never leave my paints and pencils.

10. Any advice for young illustrators just breaking into the industry?

Just one advice: it will be hard! ;-))

11. Any advice for older illustrators?

hm... Share your knowledge as much as you can.

12. Final Word?

I am looking forward to spring!

-------------------------------------------

Thanks Marco!

To find more of Marco Wagners work, go to www.marcowagner.net/

All of Marco's work is under ©opyright.

-Daniel Fishel

Bradford Haubrich

2011-02-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I am from a lovely town in New Jersey called Haddonfield. I’ve been drawing since I was little, I guess I’ve been “illustrating” since 2008.

2. I love Philadelphia, but from your perspective why is Philadelphia, an up and coming city for art/design/illustration?

Well from what I can see there are a ton of talented people, both young and old, that are doing it for the love of the game. That combined with the low cost of living, and the pre-existing DIY ethos for which Philadelphia has become known and loved for, creates a genuine enthusiasm/energy that is, in a word, awesome.

3. The thing I really like about you is your persistence to continue to make art. If illustration work isn’t coming in, you just start making things and setting up gallery shows for yourself and selflessly for lot’s of friends and artist you wanna rap with. What sparked that idea and how are you able to curate shows/get into gallery shows?

Hey thanks, I really like that you really like that. I guess I wouldn’t say it’s an idea as much as it’s a mindset, I just feel compelled to make stuff, express myself, tell stories, and keep it moving. I don’t really like to sit still or be stagnant.

My new year’s resolution last year was to make more friends, so I made sure to do that and go out to as many gallery shows and pertinent events as I could. I made a record-breaking number of friends last year, shattering my long-standing record from first grade, which invited me to participate in gallery functions. It’s amazing what a few beers and some conversation will do.

Paper Blog Opening from TrickGo on Vimeo.

4. More and more I see that your tackling projects that are either on the web or are animated projects for the web. Are they getting in touch with you or are you getting in touch with them? What’s the process like building pieces of art to be handed off to an animator?

Those two projects were done with Oscar Productions, which is run by one of my childhood friends Ian Maguire. He approached me to storyboard and create the artwork for those projects.

The process was longer than a standard illustration or design project because there was a lot of preparatory storyboarding involved. Once the piece was laid out sequentially, we then began the familiar process of sketches, and then to the final. Also the finished art files had to be meticulously layered and named to avoid confusion, and even then there was still a lot of communication between the animator and myself. The most ridiculous part though, is that I still use Adobe CS (trade secret) to Photoshop stuff so I had to group all of the layers manually as opposed to selected them and hitting apple+G! ha!

5. I really love the honesty and rawness of your artwork. Can you talk alittle bit about the evolution of how you began making images the way you have now today? What are your thoughts on the new images your working on?

I think that today it starts the same exact way it did when I was younger, with drawing. The variety of end products, and the path that I take to arrive at them, is what is continuously evolving for me. I’m getting a better idea of how to build the bridge between my initial idea and the final destination. In my most recent work I am starting to introduce more of a personal narrative, projecting aspects of the culture that is immediately around me onto my artwork.

6. Your work tends to be both beautifully designed/hand lettered, and conceptual. I was wondering if you could talk about your process in coming up with idea’s for a piece of artwork, either for an illustration or a personal piece.

Thanks! I think a lot, I draw a lot, I am constantly looking around for interesting visual cues, I listen to people, and I ask questions. The older I get the more I realize that I prefer to keep record button permanently pressed down, as opposed to blocking out time in my life on a calendar to do sketches and systematically approach creating art.

7. What kind of music do you jam to when your skate boarding the streets or working on a piece of artwork?

Ha, that depends on my mood for both. I listen to a lot of different music from aggressive to mellow, from rap to old country music. It depends on the season, and how I’m feeling.

8. Genos, Pat’s, or Jims cheese steaks?

Pat’s, I guess, however; with prices on the rise ($9.00! for a wiz with!) who really knows anymore.

9. Dream Client(s)

Hmmm, you mean like the ones that approach you because they love your work, don’t give you grief about the fee, and then a few months later commission more art work because they like you so much? Yea, I think I’ve heard of them before.

10. What are you working on these days?

Oh man, well I’m in a group show about dinosaurs that opens next week, I’m working on an installation that will melt as the weather gets warmer, finishing up screen printing covers for a new ‘zine, I just started a commission of album artwork/web banners for a local rap trio, and I told my littlest sister I would make her a wooden bunk bed for her dolls as a birthday present, this last one could land me in some hot water if not completed in a timely manner.

11. Why not paint your illustrations instead of taking a mixed media/digital approach? Is it beneficial in how you think about making the art work? Is it important to learn how to make images digitally or is it just another way?

I like Photoshop because, if done right, I have complete control over all of the elements in the image. This makes it easier to change, fix, or re-color things if necessary. I don’t think it’s important to make the actual image on the computer, but knowing your way around Adobe’s Creative Suite is a good to know regardless.

12. Any advice for illustrators/artist breaking into the field?

Be ready to work extremely hard and push yourself with every project, if this is surprising to you then that is bad.

13. Any advice for the Vet’s out there.

Nope, I know better.

14. Final word?

If ever there was a blog title that summed up my life more than this one, I have not found it.

-------------------------------------------------
Thanks a whole lot Brad!

All work under ©opyright by Brad Haubrich
To see more of Brad's Rad work go to: Plaidbrad.com

-Daniel Fishel

JONATHAN BARTLETT

2011-01-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I grew up in a small, rural town just outside of Harrisburg Pennsylvania. I am not quite sure what is considered the "beginning," but I am definitely not one of those people who will say, "I knew I wanted to be an artist my whole life"-not even close. Truth be told, the word "illustration" wasn't a part of my vernacular until I transferred to art school in the fall of 2004, after two years of college in North Carolina.

are you as well dressed as the characters you draw?

Ha! I try to stay up on my fashion. When the occasion is right, life definitely imitates art...

you're one of those terrifying "double threat" illustrators - drafting as good as your ideas - does one come more naturally than the other?

That's a flattering statement-tough question, though. I guess I would say yes, ideas come quicker to me than the crafting of the art. I have an overactive imagination and wandering mind; "what if" is one question that continuously drifts through my thoughts on any given day. I believe it's this habit that serves me well in the business. As for drafting, I suppose you could say I was a kid who could always draw well, but I feel I've had to work extremely hard to develop as an artist. Being able to draw better than your friends when you are eight only goes so far until you actually have to study, practice, fail, and try again. I look back and see very specific times when I struggled with the different principles of art and design, whether it be poor composition skills or not being able to draw a hand to save my life. Growing through those challenges is a never-ending process.

what are your thoughts on working traditionally vs. digitally?

The debate concerning traditional versus digital work is irritating. I personally work with both together, back and forth; it's a very incestuous relationship. There is too much emphasis on whether you make artwork with a computer or with a physical material. There are plenty of people working digitally that look like traditional painters and vice versa. Great example: Guy Billout. Go back 20 years and tell me that doesn't look like Photoshop! The problem is that people use their medium as an excuse for whether or not they get hired and I'm not buying it. Let's not forget that this is business-it's about whom you target and how you sell your work that can really determine your success.

how was your university experience? - did you feel ready for the real world of illustration upon graduating?

I did not feel ready after undergrad schooling, but I had a great foundation from which to start. Thankfully, that didn't stop me from trying and, in turn, learning a great deal from failing. However, it was a different story when finishing grad school. At that point, I did feel comfortable with taking on my small part of the galaxy.

your work seems to juxtapose "golden age" imagery with modern subject matter and technique - how has your process evolved over time? where do you see it 5 years down the line?

Regarding subject matter, that was just a process of learning more about myself as time went on; the evolution was very natural. As for technique, I began as an oil painter, but always enjoyed doing the underdrawing the most. I worked in a constant state of disappointment, feeling that my refined line drawings kept getting lost under less developed paintings. One day, after a harsh critique, I had enough. From that point forward, I worked hard to find a way to preserve my drawing and still make rendered, tactile images. It was a very uncomfortable thing to do. I had already been promoting myself for a year (with minimal success), so embracing the idea of starting from scratch was difficult. I stumbled through different processes that focused on drawing more and more, eventually getting me to where I am today: a healthy balance of drawing and painting.
I have no idea what things will look like in five years-hopefully more refined and thought-provoking.

could you describe your ideal client / project?
I love posters; I also love when designers and illustrators collaborate to create something featuring type and image as one entity. My dream job would be doing a season's worth of posters for a theatre or opera.

it seems like you'd be able to transition into fashion design fairly effortlessly (your characters are always so fashionable). would that be something you'd be interested in exploring on some level?

I have strong interest in the fashion industry, but not much for designing clothes or anything like that. I would love to work with menswear in terms of advertising, in-store displays, or catalog work. I have things in the works for 2011 that put more of an emphasis on the men's fashion without sacrificing my creative sensibilities. We will see what happens...

i often see animals present in your work - is that a conscious inclusion, or are they just great to use as metaphor?

Animals just make sense to me; it goes back to all the time I spent outside growing up. Otherwise, yes; throughout history and literature animals have acquired so much symbolism that they are wonderful story-telling characters.

greatest hip hop super group of all time? (please say wu tang)
PART B: greatest MC?

Okay, you want to go there? Let's be clear that "super group" would imply more than two members, but if that were not the case, OutKast is hands down the case closed, undisputed champion. Justification should not be required. Otherwise, I acknowledge The Wu-Tang Clan as an obvious choice and clear frontrunner, but I would like to point out another little crew by the name of Naughty by Nature. You can't touch Treach's flow! I mean, three Grammy nominations and one win. On top of that, those guys keep it gangster, that's real talk. Solo emcee? This is difficult because there will always be a new greatest. Five years ago, no one would dispute Biggie and 2-Pac as the best of all time; now, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and even Jay-Z (who had a substantial career five years ago) are getting that nod. If I had to single out a personal favorite I'd go with Em. He's the only rapper who I have followed since the start and his rhyme and story-telling are incredible. Nowadays keep your eye out for B.o.B; he has the skill and marketability to do big things for a long time. Just my opinion.

what do you like to do with your off time?

Keep active, play hockey, explore New York, and do mildly immature things with my friends.

how important is it for you to make non commercial / personal work?

I always have personal work going despite how busy I may be; it is an extremely important part of creative growth. As I mentioned earlier, my imagination wanders a lot and if I don't get those ideas on paper and execute them visually I become very cluttered and overwhelmed in my mind. Those images come from very a personal place and it's not only liberating but therapeutic to see them executed.

what are some ways you promote your work?

I keep a rigorous schedule of promotion-nothing fancy, just getting the work out there. Gotta spend money to make money!

if you could ask Rockwell one question about his work / career, what would it be?

First, I would pour him a bourbon then I'd ask what he really thought of the world, if he truly saw life the way he painted it. I suspect not, but think that he was consciously sculpting an escape for the masses (and a giant bank account for himself).

what publications would you love to work with?

Being a long time Rolling Stone subscriber and music fanatic, I would die a happy man to illustrate the album review for them.

you mention on your website "growing up away from the city" - what impact has this had on your illustration work / creativity in general?

I rarely draw inspiration from city life or the "urban experience"; it just doesn't effect me emotionally. My experience growing up has a strong impact on my imagination. The angle that I approach my pictures from is one that has a history of small town life and a great deal of exposure to nature. When it comes to telling stories or drawing on personal experience to influence a professional job, this is the place I go. In my opinion it will be much different from someone who was raised in, say, New York City.

All images copyright Jonathan Bartlett
Big big up's to Jonathan for taking the time for this interview - to see more of his fantastic work check out his website: http://www.seejbdraw.com/

SCOTT BAKAL

2011-01-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I was born in Connecticut and moved to New York when I was 10. In 2009, I moved to Massachusetts. It is a whole new culture and attitude and I’ve been trying to get used to it. A great little city, though. I started in 1993.

I wanted to lead this off by congratulating you on recently being named Illustrator / Educator of the year by 3X3 Magazine!
Thank you Pete and big thanks to 3x3 Magazine for that! That was a real nice surprise.

What's your favorite part about working with students? Do you feel you learn from them as well?
I think it is a bunch of things. I get excited seeing them work their brains a bit and succeed in something. I’d like to hope that most of them are pushing themselves to try to create the smartest and best image possible and go to places that sometimes are unexpected even for themselves. They are in the place of pure discovery of who they are as artists and for me that is one of the best places to be for myself as an artist. The constant ‘eureka!’ is nice to have.
Being around the students, especially good ones that have a drive, gives me that blast of energy that I sometimes lose when I get comfortable. After so many years of making art I personally need a kick start once in a while and I discovered I get it sometimes through teaching. From something as simple as getting riled up to work to discovering what’s going on now in pop or underground culture. This affects me personally and affects my work.

The best part of it all is when a student ‘gets it’. In the last few weeks of the past semester, one of my students had a breakthrough with her work. You can see the change in the quality of her work and her excitement in doing it. She was always wishy-washy with her work and it wasn’t hitting the mark. Now, while she is still trying to work it out, it seems she broke through a wall and is currently kicking ass. That really is the best thing to see…someone succeeding.

What can you tell me about your years as a student at SVA?
It was a full-on, no sleep, work-my-ass-off scary blur. In a way, it sucked. I recollect snippets of things that happened in those four years. The reality was, I commuted an hour and change every day into New York City from Long Island and right after classes, I hopped on the train ride home to go to one of my two part time jobs. I even had a job at the school itself to bring in some cash so I can afford to eat and pay rent where I was living. While I fondly remember some closer friends I made there and a few great teachers I had like Marshall Arisman and Sal Catalano, largely I missed out on the experiences that most people I think had going through college.
It kind of sucks when I think about it because I really didn’t enjoy it much. I worked to live and tried to get my school work done at all crazy hours of the night just to get it done without really spending enough time developing my art. Most of my art development happened in the years after school.

That being said, I am glad I ended up getting a couple of Masters Degrees 10 years later (Syracuse University and University of Hartford) where I was able to go back to school and put all of my heart into being there and made some wonderful friends.
I feel like you have a bit of a legendary enthusiasm for illustration - what excites you most?
I think people should be enthusiastic about what they do in life, not just with art. Ever talk to someone about their 9 to 5 job that they are indifferent about? It’s boring. Even high negative drama is more interesting that someone that are just going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. Even if you do a crummy job, I think you should find something within it that gives you life.

I worked in a couple of supermarkets for 10 years until I was 26 to help pay for school and rent and while I had some hard times with it emotionally because I wanted to be a full time artist, I loved working there. It was cool connecting with people in that environment, having ‘regulars’ I spoke to all the time. It was good. I mean, I didn’t have anything else and it wasn’t the pinnacle of life but that’s all I had at the moment so I made it work. I don’t think my enthusiasm is about illustration specifically…it is more about making art. One of the best things in my life is to work through an idea, whether it is for an illustration job or one of my own paintings, create it and get it out there.

You're a painter, what about wrestling with traditional materials do you find most rewarding?
I love all kinds of materials. For a brief period of time, I was using Photoshop and Painter to do my work and consequently, I teach digital media every once in a while. In the end, I love the tactile and esthetic quality of an original painting, monotype or even a sketchbook drawing. Working digitally is fun but I emotionally lose something. I am not attached to it for some reason. That’s not a comment against digital work…I love it and think everyone should create art however they want. I just have this thing inside me that, for now, just needs to connect with the medium physically and make the things I do by hand. I want paint on my fingers at the end of the day. I want to run my hand across the texture of a painting. It’s just the way I am functioning right now.

Do you feel like you're still expanding your skill set as an artist (better at your job today than say, this time last year?)
I hope so! I think I am expanding and learning all the time. I’ve been doing some minor printmaking and experimenting with that. I bought some gold-leaf a few months ago that I want to use for something. I bought some really cool razor-like pens that make a great line that I started using in my sketchbook. I think about how I can get these new materials in my work and make it work for me.

Several things always strike me about your work - first the colors - how much thought goes into your palette, or is it more of a natural, gut thing?
A little bit of both. I do color studies in my sketchbook or on the margins of paintings I am working on and sometimes, I take note of a particular color combination and when I think it is appropriate, I’ll use it. I know color theory, good combination's of colors and have been mixing colors more and more rather than just using them out of the tube which I’ve always had a tendency to do since I started painting. Often times, the colors will start popping in my mind as I am doing the sketch or even reading the article and I will just follow through with that.

Second are the concepts, you work is always smart! How do you go about brainstorming / idea generating?
There is no easy answer to that question. I’ve been asked that before. I don’t know. I mean, sometimes, the image just pops in my head…sometimes without barely a thought behind it and it just works. I think that is because I connect with whatever I am painting on a personal level immediately. Maybe it is something I’ve experienced and thought about so it just naturally flows right out. Other times, I am caught in a quagmire of bullshit and I am drowning in it. Sketch after sketch…idea after idea…days go by and nothing…complete crap. What sucks even more are deadlines when I fall into that rut. As an example, I thought about that horizon line and cut tree stump tangent for my Deforestation piece for weeks before the rest of the painting came together because I had to figure out how to say exactly what I wanted it to. With a deadline, there is no luxury of ‘all the time I need’.
What perks in life do men with mustaches enjoy that us non-mustached men will never know?
Haha!
It’s a secret!
What’s with this resurgence of mustaches? People are even having ‘stache’ parties. I’ll be turning 40 in January and 10 years ago, it seemed like I was able to really start growing a goatee properly which is what I have now. I guess I was a late bloomer. The thing is, even with the facial hair, people often think I am in my early 30’s and surprisingly, more than have think I am still in my late 20’s. If I shaved this off, my guess is that people at the movie theaters will start asking where’s my Mommy when I go see a Rated R film.
Are you a vinyl collector? - if yes, any great finds recently? - if no, maybe just some good album recommendations!
Oh man, I used to be. I still have a few picture discs, singles and a couple of prized vinyls. I sold most of mine off about a decade ago. I still have the original pressing of Pink Floyd The Wall…still sealed! I had the original 1,000 limited pressing of Nirvana’s Sliver single. I bought it for $7. I sold it for nearly $100 in the late 90’s. Much of my collection was like that. When I think back, I get sad that I don’t have my collection around to show off or anything. At the same time, I guess it is good to purge things in life once in a while. Every so many years I get into this kick where for a couple of weeks, I gut the hell out of my apartment and start tossing out everything…clothes, books, and stuff I built up over the last few years. It’s good, like a rebirth. I like minimalism.

Album recommendations? I’ve got tons and always looking out for cool new experimental and interesting stuff. Send over some ideas.

I was in Washington Square Park last summer and listened to a band playing there and bought their CD. Really good jazz. Baby Soda: http://www.myspace.com/babysodaband

Another cool band that many people haven’t heard of is Iceland’s Quarashi, especially their first album. They’re sort of defunked but it never gets old to me. For interesting electronic stuff I love Amon Tobin…and to uplift your heart and soul, there’s always the Polyphonic Spree.

Your work has won many awards and is featured in all the annuals, how important is this recognition?
I would be lying if I didn’t say it wasn’t such a kick to see my name on the list of artists that got into a show. I went through so many years not being accepted that the first year I started getting into annuals, it was a totally blissful experience. Especially winning the Silver Medal from the Society…that was a pretty cool personal achievement. After that, I took it in stride. I didn’t know if I would ever get into shows again and while a part of me would be pretty sad, a part of me would just live with it. I did without for so many years and anyway I wouldn’t have a choice. Even if I didn’t win the awards, I would still be making art. The importance of the recognition is a sliding scale between good business practice and personal achievement.

Where do you see your work in 5 - 10 years down the line?
I am in between personal projects so I am not sure what the next few years will bring. I would like to think I will still be illustrating and being part of gallery shows. I am at the beginning stages of getting a project or two going that I’ve been thinking about and toying with for a couple of years so I will follow my nose in that direction.
What are you reading right now?
I just got a copy of the Artists Against the War book that was made from the exhibition that happened a couple of years ago at the Society of Illustrators. I read the New York Times. I bought Animal Farm and 1984. I should probably get started reading them. What usually happens is when I start reading books like Animal Farm, I’ll get some new annuals, magazines or new Communication Arts and I’ll get derailed.

Why should everyone live in NY at least once?
I don’t know if they should. I do think living a few years in New York gives someone a whole new set of life experience that would be hard to replicate anywhere else. If nothing else, for the art business, it might be smart to be nearby.

Any advice for new illustrators trying to get their foot in the door?
I’ve been thinking about that ‘foot in the door’ phrase relating to illustration for a while. I’ve been thinking about what that means. It sounds like eventually you’ll be promoted and get a great salary and health insurance. Illustration and art making doesn’t really work like that. You will always be looking for the next show and always looking for the next assignment.
Maybe it’ll seem like it gets easier but the reality is, I still send out postcards by the thousands like I did when I first started, I still have to do the networking thing and business goes up and down. My advice would be to just keep working hard at what you do, make it the best art you can and don’t bullshit yourself and be critical of your work and make the best stuff possible.

Any advice for the older / established ones?
When baking, you should marinate the chicken overnight and cook slowly at 250 degrees for 2-3 hours. It gives the chicken a nice flavor and the meat will fall off the bone. Serve with wild rice and an oak stored chardonnay.
All images copyright Scott Bakal
Big thanks to you Scott for such a great interview!
To see more of Scott's beautiful work, come check out his website: www.scottbakal.com or his blog at Drawger: http://drawger.com/scottbakal/ or his blogspot: http://scottbakal.blogspot.com/ - Thanks Scott!!

Caroline Hwang

2010-12-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

Originally from Los Angeles and 6 years in the making of being a New Yorker. I've been illustrating for about 7 years now

2. How did you come to choosing embroidering, and stitching your artwork?

As a kid, I always loved crafts. I used to spend my allowance at the fabric store by my house and half-ass projects. When I got to art school, I was still trying to find my style and realized I would never be one of those painterly, super amazing figure drawing artists. I started experimenting with sewing and collaging which ended up being my approach to art.

3. I know that for some artist their personal work/gallery work is often similar or the same as their illustration work. Do you see any difference between what you would do for a gallery versus what you would do for an illustration job?

Yea, I try to keep it separate. Stylistically it is similar but conceptually its pretty different. Illustrations need to be eye-catching and my personal work doesn't need to be that. I have subtleties in my personal work that is best seen in person.

4. What’s the coolest thing to happen to you while living in New York?

There's so many cool things that happen every day in New York, things that are unique. I would say the coolest thing while living here is learning about underground supper clubs AND starting one!

5. Do you miss California at all?

I do. My family and a lot of my really close friends live there so I miss them. I miss the weather when I'm in the 5th month of the brutal winter.

6. What’s your process when coming up with idea’s for a piece for a client?

If its for an editorial illustration, I'll read the story and try to grasp the overall concept. I really try not to go for the obvious and will play around with several sketches. I used to turn in sketches that I didn't like, but I made a strict rule not to do that anymore. It would end up that the client would choose the one I hated and I would end up with a illo that I wasn't proud of.

I like to play around with the mood of the piece as well which will usually lead to my color scheme, then I'll start collaging.

7. Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what kind of jams are you listening to these days?

Sometimes I listen to music and sometimes I listen to podcasts. I like having the background noise of people talking in the room so I'll listen to NPR. Recently I've been listening to the new Kanye West, The Tallest Man on Earth, Jenny and Johnny, Bonnie Prince Billy and the Cairo Gang, and I've recently started listening to the Lemonheads again.

8. How was it at Surtex this year?

It was a fun and new experience. My rep (Frank Sturges Reps) gathered a bunch of us from the group to show at the booth. It is definitely a new world to explore, especially for illustrators. There's so much stuff out there and so much ho-hum art on it. It would be nice to have a fresh take.

9. What do you do in your spare time, when your not making artwork?

I cook and bake a lot. Its my other passion, other than eating. And I cuddle with my dog.

10. Do you have a favorite place to get cakes/desserts in Brooklyn?

I recently discovered this new place in my neighborhood called Beny's. They have THE best chocolate eclairs. There's chocolate filling on the inside that oozes perfection.

11. Would you ever consider "yarnbombing"?

Not really, its not something that I'm interested in. I like the guerilla aspect of making an ordinary object crafty and I like it when I see it. But I think if I ever did something like that, it would be a little different.

12. What’s your dream illustration job?

Anything that's experimental, whether its an animated project or a huge 3-d installation project that can be shown as illustration.

13. What are you loving about illustration right now?

I love that it's starting to embrace mixed media far beyond collages with paper. When I first graduated, most art directors had a hard time envisioning my stitched pieces in print. So it's nice that stitched, 3-d, etc are being printed more.

14. Advice to young illustrators trying to get their start?

Don't send in a sketch you wouldn't be happy to taking To a final and seeing in print, you never know if it'll get chosen.

15. Advice to the established folk?

I thinking have far more to learn from them than to offer any advice

16. Final Word?

Thanks and bye!

--------------------------------------------
Thank You Caroline!
All images are under ©opyright by Caroline Hwang

Her illustration work can be found - carolinehwangillustration.com
Her Gallery work/Zines can be found - Carolinehwang.net

-Daniel Fishel

Jon Han

2010-12-30T07:24:00.001-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

Im from California, where I still live and I've been illustrating for about 3 years.

2. Tell me about your first job, how you promoted when you started and how you promote yourself now?

The first job I received was from the New York Times. Working for Brian Rea.

When promoting I would send out postcard promos, get into Illustration annuals and kept a blog of my work. Even now I like to follow traditional methods of promotion mixed with promotion that is available through the Internet.

3. It seems like there’s a lot of amazing folk that came out of Art Center (Jason Holley, Frank Stockton, Josh Cochran, ect). What was your experience like at Art Center College of Design and what makes their illustration program pour out great talent?

Art center was a great experience for me. The faculty and fellow students all helped to drive me to create better work. I haven't really seen how other schools operate so I have nothing to compare it to, but definitely the staff and fellow students push you to want to create something great visually. I felt like the staff had different of thinkers that helped me see different perspectives on art/illustration.

4. I went through your blog the other day, and went as far back as your entries from 2005. You have some incredible sketch book pages, and you really know how to draw a figure. In your work lately, you have been drawing figures that are more simplified into shapes/marks. How have you come to how you draw today, and what’s the benefits to drawing in a more simplified way?

By simplifying the figures, it helps me play with other elements of the picture, gives me a lot more room to play with different types of shapes and environments and compositions. Since the figures are secondary most of the time, I feel like I have freedom to put other elements instead of relying solely on a figure to drive the point. I think it’s what interests me right now. I’m sure that it will change in the future.

5. Your work tends to be very smart, and you use a lot of abstract elements to drive a point across. I was wondering if you would talk a little bit about your process when it come to generating idea’s for a project.

When it comes to generating the ideas, I try to understand the point and mood that needs to be driven by picture. Then I usually like to think about what makes sense with the article and sort of get a visual in my head of what the final will look like and draw sketches for them. Using icons, symbols and visual metaphors.

6. What music do you listen to while you work? Do you have a particular song you listen to when you start/finish a huge job (ie: Eye of the Tiger)?

Nothing in particular, just whatever is playing on my iTunes playlist whether good or bad.

7. I noticed that you did some paper cut work for one of the post it note shows at Giant Robot. Are you doing any other gallery work or is it on a as invited basis?

I love doing gallery work, and I'd love to do more gallery shows.

8. What’s your Dream Client/Dream Job?

I'm not to sure on that. I want to do everything to be quite honest, from books, print, gallery, motion, you name it. There are a lot of great publishing houses, motion studios, ad agencies and talented people to work with. I couldn't name just one.

9. What do you do in your free time outside of illustration?

Live life

10. Own any Dog(s)?

Not presently. In the past yes, in the future probably.

11. What are you loving about illustration?

The voice and the growth.

12. Any advice for young illustrators breaking into the field?

Do good work. And keep doing good work

13. Any advice for the veterans?

Probably the same.

14. Final Word?

Thanks

------------------------------------------

Thank you Jon!

All images are under ©opyright by Jon Han - Jon-han.com

-Daniel Fishel

Kali Ciesemier

2010-12-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I'm from Glen Ellyn, a tiny suburb outside of Chicago, but moved to go to school at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. I've been freelancing for a little over 2 years now.

2. What’s the art scene like in Baltimore? Do you participate in gallery shows often?

Baltimore has a nice art vibe. There are definitely fewer galleries/venues than a place like New York, but a lot of the artists living here came from MICA so there's a shared community feeling. I don't often participate in gallery shows. I try to participate when asked, but in general I focus more on my editorial work.

3. I love how much fun your pieces are. Could you walk me through on how you come up with your fresh ideas for a piece of art for a client?

Thank you! Hmm, oftentimes I'll get an image popping into my head right away, but when the subject matter is tougher I try brainstorming a list of words or symbols. Usually then I'll start quickly rough-sketching in Photoshop to get things moving, and pick a few favorites to refine into sketches for the client.

4. In your portfolio you have things that are flatly colored and other things that have alittle bit of a rendering. Do clients ever say, do this style, or do you just turn in whatever feels right for the piece?

Both! The majority of the time I don't get a specific directive & run wild, but sometimes they'll say "Hey, I like the style/color/texture on this piece, can you do something similar here?" Sometimes the specific pieces they mention are a surprise to me, so it's interesting utilizing a style or color palette that I might have otherwise not thought about.

5. What kind of music/movies do you watch or listen to when you work?

Oh man, all sorts! Movies, tv shows, audiobooks, podcasts, music, there's always something playing in the background in my apartment. I downgraded my cable to local channels so Netflix Instantwatch has been an awesome substitution. Here's a list of some favorites in all categories!

Audiobooks: Harry Potter series, best audiobook series hands-down.

Music: Wildly varies, but lately it's been Kanye and Big Boi's latest albums.

TV Shows: 30 Rock, the Simpsons, SNL, and Arrested Development are often on heavy rotation, supplemented by True Blood, Dexter, and Project Runway when they're on. I love Mad Men, but it is impossible to work with it in the background!

Podcasts: "Stuff You Missed in History Class" and "Stuff You Should Know" are fantastic podcasts that will quench your learning thirst.

Movies: Hot Fuzz is an all-time working-movie all-star. Actually, all the special features on all 3 Lord of the Rings movies also make great working material. (Showing the painstaking years-long work that went into these movies is really inspiring and puts you in your place!)

6. Could you talk alittle bit about what you illustrate for Picture Book Report and how you got involved in the side project?

Yeah! The Picture Book Report is a group of people (really talented people I'm lucky to be a part of! check out picturebookreport.com) who decided to make an illustration a month for one of their favorite books. Most of the books are favorite childhood/youth books. I decided to do illustrations for "Sabriel" by Garth Nix. It has a darker, more adventurous fantasy feel than most of the regular work that I do, so it's nice to be able to switch things up and do more textural narrative work. I've really enjoyed having it as a personal project, but I've only been able to complete 3 illustrations so far. Unfortunately it has to take a backseat to paid professional projects!

7. How did you get into doing Roller Girls Posters?

When I was a junior at MICA my character development teacher, Brian Ralph, gave the class an assignment to create a roller girl character based on one of the individual names from the Baltimore team (they all have really fun names like Rosie the Rioter, Blind Banshee, Grand Theft Autumn, etc.) Brian was later asked to create a poster illustration for one of the team bouts, but when he wasn't able to spare the time he ended up recommending me. The team liked my work, and after that I was able to use my jr. illustration final project to create 4 more poster illustrations. The roller derby community is relatively small but very enthusiastic, so my work spread around and I've since done some posters for other teams around the USA.

8. So I heard you're teaching an illustration class at MICA. Could you share alittle bit about that?

Last year I was asked to teach a "Digital as Illustration" class for freshman, and this year I taught an illustration class in MICA's 4 week long precollege summer program and an "Intro to Illustration" class for freshmen. It's been really interesting being on the other side of the coin. It seems like I often come home after class in "teacher-critique mode". I was incredibly nervous when I first started, but it's been great working with young students and pushing them to become better artists. The freshmen I've had are generally very open to critique and are already interested in learning as much as they can. I've found that the more I expect from them, the more they rise to the challenge.

9. What are you loving about illustration and/or not in love with?

I love the illustration community. I think every illustrator I've talked to, in person or online, has shown a great amount of support and geniality. Despite contending in the same field, I rarely feel any sense of competition or malice. However, I am in not in love with the shrinking opportunities for paid/well-paid illustration. (go figure!) It seems like in times past it was much easier to make a real living on editorial illustration alone--illustrations populated magazines, book covers, and advertisements. Of course times change and there's a whole world of new media open to us, but no one seems to have figured out how to make money off illustrations on the internet. (yet!) Also, art directors, maybe switching tactics (interesting illustrated covers instead of generic celebrity photo?) could help boost magazine sales, just sayin'… :)

10. Thoughts on the iPad – illustration talk?

We'll see what happens. It would be lovely if the iPad led to a new paid outlet for illustration or existing editorial work, but at the moment it's hard to tell how much impact it will have.

11. Dream Client(s)?

I would actually like to do more narrative, historical, or fantasy work. I looove reading sci-fi and fantasy novels, and I really enjoy researching historical details! A lot of the personal work I do in free time, like the "Sabriel" illustrations, tends to have a more fantastical or fictional origin. Some of my favorite editorial assignments have employed an art deco, film noir, or fantasy style.

12. What sort of things do you do when your not making art work?

For me, there's almost nothing better than curling up in a cozy spot with a good book (especially if there are cookies involved as well). I spend a lot of time working at home, and with the freedom that affords I've gotten really into cooking as well. The process of cooking isn't therapeutic for me like it is for some people, but when things work out in the end it feels GREAT to eat delicious food.

13. Any advice for the young illustrators just starting?

Keep motivated! Surround yourself with inspirational and supportive friends. The people who succeed in illustration are the people who keep challenging and improving themselves and who keep pursuing illustration opportunities. It's easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed, but you have to be patient and keep at it!

14. Any advice for the older ones?

No sir! I'm still learning the ropes!

15. Anything else you would like to add?

Thanks for interviewing me!

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All images © Kali Ciesemier - Find more of her work at ciesemier.com/

No, Thank you Kali!

-Daniel Fishel

Ben Snakepit

2010-12-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

BEN SNAKEPIT

1 - Normally we kick off the interviews by asking "where are you from and how long have you been illustrating" but I'm not sure that really sums up what you do. So with this in mind and for those who don't already know - Where are you from and what is Snakepit?

I was born and raised in Richmond, VA. At the end of the '90s I was living in a punkhouse on Grace Street called the Snake Pit. I was a huge fan of Jim's Journal by Scott Dikkers, and when I found out it was fictional I saw an opportunity, so I stole his idea and did it for real.

2 - When you started did you have any idea how long you'd be doing it for? And have the ethics of the punk scene influenced you along the way?

When I first started, July 2000, I was just kinda drawing strips on the days that I felt like it, without any sort of direction. After self-publishing little zines of it for the first five months, I fine-tuned it, started adding the theme songs and made the commitment to draw a strip every day for the rest of my life. Here I am ten years later and haven't missed a day yet.

I guess punk ethics subconciously influenced me in the sense that I didn't wait around for somebody to offer to publish for me, I just went to the copy shop and did it myself for the first two years or so.

3 - It must have been great to see them compiled together in a book, how did the publishing thing happen?

Well, I was doing it as a zine and trading them through the mail with people, and I met Maddy Tightpants. She an I hit it off really well and became friends. She suggested that I send some Snakepits to Razorcake for review. Razorcake loved it, and when I went through LA that summer, Todd approached me and offered to do the first book. Once the first one came out, it was pretty easy to find publishers for the next ones.

4 - As the popularity of the books has grown has it affected the things you write/draw about? It must be a bit weird to think that people around the world are reading the ins and outs of your daily life.

YES it has affected what I draw and how I say it to the degree that I decided to stop publishing! Earlier this year I had made a decision to stop drawing the comics on 12-31-10, as that would mark ten years exactly. The reason I'd wanted to stop was because the comics had gotten so boring, because I couldn't put the truth about a lot of things in there. If my boss read some of the things I wanted to say about him, I'd lose my job for sure (same thing with a lot of my friends). After a lot of thought I decided not to quit drawing, but rather to quit publishing them, at least for a really long time (look for a new book around 2030).

5 - That's a real shame, although completely understandable (and I'll be looking forward to 2030!) Following on from my last question, has writing the comics ever affected the way you live your life at all, or decisions you make in everyday life? I can imagine myself doing weirder and weirder things just to put in the comic!

For a while I was doing just that, making stupid decisions about stuff because it would make good comics. Back then I didn't have much else going in my life so I put everything I had into the comics. Nowadays I don't really care that much and I think the comics are more honest. They're more boring, sure, but keeping them exciting was never the point.

6 - Speaking of exciting, how chuffed were you when you were asked to join J Church?! (was it J Church you were touring with when you played in my wife's club in England?)

Being in J Church was definitely the coolest thing that ever happened to me. I worked in a record store (Sound Exchange) in Austin and Lance got hired there. After a few months of working together we became good friends, and when he started the band up again in Austin he asked me to play bass. I played with the band for the next four years, touring North America, Europe and Japan. It was definitely with J Church that we played the Cavern, and I do remember it to be a wonderful bar and everyone there was really nice!

7 - If the comic has become less important to you what do you do now to satisfy your creative urges? Are you in any bands at the moment and, if so, any chance you'll be touring around this way anytime soon?

Music has always been my real passion. The comics were born out of frustration with the band I was in in 2000, when I started them. Right now I've got a few projects going.. My main band has been Shanghai River, we have an LP on ADD Records in Florida, and we did a short west coast tour last summer. Right now Shanghai River is on indefinite hiatus. I also play in Ghost Knife with Mike Wiebe from the Riverboat Gamblers and Chris from J Church. We're mainly a side project but have recorded an LP's worth of songs that will hopefully see the light of day soon. There's talk of a split with the Arrivals. I have two other as-yet-unnamed projects going as well, but they are in the very early stages.

8 - Whether band related or comic related, from the experiences you've had have you got any advice you could pass on to someone just starting out?

The best advice I can give is to not procrastinate! So many talented people go with their full potential unrealized because they were waiting for somebody to come along and do all the hard work for them. That kinda shit only happens in the movies. If you want to succeed you have to make it happen by yourself.

9 - Top 5 bands?

Top 5 bands right now: Muhammadali, The Arrivals, Unfun, Stymie, Daylight Robbery

10 - Top 5 films?

Again, this is a "right now" list: Dead Snow, The Road, Human Centipede, Best Worst Movie, Twilight:Eclipse (I'm serious!)

11 - Top 5 books?

Sadly, I don't think I've even read five books in the last 10 years.

Thanks loads for the interview Ben!

The Snakepit book is published by Gorsky Press, ISBN No. 0-9668185-9-8.

Andrew Roberts

2010-12-02T10:14:00.001-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I was born in England, moved to the States when I was young and grew up in California. I studied graphic design at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, and then lived there for the next 12 years running a small graphic design studio. In 2007 I moved to New York to attend the MFA Illustration program at SVA. I now live in Brooklyn. If I don't count the artwork I did as a graphic designer, then I've been illustrating professionally for just two years.

2. Now I understand that you were a graphic designer for a while prior to being an illustrator. Is there a reason why you aren’t working as an “illustrator+designer” or is it because you just want to draw pictures?

I'm always looking for illustration projects that allow me to include type such as book covers and theater or music posters.

3. Most of your work has characters that feel like they come from another time period. Is there a particular reason why your choosing to make your characters look older yet feel contemporary?

It's true, the last few drawings I've made seem to incorporate retro-looking characters (men with hats). These characters seem to embody the "everyman" concept, and are hopefully, just a "guy," rather than a specific type of guy (Hipster, Dad, Wall Street, etc)

4. I noticed that you work both in a pen and ink style that is very bold, graphic with bright digital color, but you also have a paintings section with a beautifully hand crafted rendered pieces. Do you have trouble promoting your work having two styles and do you favor one over the other?

I've heard from art directors that although they like the painted stuff, they can't see how it could be completed in time to meet their tight deadlines. That said, I'd love to do more paintings.

5. What is your process when concepting sketches for an assignment?

I start with words, then rough thumbnails. Sometimes I'll show the thumbnails to my studio mates and just ask, "what's happening here?" If they get it, it's a keeper and gets sent to the art director. I usually send too many ideas. Self-editing is not my strong point.

6. I’m aware that you just finished your MFA in Illustration from School of Visual Arts. Do you think that the program helped you become a better illustrator?

Definitely! It was two years of nothing but painting and drawing and thinking and talking about painting and drawing.

7. I heard from someone that you’re sharing a studio space with a few people. Could you tell me a little bit about that and why are you not just working from home?

Sharing a studio with other illustrators really forces you to stay busy and inspired. Also, working away from home allows me to "turn off" at the end of the day.

8. What’s your dream illustration job?

A series of Crime Noir book covers.

9. Were you rooting for any particular team in baseball last season? (I had my sights on the Phil’s by the way)

What's that? The Premier League, did you say? United for the cup!

10. What are some things that you love about illustration right now?

I really love the variety of styles. If you look back through an illustration annual from the 80's or 90's, you see amazing technical skill, but also a lot of styles defined solely on the medium used (super tight oil paintings, pen and ink crosshatching, collage, etc.). These days, mediums are blended together and the variety of styles is limitless.

11. Any advice for young illustrators breaking into the field?

That's me! A young(ish) illustrator trying to break into the field! Help!

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All images ©opyright of Andrew Roberts.
You can find more of his work at http://andrewrobertsillustration.com/

Big thanks to Andrew for taking the time to answer my questions.

-Daniel

JOHN W TOMAC

2010-11-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I grew up in Stratford, Conn. and some how found my way to upstate New York and the Rochester Institute of Technology to pursue a BFA in illustration. My senior year there, one of my professors, Jay Lincoln recommended me to Paulina Garces Reid who was the Graphics Editor at the local newspaper, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. They were looking for some students to illustrate the covers of a five-part, monthly, special section on the future of Rochester.
I did one piece for them which was really well received, so I was asked to do the rest. I did another special section cover for them a few months later. During that job, I started complaining about the low fees and terms of the freelance contract and they stopped working with me. That was back in 2003, so I guess that means I've been doing this or at the very least trying for almost 8 years.

What are some of the pro's and con's of being a bearded man, in day to day life?
My rent is too damn high. I can't really afford to be wasting my money on frivolous things like razor blades and haircuts. I've noticed that when you look like Jesus, people are less likely to hassle you. The hoodlums and no-good-niks generally seem to have a crisis of conscience when ripping off Jesus and steer clear, even when you fall asleep on the subway. On the flip side, If I leave the house before showering or having coffee I tend to look homeless. People don't like standing near the guy they think is homeless when they're waiting on line for the ATM.

Tell me about running - what was your initial motivation to start, and what keeps you motivated?
I was talked into joining the track team by a friend in high school. I wasn't very good at first but stuck around because I was having fun and there were some cute girls. Over time, I got hooked. It started primarily as a social outlet, but became a way to be alone with my thoughts or to clear my head. I also got to be pretty good at it. In high school, I nearly won a state title in the 5k, but was out kicked in the last 50 meters of the race. I kept running in college.
At one point I was captain of the cross country team and an Academic All-American. I got to run across the country as a part of a relay team for the school's 175th anniversary, too. I ran nearly everyday for eight years, like anything that becomes habitual like that, it is hard to kick. It just becomes part of your routine. Plus, I've met some really amazing people through it that I probably wouldn't have otherwise, so it remains a social outlet. And it is a great way to clear the head after a tough day. That's why I keep doing it. Also, I like the idea of being able to out run the cops and/or trouble if I ever have to.

I always hear really interesting comparisons when people try to articulate what running a marathon is to them - eg. running a marathon is like writing an exam when you didnt study enough, running a marathon is like the movie Rocky (i've actually heard these) - what is running a marathon like for you?
The marathon itself is a party. All the hard stuff is done beforehand. In the months leading up to it you bust your ass. On race day, the city shuts itself down so a bunch of runners can take over the streets. People with no interest in running come out to cheer. The race is a celebration of the efforts of individuals who usually toil in anonymity. I think thats kind of cool. Afterwards you can get hammered on half a beer and people keep buying them for you.

You were an inhouse illustrator for a while, no? how was that experiece / what are some of the responsibilities of an inhouser?
I've had two jobs where I was lucky enough to do a fair amount of Illustration work.
The first was a the one-man graphics department of The Ithaca Journal, the daily newspaper in Ithaca, N.Y. I was primarily in charge of making locator maps and infographics, but for some reason I was also the "editor" of the weekly technology page. I downloaded all the content from wire services. After a while, I looked at the supplied art and decided I could do better than that. So I started creating my own art for the page. From there, I got to illustrate the covers of a few special sections and on occasion the weekly entertainment section.
I spent about two years there before moving on to The Bergen Record in Hackensack, N.J. In New Jersey I was part of an eight person art department. There was still a fair amount of infographic work and page design, but I had a boss named Jerry Luciani who recognized that I had a little bit of illustration talent and was always on the lookout for work to throw my way. I did a lot of illustration work there in a relatively short amount of time. That's when my work really started to get better when I figured out what voice I wanted to speak with and how I wanted to say things. Had I not had that opportunity I think my work would have really stagnated.
The ability to do a lot of work and being forced to solve problems quickly was probably the best education I could have gotten. On the other hand, working in house does have its drawbacks. The biggest is that at the end of the day, your work doesn't belong to you. When you are a full-time employee the copyright belongs to your employer.
Your commercial work is fantastic - how did this style develop / evolve? is it deco influenced? You would probably never guess it now, but in art school, at first I was doing a lot of work like I was going to be the second coming of C.F. Payne or Ismael Roldan. At some point, I realized there were a few other people in my classes that had the same idea and they might actually be better than me. This of course got me to thinking that perhaps this might not be the best road to continue down if I want to make a living as an illustrator. I started looking around at other work.
One of the things I was drawn to was the Russian Constructivtist art, the early, pre-Stalin, propaganda. RIT's library had some great books and an amazing poster collection featuring it and I spent hours just taking as much of it in as possible. From that point on I started working more graphically, incorporating that stuff and in some cases blatantly satirizing/ripping it off in assignments. Eventually, I started looking around at more and more poster art from the early part of the 20th Century, like the WPA and WWII posters. At the same time I was discovering advertising and editorial work by artists from that era like Joseph Binder, Antonio Petruccelli, A.M. Cassandre, Paolo Garretto, Jean Carlu, Otis Shepard, Mario Puppo, John Gilroy and Frank MacIntosh.

I've noticed that your characters rarely if ever have eyes - is that saying something deeply psychological about you?
Well, when I was a younger, like five years old, I used to have these recurring dreams where I was kidnapped by people with no faces. I have no idea what that means. If there's a psychiatrist that wants to weigh in on what that means, I'd love to know what undiagnosed neuroses I suffer from. Maybe on a subconscious level that's the reason. The no eyes thing evolved out of working more graphically. At one point I had pushed the figure to a point where everything was really geometric and flat and always in profile. At that point all the detail fell off. I kind of pulled back from that a little and didn't see a reason to add a whole lot of detail back into the face. No one complained about the eyes missing and I thought it was kind of cool so I just rolled with it.
I think the generic people help drive the concept. The work becomes more about the story I'm trying to tell or the point I'm trying to get across. The time I would have spent drawing eyes and obsessing over every detail of the figure is better used to develop that concept

I see lots of baseball imagery creeping in - big fan? blue jays fan maybe?? (the 1993 verison of me is hoping you'll say the Jays)
I am a big baseball fan, a huge New York Mets fan. (To the early-1990s version of you I say, "you're welcome for David Cone") I usually have the game on while I'm working in the evening. Those west coast trips make it somewhat easier to burn the midnight oil to get work done. The baseball stuff is largely self-generated work. I'm like the six-year old that draws dinosaurs because he likes them. I'd like to think I'm doing something that's a little different form the typical sort sports related work that's out there. Of course, if there's Major League or minor league team that wants art for it's program covers or whatever, call me. I'll work with you.

Your concepts are so strong! tell me about your brainstorming process when a new job rolls in - Thanks. I never know if they're that strong. Maybe it's the nagging self doubt creeping in, but I worry that I've pushed things too far or haven't gone far enough. In art school, I was fortunate enough to have a teacher, Don Arday, who drove home the importance of having a good concept behind your work. Don had a good analogy. Illustration without a concept is like a song without lyrics and there haven't been many hit songs that were instrumentals. He was right about that, I think the last person to have an instrumental hit was Jan Hammer and that was 25 years ago. And he had a hit TV show that was partially responsible for that.
I wish I could say I'm really clever and it comes naturally, but I've got to work at it. When a job rolls in I do a lot of thumbnails. It's not unusual for me to do 40 or 50 after reading whatever source material I've been given. These aren't detailed drawings they're usually pretty small and really basic and take about a minute or two to do. If I get an idea that I like I'll mark it and keep going. I think it's important to push past the ideas that you think are good. 15 minutes later you might realize that idea isn't so good that or that it might be the obvious solution.
I think at the brainstorming stage it is helpful to get out of the studio. I like to get out of the space I usually work in. Sometimes that means going to the living room and sitting on the couch. Other times I'm on the stoop, in the park, on the subway or at the coffee shop. I think getting outside of familiar surroundings, out of the comfort zone helps. If I get stuck I'll re-read the story or synopsis and play some word association games in the margins of my sketchbook. I also try to make an effort to pick the brains of the Art Director's minds a little bit. Sometimes they have an idea that's solid or at the very least serves as a jumping off point.

now, you also work with illustrators day to day - what makes an illustrator fun to work with / NOT fun to work with?
Most of the illustrators I've had the pleasure of working with are pretty cool people. They're usually happy to hear from me and bring tons of good ideas to the table. I'm always impressed with the work they do. Especially with very dry source material I often give them. Sometimes it makes the phone book exciting by comparison. I'm always blown away when they create something awesome out of that dreck. I haven't had too many bad experiences working with illustrators.
Once was an incident where I was looking for something very specific, which happens from time to time for various reasons. I asked for a quick sketch and got something completely different back, the illustrator thought his idea was better than mine. So actually getting him to do what I wanted was like pulling teeth. He was resistant and in the end I got the feeling his heart just wasn't in the final piece. The end result was pretty underwhelming and it didn't have to be.
I'll be the first to admit that not every idea I have is brilliant, but if you want to convince me yours is better at least give me two sketches so I can see for myself and try to convince my bosses. I can also look at that situation and think maybe I did a poor job of communicating what I wanted so maybe I'm to blame, too.
Who's work are you loving?
Its kind of strange, I see a lot of work and I look at it from two perspectives. One is for my own personal enjoyment and there is a lot of stuff I'm really impressed by and could spend hours looking at. The other is work by illustrators I might be able to hire. I wish I could hire everyone whose work I like but I can't. I've got to keep in mind the audience that the magazine reaches, which is older and more conservative. I've also got to keep in mind the tastes of my boss, the design director, as well as the taste of the editors.
In the former category is a guy like Ryan Pancoast. I've know Ryan for what seems like forever he's two years younger than me and we both graduated from Bunnell High School and RIT and were members of the same track and cross country teams. I'm absolutely blown away by his level of talent and dedication. He's one of those guys that makes it look easy. He got his work into Spectrum and SI this year for the first time and he probably will on annual basis. I'd love to throw work his way, but at the day job we don't have much need for anything in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Nor do we use a great deal of realist stuff. So I can only bestow praise upon him
In the latter category, is Chris Whetzel. I've admired his work from afar for a while. He's got some solid concepts and I like the graphic treatment and bold colors. Recently, I had a job I thought he'd be perfect for. I threw it his way and he did a really great job. I've gotten to work with him a few times since then and he's always got great ideas and cranked out some really great work. I'm really happy that worked out.
At work, I spend a good deal of time on illustrationmundo looking at people's art. There's too much interesting stuff there.

What magazines would you love to illustrate for? what magazines do you love in general?
Over the summer I went to Spain for my honeymoon. While I was there, I took a flight from Málaga to Barcelona on Vueling (they're kind of a European Jet Blue) . I was absolutely blown away by the in-flight magazine, Ling. It had some amazing photography, great illustrations, good stories and was beautifully designed. It was unlike anything I'd seen. I spent the whole flight reading it, except for the parts where I was terrified we were going to crash. It was rather turbulent flight.
I think its cool to get published. I still get a rush when I see my stuff in print. I'm not too picky about who I'll work for as long as the terms are fair.
Recently, I've been approached by a few design firms that are looking for editorial work and their clients are asking for work for hire terms. I can't say yes to that. Especially when I know that their client is a big, profitable company. The economy may be in the shitter, but a lot companies are making record profits and hoarding. They can afford to fairly compensate freelancers for their work.

how do you see the industry changing, being on both sides of the fence?
I work for a magazine. We've got a print edition, a web edition and now an iPad edition thats getting ready to launch. A few years ago there was only the magazine. The content in the magazine almost always ends up on the web and will end up in the iPad. I don't think the fees for freelancers have increased to reflect that the work is being published in three mediums.
How do we address that? In 2010 and beyond, what is the magazine? Is it the print edition only? Is it the sum of all its print and digital editions. I think its becoming the latter. I think that is going to have an impact on how we get paid. Honestly, I don't think my bosses are going to say give the illustrators an extra 40% because they're work is going into the iPad edition.

Do you approach design and illustration differently?
Design and illustration are pretty intertwined. For me, the process isn't exactly the same, but I hope the results are. I like stuff thats clean, bright, bold, organized. In a perfect world, that's what I would achieve with my work whether its design or illustration. When I'm designing pages, in the back of my head I always have an idea of how I'd like my art to appear in context and I try to give other art that same treatment. When you are working with magazine or newspaper pages you're somewhat limited by the design. Not all of us get to do the kick ass stuff that Bloomberg BusinessWeek is doing.

Whats the best part about living in NY?
The food. There is no shortage of unbelievable food, from the street vendors to the restaurants that won't let me in. If I didn't run I'd probably be 300 lbs.
You've heroically survived leukemia, how has that experience changed you?
I can't give blood and I can't be an organ donor. Other than that, I hope that it hasn't changed me too much.
Being diagnosed was a little surreal. When you're 28, the last thing you never expect to hear is that you have cancer. However, at the same time it was a little bit of a relief. For months leading up to that, it was difficult for me to run, I was losing weight, I was having vision problems and I was getting these huge bruises for no reason. It was good to know that there was one reason why this is happening. I think it shook up my friends and family pretty good at first.
I think my wife, who was then my fiance, was particularly shaken. We were supposed to be planning a wedding and now we're not sure if I'm going to live to see our wedding. I think my parents had a hard time, too, as they were in the middle of moving 600 miles away. No one wants to see that sort of thing happen to their children. That was hard to watch that. I did my best to remind them that I'm still the same person I've always been.
It was a little weird to be in a hospital and to be cracking jokes and making light of the situation when everyone is coming in and in a very serious mood. I don't think it took long for them to realize I was going to be okay. There was never a doubt in my mind that I'd beat this. Thankfully, what I have is treatable. I take a couple of pills in the morning and another at night. The most difficult thing is that I have to take it on an empty stomach. That means waking up taking my meds and waiting an hour for coffee and breakfast. That's what I have to put up with. There's no chemotherapy or radiation treatment or anything like that. I have to go to the doctor for blood tests pretty regularly, but thats not bad. There are a lot of people who have it worse than me. Part of the human experience is dealing with unpleasant situations, this just happens to be mine.
A little over a year later my blood levels are normal. There's no sign of the leukemia in my bone marrow and the residual leukemic blood cells are disappearing. It isn't in remission yet, but it's close. I feel great though. I ran the New York City Marathon a few weeks ago. At this time last year it was a struggle to run just a couple of miles. I think I'm going to be okay and thats good because there are a lot of things I want to do with my life. If anyone is moved by my story the best thing they can do is register as a bone marrow donor.
More info on that can be found at http://www.dkmsamericas.org/ and http://www.marrow.org/ All that is required is that you get your cheeks swabbed. If you're a match they pull the marrow out of your hip. It hurts but no worse than getting teeth pulled. You'll be recovered after a day or two.

What advice would others going through a similar experience?
When I was in the hospital all I wanted was for things to return to normal. I guess to the caregivers and friends and family try to give those who are sick as much normality as possible. Don't read too much into things if they're tired or cranky. Be supportive of the things they want to do. No one wants to sit around waiting to die or feel like an object of pity.

Top 5 albums right now?
I'm the wrong person to ask that. My brother is the one in the family with the musical chops and taste. He usually loads up my iPod when he visits from San Diego. Right now I'm enjoying the Delta Spirt. When I'm working I've usually got the satellite radio on. I'm usually on SiriusXMU unless Ron & Fez are on.

Any advice for new illustrators coming into the industry?
For those coming out of school, I'd recommend getting a full-time job design job at first. There's a lot to be learned working at a magazine or publisher, graphic design firm, ad agency, etc. The steady paycheck and benefits are extra nice because life doesn't put itself on hold while your trying to make it as an illustrator. Bills, like student loans, need to get paid. Big life changing events will happen. Some of them will be unexpected. Work hard, learn the business and save money so that you're prepared to work for yourself.

Any advice for the older / established ones? I'm in no position to do that. Those who have made a living doing this as well as those who are still trying have my admiration.
All images copyright John W Tomac - to see more of John's work, check out his website: http://www.johnwtomac.com/ - Thanks John for a great interview!

ANITA KUNZ

2010-11-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I was born in Toronto and I’ve been illustrating for 30 years.
You've taught and given lectures all over the world, what are the most satisfying parts about teaching other creatives?
I love the enthusiasm of the students. And I love travel, so the travelling/teaching thing doesn’t get much better for me! I think travel itself is the best education possible.

You've had such a long and fantastic career - are there any highlights that still totally stand out for you?
Well getting to know my heroes has been amazing. One of my all time favourite artists has always been Ralph Steadman, and we’ve become good friends, so that’s amazing. There are some incredible people in the field...too many to mention really but Seymour Chwast, Marshall Arisman, etc have been such great people for me to look up to! I could go on...
To me it’s all good...making money doing what I love...what could be better?
How has the role of a female illustrator (in a previously largely male dominated industry) changed over time?
Well there are certainly more women in the field now, but I think it still isn’t an entirely level playing field. I think it’s a complicated issue but the situation gets better with each generation.

What excites you about painting and working traditionally?
I’ve always worked traditionally so that’s for me the easiest way to communicate. I do think the new technologies are awe-inspiring, but what interests me the most are ideas, so whether they’re communicated traditionally or not is irrelevant to me.

You were recently recently named one of the fifty most influential women in Canada by the National Post newspaper, whats one bit of advice you would like every young woman to know?
I wrote a whole long missive about gender and illustration on my blog at www.anitakunz.com
Basically I tell young women that their voices are just as valuable as anyone else’s and never to underestimate the power of their work.
In a recent podcast you explained a desire to branch away from doing editorial work exclusively - why at this point in your career? why was it so important to be an "editorial illustrator" for so long?
Well the field has changed so much. I feel as though I lived through a golden age in the 90’s. I worked with some incredible art directors (the great Fred Woodward among them), and I had so much freedom. I wasn’t art directed very much at all. The part I loved (and still love) about editorial illustration was the freedom to contribute visually to the culture...but earlier I had more autonomy. The amount of creative freedom in magazines has lessened, but I still want to comment on social and political subject matter, so I’m looking for other venues, and the galleries seem to be one way for me to go. I feel as though time is so precious and I want to make meaningful work, and whether it’s for magazines, or just for myself, I just want to make work that’s important to me.

Do you still enjoy magazines?
Yes of course!
What keeps you excited about illustration / creating?
I love ideas, I love conceptual art and I find it very exciting to see what younger illustrators are coming up with now!

You're very open about your feelings on illustrators "borrowing" to heavily from other illustrators, or ripping off for that matter, could you please elaborate on the impact you feel this has on our industry, as well as on the creatives?
Yes, we all have unique viewpoints, and I don’t understand why people borrow so heavily from others. It seems rampant these days. But I suppose when style is more important than concept that’s bound to happen. When people are only looking at the surface value of the image it becomes somehow easier to imitate. It’s a shame....
What is your favorite city in the world, and why?
Paris! It’s the most beautiful city!

What are you reading right now?
Well I’m a big nut for the TED conferences...I go every year, and when you’re a TEDizen you automatically belong to the TED book club. They send the most incredible books...books that really chaallenge what I previously thought to be true!
I just finished The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley, and Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz. Books like that really give my mind a good work-out!

What are some ways you generate ideas / feel inspired when stuck?
I find that if I just let it go, maybe go for a run, or sleep on it, I can usually come up with something. If I’m really stuck, I’ll try word association...juxtaposing words together randomly to see if something comes out of it.

Any advice for new illustrators, just coming into the industry?
You know, I think it’s really true that the more you work the better you get...Malcolm Gladwell writes in Outliers that most ‘successful’ people put in 10,000 hours before they become successes. That rings true to me! Work hard, get your work out there as best as you can, listen to criticism carefully and don’t give up if it’s what you really want to do!

Any advice for the older / established ones?
Yes. Embrace change! Stay open-minded, and above all remain a lifelong student! It’s all good.

all images copyright Anita Kunz. Please check out Anita's website - im sure you'll recognize nearly every image! http://www.anitakunz.com

DARREN BOOTH

2010-11-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I'm originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. I'm currently living in St. Catharines, Ontario. I graduated in 2001 and started illustrating full-time around 2004 / 2005.

Your color palette always seems very refined, how long do you spend laboring over choices - or does it come pretty naturally?
The color palettes sometime happen easily and other times they're quite labored. Most of the time I have a rough idea of what I want, but it rarely sticks to that. Typically I paint over things until it feels right. The mood a piece communicates is often through color and that is important to me, almost as much as the content is. Color is one of the first things a viewer notices, so having a good palette is half the battle.

What unique challenges do you face creating typography, that you don’t creating standard illustrations?
Because there's quite a bit of lettering in my portfolio, it's easy for a client to find something similar to what they're looking for. In one way that is a helpful when figuring out what direction a project needs to take, but in a way it hinders the process because I'm trying to avoid being repetitive or predictable and that's the most difficult thing for me. It's difficult to move ahead when you're looking behind.Your work is very distinct, how has it been evolving and changing over time?
To me, my work is worlds apart from where it used to be, but from an outsider's view, it probably hasn't changed all that much. I don't know if it's laziness or fear, but I have a tendency to let influences creep in very slowly and as a result I think my work develops at a similar rate. If anything, it's the technical skill that has changed the most.

What do you think drew you to collage and paint as a means of image making?
I enjoy using collage quite a bit because of its immediacy. If I want a block of color or certain texture, I find the right piece and then stick it down. Painting is great because I can build up the tones and establish the color palettes...and those exercises appeal to the detail oriented side of my nature. However I always feel a need to develop the artwork with my bare hands and have fun with it and fight with it until it's complete.

What, in your opinion, are some of the pluses and minuses of a traditional approach to image making?
Traditional work in the last 10 years has faded in and out of popularity and that is a positive thing but also a negative thing because a lot of our industry is trend-driven. That said, I firmly believe that good work regardless if it's analogue or digital, always finds a way to shine through.You also pursue personal, more fine artwork - how important is this practice as an artist / creative?
Does it find its way into your illustration work ever? Every creative is different so I can only speak for myself, but I think it's important to explore other creative avenues, whether it's fine art or music, etc... Those explorations find their way into my illustration work and I welcome it when it happens. For the most part, impulse is what drives those other creative avenues and I place more importance on process than final product because more is learned from the process, essentially making it more valuable to me than having a pretty picture.

What are you loving about illustration right now?
I love how illustration is evolving to keep up with the technology that's available now. I graduated at a weird time because it was right near the end of being a part of the old school, and right at the beginning of the new school. Needless to say, a lot has changed in 9 years and it's both exciting and mildly frustrating.

What are your favorite bars in Toronto?
I've still got a Toronto phone number but I haven't lived there for about 5 or 6 years so I'm not hip to the bar scene any more. How important is down time for you? How do you spend it?
Downtime is only semi-important to me because I prefer to keep busy. Taking time away from client work is important, though. If I'm not illustrating, I'm hanging out with my wife and friends, or working on renovations or fine art, or writing music.

Complete these sentences -
Everyone needs to read: It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden. - Everyone needs to own: Stocks in twitter.com/jenniferdaniel or a copy of Steve Martin's novel An Object of Beauty. Or both.
The hands down, best album to come out this year is: In Another Life by Count to Fire. The production and guitar work is amazing on this album but it has shitty artwork. David Bazan is another good artist whose latest album is pretty damn fine.
I'm tired of: Keep Calm and Carry On.

Any advice for new illustrators coming into the industry?
I think it was Paul Rand who said "Don't try to be original, just try to be good." That's pretty damn good advice. Being patient and persistent is important for young illustrators, too. Finding your voice and place in the market doesn't happen overnight.

Any advice for older / established ones?
Older / established illustrators should make an effort to keep up with the industry and quit being stubborn about it. If you work traditionally, it doesn't mean you should still promote and act that way.
All images copyright Darren Booth. To see more of Darren's work dear reader simply check out his website! Thanks so much Darren, I love your work! www.darrenbooth.com

Jorge Mascarenhas

2010-11-13T05:34:00.000-08:00

1-Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I was born in Boston, but I grew up partly in Brazil and Mexico before moving to California to study College. I currently live in Alameda, a tiny island off the San Francisco Bay. Ive been illustrating since 2007.

2-You have a really strong sketchbook practice that really shows on your blog. How does working in your sketchbook play in the artwork you create outside the sketchbook?

At school I never carried a sketchbook or have a discipline for it. My current sketchbook paintings started two years ago, as an exercise to grow as an artist. It now serves me as a useful tool to come up with ideas and different approaches. It keeps me from having creative blocks, which every illustrator is familiar with.

3-The thing I love about your work is how raw, genuine, and emotional each piece is, that draws the viewer into a dream like reality that is strangely relatable. Could you walk me through how you would develop a piece of artwork for publication?

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by book illustrations. Most of these were about dark fairy tales (which were scary!) and fables. Most of them dealt with consequences if you did not obey. Today the publisher would think twice before publishing these scary images for kids. I found them fascinating. When doing a piece, whatever the subject is, I try to merge the fantasy with the real world. For me emotion is a very important element. When I'm given an assignment, it is important for me to identify the core mood of the article or story. It's important to convey this emotion on my initial drawing. If it's not there, the painting will be also lifeless. In almost every painting I use a mix of acrylics, inks and oils. Once it's finished, I scan the painting and submitted via email or ftp.

4- For a while, I thought that the east coast was where lots of great illustrators were trained and or lived to be continually inspired by the large art communities that are in the big cities. But more and more, I am seeing a lot of great stuff coming out of schools from California, and illustrators that are moving from the east coast to the west coast. What makes California, unique that separates it from someone who went to school or works in New York/Boston/Philadelphia/Baltimore?

I'm not sure. I think California is getting a great generation of artists that are getting attention nationwide. When I was in school I learned from nationally recognized illustrators, and that was a great inspiration of its own. Plus, we had great guest speakers at our school. It was very interesting to learn how they think. But I think no matter where you are you can find inspiration. You just have to look closely at your surroundings. Inspiration is everywhere. You can get it from books, music, friends, your own life situations, architecture, movies, etc. It's a matter of what you can do with what you got. At CCA we were encouraged to be unique artists.

5-What was the best thing you learned when you started getting work as an illustrator?

The best thing is to explore subject matters that I would never think of. Illustration gives you the opportunity to tackle a wide variety of problems.

6-How has your work evolved since you left CCA?

It evolved completely. When I was at CCA, I was heavily influenced by illustrators like Gregory Manchess, Bernie Fuchs and Skip Liepke. With the exception of Greg, all the others were considered too old school for the modern illustration world. My work passed through many phases, I painted very colorful and reference based illustrations. I reworked my portfolio three times and then had an epiphany. I wasn't doing what I liked and it showed in my portfolio. The work was lifeless. Then I revisited what I liked when I was younger, when I had fun drawing. I borrowed some aspects of the past and merged them with the present. I liked the limited color monotype/etching like images from the books of my childhood. I was ignoring a the things that I truly loved. After working everyday on my portfolio, something was born.

7-I read somewhere that you were really into comics when you started at CCA, until you fell in love with creating works with paint. Have you now considered doing a fully painted graphic novel?

Yes! It's a project that's on the back on my mind. I need to come up with a good story though...

8-I hope I don’t sound patronizing when I ask this, but do you ever feel limited by working traditionally with the rising interest for digital/interactive illustrations, or is it just another medium to work in to get across ideas/stories?

No worries. I love to paint and I love the feel of it. With that said, the computer is an essential tool for illustrators. It's important to know all the software involved with image making. But I choose to use only as a tool for adjusting contrast, or making some last minute changes (for example, changing the color of a shirt). The way I work is fast, so working traditionally has never been an issue. If you not aware on how the computer can work for you, then you're in trouble. I strongly believe people will always appreciate traditional painting/drawing. Today I see a lot of digital stuff that looks the same. It's also hard to be a unique digital artist.

9-Are you teaching these days?

Yes. I teach a painting class at UC Berkeley.

10-What are you up to when you’re not illustrating?

Mostly traveling. My family is scattered all over the globe. I have relatives living in Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Denmark, Portugal and Japan. It always gives me an excuse to leave the country. If I'm not traveling, I'm probably catching with friends, visiting books stores, or watching movies.

11-What are you loving about illustration right now?

There's a lot of great stuff out there. More than ever! I see more and more a variety of personal voices.

12-Advice for young illustrators trying to get their start.

Be true to yourself. Don't try to imitate a known illustrator just to make a quick buck, or because you're lazy. Trends come and go. Work hard and smart! Remember, as long as you are honest with yourself, your work will standout. Be patient and disciplined.

13-Advice for the veterans?

I think I can learn more from people who been out there for years. Their work have survived many changes in the industry and they continue to adapt. One thing would be continue to inspire younger generations.

14-Final Word?

It's time to get my coffee...

--------------------------------------------
Thanks Jorge!
Check out more of Jorges work: www.jorgemstudio.com

All images copyrighted Jorge Mascarenhas

Sara Wood

2010-11-11T03:24:00.000-08:00

-Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating and designing?

I'm from Chester County, PA and I've been illustrating/designing on a professional level since, uh, March of this year. I'm very green.

-Do you feel that U Arts prepared you to be a good illustrator/designer since taking on some projects?

Sure. UArts taught me to have high standards for myself and to always work hard, no matter what.

-I know when I graduated from art school, the economy just tanked, so our optimism was very low. When you graduated, what were your feelings when hitting the streets with things still looking a little dim but slowly getting better?

Well, I'm not sure that the creative job market is much better in 2010 than it was in 2009—especially for the crazies, such as myself, looking to enter the "dying" publishing industry, designing covers for "obsolete" bound books. This is why I've spent my daytime hours more or less as a temp since graduation, and am I ever grateful! A temporary job is better than no job, and while I'd love to have the peace of mind that comes with a full-time gig with benefits, I'm really enjoying the experiences that I've had thus far in the industry. I started off at Oxford University Press in June, and after getting used to the quick pace of academic publishing and the production process in general, I was asked to come and join Harper Perennial (an imprint of HarperCollins) in September as an in-house freelancer. The books at Harper are really fun and varied, the particular series that I'm working on is keeping me consistently challenged, the design department is top notch, and it feels like a great fit so far. Looking forward to whatever the future holds... It's all I can do!

-Your work feels very designed and has an old appeal while remaining fresh, which is very nice. Could you go into alittle bit of detail your process when working on a job?

Thanks... My process is a bit haphazard. Even in art school I never really had a "set" way of working. I've always used a variety of media, but my stand-by tools are my pencil (lately I've been using grease pencils as well), trace paper, my scanner, and a small library of textures that I bring into Photoshop. My work is most definitely a traditional/digital Frankenbaby. I like juxtapositions of smooth against rough, of lines that are refined against those that are just a little bit more spontaneous, and bringing my physical drawings into Photoshop gives me a great deal of flexibility for exploring that.

-So a while ago, you were working for Oxford University press as a designer, but now your working for Harper Collins. Could you tell me alittle bit about what you do there on a day to day?

I met the geniuses of Perennial (art directors Robin Bilardello, Milan Bozic, and publisher Carrie Kania) at a Portfolio Review event that they held at the Art Director's Club earlier in the summer, and after a few months of not hearing much, Robin asked me to come and work with them on a major project—80 titles by one of England's most famous authors. Most of the books already had cover designs that were being adopted from the UK, but those designs needed to be altered, resized, and in some cases completely redesigned. It's a massive undertaking involving many tiers of approvals, and when I'm not working on those titles or designing their promotional materials, I'm taking on mechanical designs (spines & back panels) and outside cover projects. I get to illustrate a lot, which is great.

-What's the best way for an illustrator to get their work infront of you and not piss you off as a book designer?

I'm no art director! But I work closely with the art directors and hear their complaints, so I can tell you that since office space is limited when you're designing 200 books per season, promos can really pile up. Make something that will stand out! Book people love to touch, open, and explore paper objects, so try incorporating even a slightly interactive element. A mini book, or an accordion-folded mini portfolio perhaps... So long as your promo catches the eye, invites the viewer to pick it up, and can fit tidily on an average-sized cork board, you're good.

-If someone was looking to become a book designer, what would they need to do to prepare, and where do you find out about where the jobs are posted for these in house design jobs?

First and foremost, you have to love books. Plain and simple. Read avidly, and when you go to a bookstore, jot down or mentally note the names of the people who designed your favorite covers. Also note when you see that a certain publisher seems to have a good number of beautiful designs. Research, research, research. The book design world is a very small one, and it's not too difficult to determine who is the Senior Art Director of this imprint, or Creative Director of that... Get sneaky, and once you discover that most businesses have an email naming convention like "First.Last@publishername.com" you can send personalized emails that say "I love your work so much! Here's a link to my portfolio site: etc." As far as in-house job opportunities go, my staple sources are bookjobs.com, mediabistro.com, and sometimes publishersmarketplace.com. Go ahead and join Design:related as well, if you can get an invite. That community is chock-full of people worth knowing if you're interested in book design (or any other sort of design).

- What do you love to do more, Illustrate and design book covers/posters or single images for publication?

Covers/posters definitely! Type has become such a tool for me, I miss it when I'm making a single image. Also, there's something about the practical application of book covers and gig posters that really satisfies me.

-What are you thoughts on digital tablets (ie: iPad, Nook, Kindle)?

I'm really not as afraid of them as some might think I ought to be. I actually had a brief conversation about this with Henry Sene Yee recently... He said that people will always need beauty. That really sums it all up, I think. Whether that beauty is printed on paper, or backlit on a screen, it doesn't matter. Apple has obviously recognized that fundamental truth with the iPad: its e-book app appears as a library of books displayed face-out on the shelf. While I will always have a deep-running loyalty to bound books, I'm not afraid of the fact that others might come to prefer digital media.

-After hours, what are you up to?

I often stay late at the office, which means that most of my "after hours" are spent sleeping, but I do work on freelance projects on top of my 9-5. Book covers mostly, but I also have a lot of fun doing gig posters for Redbird Management out in LA. I always have so much freedom, and I really relish the opportunity to scratch a creative itch or sometimes just create a beautiful image. Gig posters are just the best, aren't they?

-Goals/plans for next year?

1) Get a job with benefits!
2) Continue learning about my craft at my current momentum, and
3) Successfully plan my June wedding to Jim Tierney

-What are you loving about illustration/design right now?

The increasing union of the two! I love seeing illustrators try their hand at type, just as I love seeing designers try to draw their own imagery. I think people our age and current students are doing a great job of bridging the gap between the worlds of illustration & design.

-Advice for young illustrators trying to get their start.

The internet is your bestest friend! Get a website, start a blog, join Flickr, get a tumblr, join

Design:related. Branch out your web presence, and it's amazing who will find you, and in turn, who you will find. Gobble up inspiration from your blog feed and keep yourself informed. It's amazing how lucky we are to have this tool these days... It almost makes up for the horrible economic conditions we're contending with.

-Advice for the veterans?

God no! Oh wait, here's one: please teach me more.

-Final Word?

Preflight.

-----------------------
Thanks again Sara!

You can find her work here: www.sara-wood.com

and she has a flickr with alot of other stuff too: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewoozle/sets/72157603425545381/

All images copyrighted Sara Wood

DAVE PLUNKERT

2010-11-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I grew up in Maryland and my studio in Baltimore. I began doing illustration full throttle in 1993.

you started out as a graphic designer - what made you make the jump to illustration?

I worked at a firm for about five years before being laid off. I had been producing collages on my off time and had produced a few professionally for some design clients. I had enough work to put together a portfolio and was aware what my illustration was being billed out for at the time.

where did the inspiration behind your iconic "block style" come from?

Despite it being conceptual, stylistically collage doesn't suit a broad enough spectrum of work. Plus you can spend a lot of time looking for the right head or hand. I wanted a style that was almost modular and unaesthetic to make the idea clearer.A direct influence on the block style would be the work of Brian Cronin and that almost icy visual tone he achieves but my work (collage,block or design) owes a big debt to the Pushpin artists in general and Chwast in particular.
what does your sketchbook look like?

I doodle quite a bit on the margins of paper while I work but I don't keep a sketch book per se. But I do keep a manila file of loose drawings that I think could be used later.

what is the best part about living in Baltimore?

I actually live in a rural part of Baltimore county about 20 miles from the city, but my studio is located in Baltimore. Baltimore is an easy going town that's very neighborhood oriented and conveniently located near other faster paced towns.

how has Spur Design evolved to meet the changes in our industry?

Other than a usual computer upgrades and possibly doing a few more internet based projects we're pretty much the same as when we opened up our doors in 95. I will say that since about 2004 I've made more of an effort to build and maintain long-term relationships with clients.
As a conceptual thinker, what are some ways you generate ideas for new projects, or when you're stuck on a project?

Timing is key. I like to get a night's sleep after reading a story. The next day the ideas come much more naturally then they would if I just read the story and go right to drawing.

what key elements make for a fantastic poster?

Not a lot of type, a big head, and the color orange! If that head is wearing a hat and smoking a pipe it can't miss.

how important is down time for you / what sorts of things do you do in your free time?

We have 3 school age children so that absorbs a lot of the down time. I spend a far amount of time on maintaining our house and studio and making future plans of projects I'm probably never going to complete.

is working side by side with your wife the key to a great marriage?

We think its important to function as partners but I don't think that working together professionally is necessarily a benefit or a negative. There should at least be a strong cinderblock wall separating your offices.
what are you loving about illustration right now?

Its generally interesting projects. When the projects aren't interesting I tend to think I was hired to make them interesting.

books / music worth recommending?

I recently read " A World Lit only by Fire" by William Manchester. An interesting look at living in medieval times.

any advice for new illustrators or designers coming into the industry?

Learn to make art without a computer and keep a positive attitude. Be courteous to wait staff and slow down when you drive. Hold the door for anyone behind you.

any advice for the established ones?

Only the same advice I give myself on an almost daily basis: Take pride in your accomplishments and the compliments you receive but don't think that it makes you special. Be your harshest critic but also cut yourself slack. Never lose your temper in public. Wash your hands a lot and drink more water than you currently are. Turn down desserts.
Thank you Dave!! I urge everyone to go to Dave's website this second and poke around - there is so much fantastic stuff : http://www.spurdesign.com - All images copyright Dave Plunkert.

JOEL KIMMEL

2010-10-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and have been a full time illustrator since late 2006. I am currently living in Sudbury, Ontario with my wife Chantal and our dog Peanut.

tell me about peanut.
Peanut is our 1 year old beagle with incredible running and leaping ability. And cuteness ability. We bought him in Elliot Lake, Ontario and are half-training him to be a jumping, leaping and obstacle course-running champion. He'll do anything for a carrot.

im not sure how to describe your work - it feels very organic, but at the same time industrial -
that juxtaposition is really effective and makes me relook again and again. you mention on your website that you like drawing water towers, smokestacks etc. would you say you're drawn (pun) to industrial themes? maybe nostalgic for the olden days?
I think so. I like things that aren't too polished, with some nitty-gritty feel to them and I think that's why I'm drawn to industrial themes, I like the textures and mood. As for the water towers, I really love to draw them and put them in my paintings. The smokestack and industry thing probably started when I began visiting Sudbury, Ontario about 6 years ago. They have one of the world's tallest smokestacks here and a really interesting mining town surrounding it called Copper Cliff. It all makes me think of how things looked one hundred years ago, with billowing smokestacks, water towers and ... dirt.
I started researching all of these things more and read some books about the early 19th Century. I thought it would make a really interesting time to have my illustrations take place in. I'm pretty enamoured right now with the first 40 years or so of the 20th Century. The colors from tinted photos and rural scenes are inspiring to me. I think it would be awesome to go back in time and explore the working class side of that era, but I'll have to just settle on recreating it myself with a bit of a twist.

totally serious, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, whos better?
That's a tough one! I will have to say that Kobe is better, and that goes against my tastes in basketball because I am a Laker hater (and proud of it). But Kobe has the championships right now and he's still as clutch as they come, as much as it pains me to admit it. I think LeBron is a better athlete, a better all-around player and has the chance to be one of the greatest, although his free agency stunt this summer knocked him down a few levels in my book. I'd rather play on a team with LeBron than Kobe though.
Larry Bird or Magic Johnson
Larry Bird. I'm too young to have seen those two play in their primes like I've seen LeBron and Kobe, but there's no way I'm going to pick two Lakers in a row! Magic has more championships and he was extremely talented but I love all the stories I've read about Bird's competitive nature, he was just a cold blooded scorer and he was tough. I love the story about how would bail hay all day on a farm and then go and score 40 points the same night. What's the illustration equivalent of that?

what would you rather do: play for the Chicago Bulls 1995 - 96 team, and be dead broke for the rest of your life OR getting handed 5 million bucks to never watch another basketball game in your life?
5 millon bucks is a lot of money, but you couldn't pay for the opportunity to play on one of the greatest basketball teams of all time! So I would play for the Chicago Bulls in 95-96, get yelled at by Michael Jordan for missing layups and try to guard Steve Kerr in practice on our way to 72 wins (and avoid Dennis Rodman at all costs). I would happily be broke for the rest of my life to have been on that team. That's probably ridiculous (and my wife would agree) but that was my favorite basketball-watching time of my life. I had so many superstitions about that team, I swear I helped them win the championship. I was also lucky enough to see them play twice, once in Chicago during the playoffs (and even more rare, I saw them lose to the Raptors). As great as it was to see them play, to play baskebtall with that team would be even greater and worth passing up 5 million bucks. Yes, I am crazy.

why should every illustrator live in NY at least once?
It's an inspiring place to live, that's for sure. For an illustrator in New York, you're surrounded by so many other illustrators and have the chance to attend events and meet art directors in person. I loved being able to just hop on the train and go to the Society of Illustrators. I think it's also a great place to meet people in other creative industries and collaborate with them on projects you may never have been able to work on otherwise.
congrats on getting married this past summer! what does your wife think of those demanding illustration hours?
Thanks! I'm really lucky in that my wife, Chantal Bennett, is also an illustrator, so she definitely understands the hours we put into our work. She went to Parsons for illustration while we were in NY and now she is the owner of Papillon Press, our letterpress stationery company. She's also great at telling me when to take a break, helping me with sketches, finals and women's clothing and helping me take reference photos, to name a few things she helps me with.

how has your work been changing / where do you see it going?
For a long time I wasn't comfortable with anything digital in my work, but in the last few years I've slowly started integrating that into my work more and more. I don't ever want to work completely digitally, I love drawing and painting by hand too much, but I have been enjoying Photoshop as a very helpful tool in the last little while. As for where my work is going stylistically, I hope to improve on what I'm doing now. For ambitions, I have a few projects in mind. I have some ideas for children's books I'd like to develop, as well as a series of illustrated short stories. And being the basketball fiend that I am I'd like to do another series of basketball images.

what are you loving about illustration right now?
I love seeing new work by my illustrator friends and others in the industry, and I love how easy it is to find it. I remember when I was in school not many illustrators had websites, so now I find new work from so many different illustrators through Facebook or Twitter, subscribing to blog feeds and through illustration sites like this one and many others.

why are magazines still relevant?
I love magazines, books and printed matter. I still think magazines are relevant because I don't know if everyone will want to get their news or read stories on a screen all the time. Personally, I wouldn't want to do that. Tablets have some pretty fascinating advantages but I think people want to turn pages and feel paper (I do, anyway). I think people love to get things in the mail, and when you have a subscription to a magazine it's always exciting to get the new issue in the mailbox.

parlez vous francais?
Well, my wife is French Canadian and Peanut is too, but I really only speak French to the dog since we trained him in French. I'm not too comfortable speaking it, but I can understand it and pitch in with a few words when the mood strikes (like when Peanut starts to hump the neighbor's dog - which is often). I could have written this response in French, but it would have been really, really ugly.
what is Papillon Press, and how can it help me in the future?
Papillon Press is my wife's and my letterpress stationery company. We started just over a year ago when we moved back to Canada from Brooklyn. We do custom illustrated wedding invitations, cards and other fun, printed things. We really push the illustrated angle, since we both love to draw and we feel illustrations print beautifully with a letterpress and separate our wedding invitations from those designed with just type. As for how Papillon Press can help you: In addition to printing our own designs, we have a printing service and can print the designs of illustrators or designers with our 60 year old press. I've been doing a few letterpress cards to send to art directors since we started Papillon Press and they've had a great response.

best music to listen to while working?
Oh man, I can't narrow it down! I'm usually all over the map. For some reason I can never think of what I really want to listen to. Today alone I've listened to Elbow, Kid Cudi, Harry Chapin, OutKast, Triple J (Australian radio station), some of ESPN's basketball radio broadcasts and The Basketball Jones (a Canadian basketball video podcast). I think something more upbeat is good to get me going early in the day and then I usually mellow out as the day goes on.

advice for new illustrators looking for a piece of the pie?
I think the best advice I received was at a talk by Donato Giancola at the Society of Illustrators a few years ago. He just said that as an illustrator you are competing against so many established, amazing artists and that to get work you have to really push yourself to be great, or greater than the other illustrators. So I would say to new illustrators, push yourself to make each piece your best. Keep telling yourself to push yourself throughout the process of the illustration, from the earliest stages to the final. Is the sketch great? What can you do to push it even further? Can you add something or take something out to improve it? Don't take shortcuts with your work and don't give up. It's not an easy business to succeed in, but if you really want to succeed you can do it. Be patient.

advice for the established guys?
Be open and encouraging to newer illustrators who may be intimidated by the industry. I think the illustration community is great but can be intimidating to some people. I've had some really welcoming and down-to-earth responses by emailing illustrators I admire and I appreciate that.
See more of Joel's fantastic work on his website: http://www.joelkimmel.com/
Thanks Joel, your answers were a SLAM DUNK **puts pinky to mouth ala Dr. Evil**

BRAD YEO

2010-10-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I'm from Calgary, Alberta. I've been illustrating for about 19 years now, and full-time for about 15 years.

do you ever make it out to the Calgary Stampede, if so - do you have a favourite event?
Frankly, I'm about as un-Stampede as a local can be. It's really great that a city has it's festivals and so we have the Stampede here among others like the Jazz fest, Folk fest, and the Calgary Film Festival... The Stampede is just not my particular groove. I used to own a pretty sweet pair of cowboy boots though. Tan suede.

any chance you made it to any of the '88 Olympic events?
As crazy as it may seem, I did not, but I remember it well. The city was swelling with pride and I think it was a very successful games. That was my first year of art school and I was pretty enthusiastic about attending, so I was most likely preoccupied with that.

during Alberta's massive economic boom a few years ago, i remember hearing about kids getting jobs at fast food places for 20 bucks an hour! was it really that extreme? have things leveled out a bit?
I'm not so sure about level of pay here in the city but we did have quite an influx of people to the province at that time with acceleration of the Oil Sands projects in Fort McMurray, to the north of us. Construction was booming all over Alberta and business in the oil patch was going great, so money was certainly being made but the stories of really crazy money seem to be more localized to "The Mac", with even the lower level service jobs as you mention paying very well. People had dubbed the town "Fort McMoney" and following this, the less-than-complimentary "Fort Crack" or "Fort McMordor" for reasons I'll leave to your interpretation. A lot of money floating around tends to make things a bit weird. And while the pay in Fort McMurray may seem almost absurd, the cost of living there appears equally so.
you've been in business since '91 - how has your work / methods evolved to meet the changes that have happened in the industry? how is your work still changing?
The evolution in my work is really driven by the process of making pictures, so I don't think my core methodology has changed so much in reaction to the industry or market economy, however, the types of assignments and content to which I'll apply this methodology may have me addressing different types of visual problems, and this may cause a shift in approach. All design and illustrative problems involve analysis and a series of logical and aesthetic choices, and so outside of making what I feel are the most appropriate choices toward resolving a particular creative problem, and the possibility of discovering something new by way of that, I don't think the essence of my creative process as applied to making pictures has much to do with more superficial matters of this business. For my part, meeting changes occurring in the industry involve strategic considerations existing somewhat apart from the art I make, like adopting the use of a computer, using online technologies, self-promotional activity or working with a rep, stock licensing, or seeking out alternative markets.

I've always felt it was important to allow the art to evolve and this process moves along at a fairly gradual pace. I like to think that there is some considered logic in this evolution, a result of observation and reaction to the work I've done previously, and how this is brought to bear on the present task; it's an ongoing conversation with myself, the work, external inputs, and this conversation evolves naturally, gradually over time.

before website portfolios, what was your main way to get work in front of people?
Much the same as it is now, only the web has taken up a greater position in the overall mix. I've entered work in juried annuals, used direct mail, and placed directory advertising. I used to shop my book around, but folks seem to have less opportunity now to sit down and visit over your portfolio. I still enter work into annuals, and place directory ads. My rep has been sending out postcard mailings since my start with them years back and we still do this occasionally.

what advantages does a traditional approach to image making have over a digital approach, in your opinion?
This is not an either-or proposition as I sometimes use both, but not in equal parts. The extent to which I've used the computer has involved scanning hand-done elements into the machine to manipulate and colorize them, but much of the work to date is still done using paint and paper exclusively. I favour the organic quality of traditional or analog process, and while I do attempt to achieve a certain, even mechanical, refinement in my work, I enjoy the occasion of imperfection and accidental nuance even if in a fairly controlled space. Brushes impart a personality to mark-making that I can't quite see replicated on the computer, no matter how sophisticated the software or input device. A well-used brush may exhibit a certain quirkiness in how it lays down a mark, and that becomes an interesting thing in itself. The beauty of using a brush or pen is that it is a relatively uncomplicated tool, a physical tool connecting directly to the hand, the paper, ink or paint.

I don't know if working traditionally vs. digitally yields a terrific advantage specifically in the context of making commercial art for print, but it does yield authentic pleasure in the process of making it. No matter how digital culture progresses, I think people still appreciate traditional methods — maybe more so, and using traditional tools and media provides me with the satisfaction of this immediate, physical experience and the occasion of accident — albeit without the benefits of command-z. I can appreciate the claims to increased speed afforded by using digital media and I think I've become pretty handy in Photoshop, but for the moment I can't see myself abandoning traditional tools. However, I intend to use the computer more in the future and I like what control it affords, particularly in mixing and matching colour which I tend to labour over. And for those who wish to make images move, this is the only way to go.
what are some of the first steps you take after you receive a brief from a client?
I create a folder for the job on my computer and file any communication there for future reference. I'll give whatever material provided a quick read and if I've not had chance to speak with the AD, or if anything in the brief remains fuzzy I'll follow up with any questions. I'll sometimes ask what portfolio works in particular caught their attention or demonstrates a certain sensibility applicable to the project. Then I hang up the phone, stare at an empty white page and freak out a little.

while i'm sure you're maybe most known for the beauty and skill behind your images, your concepts are always bang on! whats your brainstorming process like?
Thanks. Conceptual thinking has had a place in much of the editorial work I do, where I'm developing visual puns, but not every illustration calls for a high degree of conceptual thought, so some work has me more concerned with the literal, descriptive and formal aspects of the image. I can't describe an exact method in how I develop conceptual ideas, but I have the habit of dealing in words first, and with imagery following later. Words are immediate and the quickest route in for me but only as a start; at some point the left hemisphere has to start dancing with the right, and this is when things become more interesting. Some ideas really hinge on execution, a particular twist in visual representation, so I may spend a lot of time scribbling and refining an idea to get it to work and sometimes this fails no matter what I do. As pencil work proceeds the better ideas become more apparent or may combine in more novel ways.

can you remember doing any really bad jobs when you were getting started, to get your foot in the door?
I can't remember any really bad jobs, but there were some trying experiences, challenges and work that had me examine what I was good at, or not so good at. I was a relatively late-bloomer as an illustrator. I tried my hand at a lot of different things illustratively; my first experiences in editorial illustration were in doing work for for a local papers and mags. Shortly after graduating from ACAD, I started working with Dennis Budgen, a former instructor of mine, on various projects ranging from info-graphics and illustrations for Parks Canada to technical drawings for the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller. These were great formative experiences and working with Dennis was a privilege. The work I produced at that time bears no obvious resemblance to what I'm doing now, though I'm sure bits and pieces must filter in. As things went on I was doing more work on my own, illustration for advertising, product packaging and point-of-sale applications. In 1999 I became affiliated with my present rep in the USA, Gerald and Cullen Rapp, at which time I became much more active in editorial work.
what (and who) are you loving about illustration right now?
I am loving looking back at the history of image making, visual communication, and realizing how I connect to this. It remains a thrill to take part in such a rich history. What's happening now in illustration is so diverse and the creative talents so many, that it's hard for me to land on any particular thing in the contemporary scene and go on about it. Right now I'm in a historical mode, and looking more in depth at modern era painters and pictorial designers that I feel a growing affinity with. I'm enamored by the minimalist work of Charley Harper, the graphic genius of people like E. McKnight Kauffer and Abram Games, Victor Rodchenko and Wyndham Lewis.

best music to listen to while working?
Right now I seem to be on a nasty techno bender... I like a lot of different music and it's essential to life in the studio. My playlist forms a pretty mixed bag: Brian Eno, Curve, The Raveonettes, The Kills, Band of Horses, Arcade Fire, Vic Chesnutt, Goldmund (Keith Kenniff)... to name but a few.

any advice for new illustrators getting into the industry?
Know why you do what you do. Promote the value of the work you do and negotiate accordingly, but don't do it for the money.

any advice for the veterans?
I'm in no position to offer my fellow vets advice. And my (ten gallon) hat is off to anyone who can stick it out over the long term.
All images copyright Brad Yeo. Check out Brad's website: http://www.bradyeo.com its Crazy awesome. Thanks Brad!

Jude Buffum

2010-10-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! My name is Daniel Fishel, and I am a new contributor on the non-slick blog. Before I get into the interview, I want to give a big thank you to Pete Ryan for inviting onto the blog. My goal is to do at least one interview a month if not more, so we will see what happens.

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I moved around New England a bit when I was much younger, but I've lived in Philadelphia most of my life and currently reside here. I graduated from the Tyler School of Art in 2001 with a BFA in Graphic Arts and Design, but I was mainly doing graphic design at first. It wasn't until late 2002 I really started working on any illustration only projects when I was a part of Headcase Design. At first illustration made up only about 20% of the work I did, graphic design being the rest. By the time I left Headcase in October of 2007, nearly all the work I did was illustration.

2. What drew you to paint your images with Pixels?

Initially I just wanted to create some nostalgic artwork to hang in my apartment, so I experimented with blowing up "sprites" of characters from old video games I played when I was a little kid, enlarging them until each pixel was a full inch square. It was around this time I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the state of our country (this was right around when we first invade Iraq) and so I began experimenting with using the video game style as an outlet to vent. Instead of Megaman fighting Dr. Wily he was fighting Dick Cheney and Haliburton. It was through these early political-themed pieces that I realized the language of video games and pixels are rich with infographic metaphors, digital mythology and graphic symbolism that could be used to express almost anything I wanted.

3. You have a second style that still feels like the language you draw in, but it is a slicker illustrator version. Do you have problems with clients because you have two styles?

Generally most clients come to me knowing which of my two styles they want. I do prefer the pixel style, so there have be instances where I felt the pixel style would be stronger and I was able to convince them I should use that one instead. It gets a little tricky with self-promotion, deciding which style to focus on promoting. Generally I send out postcards with the pixel style, and that's the one I tend to get into annuals more frequently, but I do get a lot of work in the infographic style still.

4. There are some illustrators that happen to also be designers and include type in their work and there are some designers that just happen to also illustrate, but neither seem to have a balance. I find that in your work has an good balance of using type within pieces that could just be single image for a publication/gallery. Do you think because you work within the language of video games/8bit that allows you to do it, that seems pretty effortless?

I was trained as a graphic designer, but Tyler has a fairly illustration-heavy design program, so I have always tried to illustrate my design projects when possible. I think with the pixel style, pixelated type and pixelated art will naturally fit together, but that doesn't mean they will necessarily be aesthetically pleasing. On the contrary, I think there is a certain ugliness to pixel art and type that some people actually don't like, so I think the type forms need to be carefully constructed and considered.

5. I know that you've done some music packaging stuff for your brother's 8-bit jams, Doctor Octoroc. Do you ever collaborate musically? Also, how did the Keyboard Cat video come about?

While I wouldn't say I collaborate with him musically, he does play me all his tracks as he's working on an album and lets me offer my feedback. The Keyboard Cat video was something we did on a whim. I thought it would be funny to do an 8-bit version that played off a game fail, so we threw it together one afternoon and put it on youtube. I never thought it would blow up the way it did. The main character from the show The IT Crowd even wore the shirt I made from the video on a recent episode.

6. About a year ago, you worked on an installation at the 3rd Pictoplasma Conference, making 8 bit creatures on the walls with thousands of post it notes. How was it that you were able to get involved in such a project?

Jon M. Gibson, who founded the "i am 8-bit" art show, was the guy who really helped me get my foot in the door with a lot of the galleries I've been involved in. He actually found me through Myspace (remember that?) of all things. It's a long story, but after several years of working together on gallery installations he contacted me about the Pictoplasma thing. His good friend and photographer Love Ablan had been asked to put together an exhibition by the founders of Pictoplasma. Exhibitions of art on Post-Its were nothing new, and other people had created Donkey Kong or Pac-Man installations out of Post-Its, so we decided to take it to the next level and create original pixel art out of Post-Its and then have art on Post-Its hidden within that, an exhibition within an exhibition. I actually got a grant from the University of the Arts to do the whole thing.

7. Recently I have been seeing you work more and more doing Gallery stuff. How have you been getting involved with that, being someone who works digitally?

I do occasionally paint my work in acrylic, but given that my fan base is a younger crowd I try to make my work affordable so giclee prints from digital seems to be a better deal for everyone. As long as the work sells, most galleries don't seem to mind the medium.

8. What is your process when concepting sketches for an editorial assignment?

You'd think by now I'd have a process. I really don't. I throw shit against the wall and see what sticks. Swear.
Nate Williams posted a great idea generation process on his blog that I will sometimes use when I'm at a loss.

9. I know that you teach a class or two at The University of the Arts. Could you share alittle bit what you teach there and has teaching there influenced the way you work?

I'm currently taking some time off, but the course I teach at UArts is an Illustration class called "Design Methods". Basically what I do with each project is assign the students the role of illustrator AND designer/art director. So for one project I give them several magazine articles and they not only have to illustrate the article, but design the layout of the spread as well. A project that I introduced to the department has them designing a vinyl toy (like Kidrobot) and then creating packaging for the toy. It's a very demanding project, but they have so much fun with it and the results are usually phenomenal.

10. Outside of illustration and galleries, what is it that you do when you have down time?

Karaoke, bird watching, cooking, barhopping, road trips, fixing vintage Polaroid cameras, and playing with my Boston Terrier

11. I've noticed a lot of well known/successful illustrators, such as yourself, Josh Cochran, Gina+Matt, Katherine Streeter, Pete Ryan, ect, all own Boston Terriers! Is there a skull and bones club for illustrators that requires everyone to own one?

I think there must be something in illustrator DNA that draws us to the Boston Terrier! I swear I got mine before I even met any of those guys, and in fact the only person I knew who had one when I got mine was a friend of mine who is a floral designer. I guess they go through phases of popularity... if you look at dogs used in advertising in the 1950s, they used Bostons quite frequently. I guess they are on an upswing in popularity again.

12. Because you work digitally, specially in adobe illustrator, it makes your work more adaptable for interactivity and animation for tablet devices (ie: ipad, Nook, ect). Are you investing time into interactivity and animation because of a rising interest in tablet devices and/or do you have an opinion on illustrators becoming more involved with animation/interactivity?

After the keynote at the ICON conference in Pasadena, I became very excited about the possibility of creating interactive and motion illustration for devices such as the iPad. I do plan on investing some time in the next six months to learning as much about the subject as I can. I see it as just another industry, so I don't really see what all the fuss was about. Some illustrators will want to add animation to their portfolio. Others will want to add textile design. Or food packaging. Or fine art prints. It's all the same thing, just different avenues to make a living off what you love to do.

13. What are some things that you love about illustration right now?

I love that there are really no limits as to what you can do with your art. It's interesting to watch the many careers of all of the illustrators I admire, or know personally, and see where they started and where they are now, and there's so much variation it really shows you can do anything in this field.

14. Any advice for young illustrators/designers breaking into the field?

Personal work is good, but if prospective clients can't see how it could be used commercially they're not gonna hire you. If you're not getting jobs yet, or jobs that bring out your best work, create your own assignments (a good example would be the Heads of State creating concert posters for the local Philly music scene). Make them amazing and get them into Communication Arts and American Illustration.
Personal work for gallery shows are important too, but it's much harder to make a living at that, and I see way too many kids out of school focusing too much energy on that avenue and it's a long, uphill battle. Don't spread yourself too thin.

15. Any advice for the veterans out there?

Anyone who's been doing this longer than me is obviously doing something right. I could probably use advice from them.
That said, don't fear new things. Twitter and Facebook are amazing tools for advancing and sustaining your career. My biggest break into the gallery world came from MYSPACE. Yeah. And Myspace was a piece of crap compared to what Twitter and Facebook can do. If you think it's just some stupid way to share what you had for breakfast with the world, you really have no idea. Reach out to those in the know.

16. Final word?

Game Over

---------------------------------

All images copyright Jude Buffum - See more of Judes work on his website: http://www.judebuffum.com/
Thanks Jude!

YUKO SHIMIZU

2010-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
I was born in Tokyo, and grew up mostly there, and partially in New York during late 70s to early 80s. I have been back to New York again from 1999, and I have been illustrating since around 2002-2003.

2. In what main ways does Japanese culture differ from American culture in terms of: Art...
I am not sure if I am exactly the right person to answer this, because I was not working in the field of art when I was still living in Japan. I studied advertising and marketing (the business part, not the art part), and worked in PR... The only art school I went was in New York (School of Visual Arts); so I cannot compare art school either. What I can say, though, is that I was amazed by the difference between the US education and Japanese education (in general). In Japan, they focus on teaching students how to memorize things: memorize fact, memorize how to do things in the most efficiently... In US, they focus on teaching students how to think in their own terms. I cannot say which is better. Each have pros and cons. For example, Japanese people in general are way better draftsman; they can all draw quite well in average, way more so than Americans. On the other hands, American people can come up with ideas and concepts that are so unique Japanese people with great skill might never be able to. They don’t limit themselves on way they think. Well, it is not just about art. It is in everything. But also, it explains how art differs in each country quite well.
Being a woman / a female professional...
Being a woman, a female professional Well you all know about extreme low glass ceiling they have over there. Of course, I have not lived in that country for 11 years, and I am sure things has changed much since I left. Also at the same time, I know that country is notorious for slow change.
The in generals of day-to-day life...
In general, day to day life... Now, this is the hardest one.. I think they are just so different; it is a lot easier to pick up things that are the same. It is, a very very different environment over there. If you are an American who has never visited Asia or Japan. I highly recommend you to go visit. In fact, it is a very fun country to go visit. To live there...? Now, that’s a whole another story. But I can speak about it for hours and hours and hours.

3. How have you noticed the industry changing since you've started illustrating professionally? Has the world change much since 2002? I assume it is hard to hear the answer ‘no’ from anyone. Technology is changing the world so fast so much every single day now. Of course, it does affect illustration; just like it affect everything else. Now, my phone (landline) doesn’t ring so much anymore! It is rare clients call. They e-mail! Or, I sometimes get jobs through my Facebook! Ah, the crazy 21st century
4. Can you remember doing any really bad jobs when you were getting started just to get your foot in the door?
I have done a lot of bad jobs. I probably still do, although I try not to. But it has nothing to do with get my foot in the door. The bottom line is, try and do your best regardless, as long as you have taken that job. If the job is not suitable for you, you don’t have to take it. I don’t. But sometimes, no matter how much you try, things turn out not the way you want. Maybe it is the subject matter; maybe it is the heavy art direction... But always try the best. Because if you try your best and things don’t turn out perfectly, you know, at least, you had tried. As long as the work is professional publishable level, you had done your job. But don’t ever do work badly because you don’t want to spend time or effort on it. If you know that’s the case, you just don’t take that job!

5. Your work, although always beautiful, always seems to have some great ideas - what do you do to brainstorm / idea generate?
I don’t think it is always great idea... But thank you. At least I try.... Ideas come from research on subject matter. We professional illustrators don’t have light bulbs that lights up immediately when we get briefed on projects. There are many many days I feel like it is the end of the career because I have no good idea to come up with. Then I just patiently go online and do research on subject matter, keywords to the concept... Draw a lot of bad thumbnails... And from there, ideas eventually come out...

6. Stylistically, how did you wind up where you are now? - Any idea of where your work may be a few years down the line?
I am an artist; I let my work naturally evolve. I don’t know my future, in terms of style or look, and that’s the part of fun. I used to work in corporate where I can see my future in the coworkers nearing their retirement. I can see the rails all the way far in the future, tens and twenties of years in future. I got freaked out. I want to be in the position I am in full control of those rails. I put down the rails as I go. A great feeling, it is.

7. Can you think of a favorite job you've done, or AD you've worked with off the top of your head?
I don’t know if I had a favorite job I have done. I have at least a few, if not more. I have at least a few ADs I love working with. I won’t mention their names here, but the bottom line is, when art directors know exactly who is the perfect person for the project, and pick me, and trust what I do, then I do the best work. There are jobs happened like that, and there are ADs who are really good at making the very right decisions. I really appreciate that.
8. Do you listen to music while you're working - if so, who?
I have tons of music on my iTunes. And I listen to according to my mood. When I am down, maybe Jamiroquai, when I am stressed out maybe Moby’s ambient songs may do, I am working on my personal work? Bjork may put me in the mood. I want to feel the summer, then Ry Cooder... Well, there are many more musicians I love, but just to let you know that I switch according to what I need at that moment. But actually, the best company to my work is WNYC, streamlined form my computer. I basically listen to it morning till night, most of the days. I am stuck in my own small world of my studio most of the time, and WNYC keep me updated with news, politics, current events, art, new albums, and everything else in between. My studio-mates and I are getting hooked to going down to WNYC Green Space, not far from our studio, to go check out the live recordings. Our favorite is Sound Check. Take a long lunch break, and go listen to great music and talk for one hour. It is absolutely fantastic. We recently went to hear Sharon Jones, and Moby in this very small intimate space.

9. What does New York offer you that other cities do not?
I like the fact New York lets you be yourself. New York is filled up with people who came here from all over the country, and from all over the world. We all had goals and dreams in mind, each different, and head out to this city. And there is energy that New York has, which you cannot experience anywhere else because of that.

10. Where are some of your favorite places to travel?
My motto is; go anywhere I have never been, just for experience. So, when schools and design organizations invite me, I try to go as long as that fit into my schedule. Having said that, my favorite country to visit is Mexico. It is just magical. There is no place like it, Latin culture, Europe and America, and indigenous culture all meets up there. Unfortunate thing is that most of Americans have wrong perception of Mexico, without actually experience the life there (beach resorts won’t count). I hate American stereotyping Mexico or Mexicans. It is just so beautiful and magical, filled with great people. And I cannot get enough of it.
11. How does your experience with tutormill sync up to teaching in real life? What are the sames when dealing with a student / what are the differences?
It is great in many ways. I have only taught those I can meet, most of them in New York (I teach at School of Visual Arts) in past. But with TutorMill, students can be anywhere in the world and take classes with teachers who are also spread around the world. I think I had taught like three or four students from Spain so far. It is really cool to get to know those passionate illustrators abroad. We teach in team of two, which students can pick and choose, so I ended up teaching with many illustrators I had never had a chance to teach with. Most of time we agree, sometimes we argue, but all for good! And students can get so much out of it. At first, I was worried because we only talk online, not in person, but there are a lot of benefit that can fill that gap up and more.

12. What’s the best part of being a teacher?
I learn a lot from the energy of the students. Sometimes what I give them as advice subconsciously come back to myself and end up giving the same advise to myself. Weird, but true.

13. What are you loving about illustration right now?
I just love that I can make living doing what I always had as a hobby. Sometimes deadlines stress me out, but at the end of the day, this is what I love to do. And I cannot get enough of it.

14. Any advice for new illustrators looking to break into the biz?
Love what you do, and work really hard. It is not easy being an artist. But as long as it is what you love, you can go through anything. It is not just about illustration or art in general, but just choose something you absolutely LOVE. Power of love will take you a long way!!!
All images copyright Yuko Shimizu - See more of Yuko's work on her website: http://www.yukoart.com
Thanks Yuko!!!

KIM ROSEN

2010-05-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

1. where are you from and how long have you been illustrating? (every interview starts this way)
I am from Philadelphia and I have been illustrating for about 6.5 years.

2. how has your graphic design background helped you as an illustrator?
Working as a graphic designer was great because it gave me a sense of the various types of people I would be working with as an illustrator. Since Graphic Design and Illustration are both commercial art, I understood how competitive it is out there and how much dedication and hard work it took to succeed. In terms of being an actual designer, I understood from the get go how to problem solve and work with clients to meet their needs, which is exactly what you have to do as an Illustrator. Illustration deals with a lot of the same principals as Design such as composition, color, problem solving, concepts etc, so I think my switch to Illustration was a very natural progression.

3. is there anything you miss about your graphic design career?
Hmmm... Well, sometimes I miss talking to people during the day :) I’ve listened to every “This American Life” podcast and although I love listening to stories, actual people in the same room can be a nice break from being with yourself all day. But- that’s basically all I miss.

4. do you ever miss living in New York?
Nope. I go to New York for certain events or to visit friends and when those events are over, I really look forward to getting back to Northampton.
5. what was your experience like at Savannah College of Art and Design?
I had a great experience at SCAD. Savannah was a perfect place to attend graduate school because it was so peaceful. It was important to me to get away from New York City to devote two years to nothing but illustration and to figure out my personal style. I had a lot of great professors. I was able to do an independent study with one my professors, Catherine Fruisen, (who is an illustrator that goes by the name of Violet Lemay), and that experience was invaluable. I learned first-hand what it was like to be a professional Illustrator. Catherine gave me a lot of assignments that she had from actual editorial clients and those assignments allowed me to create a very cohesive student portfolio. Minus the palmetto bugs (flying cockroaches), Savannah and SCAD were wonderful.

6. im pretty sure your work (which is amazing, and hopefully everyone reading is totally familiar with) is a mix between traditional and digital methods.
why were you drawn to this method of working? - do you prefer one aspect over the other?
Correct, my work is a mix between traditional and digital methods. I have always loved to draw and from working as a designer, I was comfortable on the computer. While I was in school though, I fought the idea of working digitally because I think I must’ve thought that to be taken seriously as an artist you had to work traditionally. My first year of grad school was spent creating illustrations traditionally and I felt like something was missing. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but the images I saw in my head were not what was coming out on paper or canvas. I started to embrace a few digital methods and something just clicked. My work began to make sense to me and I was starting to like what I was doing. So, I continued to draw all my lines traditionally and paint a variety of textures and compile everything digitally and I still work that way with some variations. My favorite part will always be drawing the line work in pencil. I often get sick of my work and am always looking for subtle ways to work differently, but the line work always stays the same.

7. you have a very sophisticated color palette - does that come pretty natural for you, or is it ever a struggle?
Thanks! I often can visualize the colors of an illustration but I am also inspired by a lot of colors that I see around me. Flowers, clothing, textiles, colors in a movie, old signs on the street etc. If I see any type of palette that I like I remember it and it will usually come up in one of my illustrations.

8. how important, in your opinion is having a rep for non editorial work?
Well, I don’t really know. I am fairly comfortable with maintaining my editorial clients and not so comfortable obtaining non-editorial clients. So for me it makes sense to have an agent for non-editorial work. Everyone is different and deals with clients differently, so I can only speak for myself.

9. your style is very distinct - how has it been evolving?
I think my line-work has stayed the same or pretty similar since I started illustrating. I think my color palette and textures have changed and will continue to change throughout my career. As I said earlier, I often get sick of my work and am always trying new things in order to keep myself happy and to hopefully keep my work fresh. I have incorporated everything from pastels, acrylic, ink washes, woodcuts, screen printing and most recently letterpress type into my work and I think with each exploration I learn something new.
10. do you find you have a natural tendency to draw more women than men?
I would say it’s 50/50.

11. whats the most important thing to know about a job before you start concepting?
I think it’s very important to know your client and to remember why they hired you in the first place. A client knows your work from your portfolio, so it’s important to read the article or brief and think about what the client may have seen in your work that would fit that job and solve their problem.
I remember when I first started out as an Illustrator, I would sort of panic for a few minutes when I got a new job. My mind would race and I would be thinking of a million different solutions. I remember a lot of those solutions were not exactly the type of work that was in my portfolio because I thought I needed to show a million different options. As time went on, I realized who I was as an illustrator and I gained some confidence in my personal style. It’s important to stay true to yourself and do what comes naturally to you.

12. what are you loving about illustration right now?
I’m loving that I see illustration used in so many different ways. It seems like people are yearning for a more hand-crafted approach and feel to their ads, book covers, magazines, album covers, movie posters, commercials etc. and it’s very refreshing.

13. how important is down time for you? how do you like to spend it?
Down time is pretty important to me. I like to work on house projects, work in the garden, go for a run and have relaxing meals and drinks with my partner and friends.
14. do you listen to music while you work? if so, what?
Yeah I do listen to music. I listen to my ipod a lot because it helps me to stay planted at my drafting table. Let’s see...I stop pushing the skip button when I land on Neko Case, The Kinks, Magnetic Fields, M Ward, Guided By Voices, The National, The Flatlanders to name a few.

15. do you think devises like the ipad are going to have any major impact on the industry?
Well- I’m staying positive and I think they will have a good impact on our industry. Yep- positive.

16. own any dogs?
No dogs.

17. advice for new illustrators trying to break into the game?
My advice would be to not get discouraged and not to give up. I get contacted by a lot of students asking this question and I feel like a broken record, but work really, really, really hard. Hard work and perseverance does actually pay off. Illustration is such a competitive field that you have to find your unique style and have a consistent portfolio in order for clients to remember you and your work. If you stay true to yourself and create work that comes naturally to you it will be apparent in your portfolio. Also- reach out to other illustrators and create your own community. Being an Illustrator is a solitary profession that can be a bit scary- it helps to connect and vent to other people in your situation. Good luck!!

18. any advice for the older / established ones?
Ummm... Advice? No. Praise? Yes- thanks for all the inspiration!
all images copyright Kim Rosen - see lots more here: http://www.kimrosen.com
thanks so much Kim - great great work!!

2010-04-16T04:33:00.000-07:00

Matt Kenyon

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I live in Newbury, and have been illustrating for the last twelve years.

What led you into a career in illustration?

I originally signed up for a degree in fine art, but within a couple of months realised it wasn't for me (I didn't feel I had the required life experience or brass tacks). I switched to a degree in graphic design, specialising in illustration. The university wasn't particularly well run, or resourced, but (if you could get past the forty year old cardigans and omnipresent rollups) the illustration tutor was excellent. The computer facilities were practically non-existant (and the few macs that were on offer were booked up days in advance), but there was a full-time life model you could make use of at any time, which really honed my drawing skills.

How long did it take you to become established after leaving university and what steps did you take to make this happen?

I was pretty lucky. I spent a few months immediately after leaving uni getting a portfolio together, and took to the streets of London, showing my work to as many people as I could. I got a couple of regular magazine commissions almost straight away, and managed to eek a living within the first six months.

How do you market your work now?

Beyond having my work on theispot.com, I don't market my work at all. I'm pretty distrustful of the illustration annuals and havn't done any direct marketing for many years now.

Can you describe your process after receiving a commission?

Distill the copy down to it's essence, think about a few “key words”, use some visual reference, get scribbling.

There’s always a really strong idea behind your images, what do you do for inspiration and to keep your ideas fresh?

I have quite a few old encyclopedias and non-fiction books full of illustrtaions (from the fifties and sixties), that I can leaf through, but generally I just try and get to the crux of the piece – and illustrate that.
I try not to look too much at other illustrators's ideas to avoid subconscious leaching.

There seems to be some concern regarding the editorial market at the moment (falling budgets and fewer commissions) have you noticed any major changes since you started out and what do you think the future holds for editorial illustration?

I don't think there's any doubt that the market is shrinking (at least in the UK). It's not affected me in the wallet yet, but a much higher proportion of my work is for the US than it used to be.

Any clients that you particularly like working with? And any that you’d particularly like to work with in the future?

I love working for the Guardian. They've been commissioning me for many years. When I was at university, it was always my ambition to work for them (because of the way the paper's design standards, and it's history of using illustration – mostly down to Roger Browning in recent years). Despite ultra-tight deadlines, they're pretty relaxed, and great to work for. In the future, I would like to work with some of the big American city newspapers (even though they're a bit staid compared to our press) just for the kudos.

What are the pitfalls in the industry that young illustrators should look out for to avoid being exploited?

My approach when I first started was to get myself into a position where I felt comfortable with my work, and able to do the job proffessionally. I threw myself into it, but always thinking it was pretty unlikely I would be able to make a living out of it (because it's such a tough marketplace and initial success is often down to luck). I think that's a pretty realistic and healthy attitude to have. If anything, in the last ten years, I would have thought it's got harder for young illustrators to get work. My advice would be to make sure you get a decent fee for your work, and make sure you know what the client wants (particulraly in terms of how conceptual he want you to be). With regards to not being exploited – I would be careful about putting work into stock libraries (something I have very mixed feelings about). They can be a good way to get your work seen and generate new commissions, but I'm not sure whether they're damaging to the industry in the long-run.

And what are the best things about being an illustrator that keep you hungry and motivated?

Being creative, being in control of your work, new challenges everyday, being able to tell other people at parties that you do something interesting, choosing your own hours.

Check out www.illo.co.uk to see more of Matt's genius. Thanks Matt.

Tim O'Brien

2010-03-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I'm from New Haven Connecticut and I've been illustrating since 1986.

Its hard to know where to really begin, you're such an iconic illustrator. I suppose I'll start gently and ask you about some of your passions...
You speak a lot on drawger about your love for boxing, what does it take to be a great boxer?
What made Ali the greatest?
If your skills in the ring would have allowed it, would you have ran with boxing as a career?

There is a fair amount of info on the web about my love of boxing, that I used to box and train fighters. I got into it as a young teenager and kept boxing until around 40. I still love watching it but don't box anymore. I started running at 40 and find it just as challenging and perhaps a better sport to do as I get older. In the past few years I became more of a trainer and therefore was not getting as good a workout as I need to. I fantasized about being a boxer before I went to college and became an illustrator and never considered it after that. However, boxing is like illustration in that it is a solitary endeavor and each fight or job is a way to show off some skill and adhere to the fundamentals.
Still, there are natural artists just as there are natural boxers. Some just scribble and it's brilliant. Ali was an artist like that. He understood the show of boxing and in the ring was mentally stronger than most.

How much of boxing / running / illustrating is dedication, and how much is skill?

Who knows? It's different for each person really. I think most successful people are extremely dedicated and focused. The real hard part is KEEPING the focus. Fighters lose it and so do artists.
What drew you towards running? is it the idea of pitting yourself against yourself - or the act itself...
As I wrote earlier, I began running initially to find a new way to get into shape but on a whim committed to running the NYC marathon, then I HAD to train for it.

do you find listening to music motivating when doing long distance runs - if so, any specific bands / songs?

I listen to rock when I run. A good, driving beat. Mostly mixes and I get into phases with a playlist where I need to hear that specific list. For a long time now it's been a driving Pearl Jam list. I've started my marathons with these songs: 'The Real Me', The Who, 'Krafty' New Order, 'Beautiful Day' U2, and 'Given to Fly' Pearl Jam.

your work is amazing to look at. detailed to perfection, but behind every striking image is a great idea - Would you consider yourself more of a thinker than a draftsman, or vice versa?

I like to think I'm thought of as a problem solver and craftsman. If a client needs a home run portrait, I aim to be the guy. I do like conceptual work too, but with realism it can be the road to extinction since so many solutions can just be photoshopped just as easy. I determined that my skill had to be the thing I highlight the most. Not everyone needs my work but enough do that I have a career.
You've worked with Time pretty much your entire career, what makes that relationship so special? how have they helped you develop / mold your work?
I started doing covers for Time in 1989. Over the years I've learned how to make a powerful cover through working with Time and specifically Arthur Hochstein.

You cover a lot of political topics in your work and come off as a proud democrat in your speech- are you happy with the job President Obama has been doing?
If you could change / improve anything about America, what would it be?

Yes, I'm a proud democrat. I have a firm belief that we as a people can make life better for those less fortunate. That basic principle, that we are our brother's keeper is at the heart of the democratic party. This notion seems to go against republican platforms these days.
I do think Obama is doing VASTLY better than what preceded him. I'm proud of our country and our president's intellect. It's nice to have that feeling. I also think that Obama had to almost waste his first year TRYING to listen to republicans. He bent over backwards trying to bring them into his cabinet, hear their ideas and on health care, let them have at it. In the end he had to be a forceful and decisive president and insist on a course of action. I think that for the rest of his term we might see this more driven and less apologetic Obama. He now knows that his ability to have achievements will only come from being more forceful and seeing less of a compromise.

What are you loving about illustration right now, and what are you not so in love with?

I love the work that is being done. I feel as I did when I was a student. That I have so much to learn and everything being done is so good. I am just blown away by the talent out there today. Most of it. The bad is obvious. Fewer venues for published work. We all hope that when magazines and books live more and more on tablets and screens that the work pays as much. For a craftsman like me I need a certain fee to make it worthwhile. As I said earlier, I don't need everyone to use me, just enough.
You've already been an illustrator for more than two decades but still seem far from your peak - whats the key to longevity as an illustrator.?
That's nice to hear. Illustration careers don't really build up like they used to. An illustrator needs to accept the fact that they will have to reintroduce themselves again and again. They must accept the fact that young ADs won't care about an artist's amazing achievements, they just want the illustration they are assigning NOW. I think an artists can be knowledgeable without coming off as a grumpy, seasoned illustrator and I know too many grumpy illustrators, pining for the old days. I don't want to be one of those illustrators.

You seem to have a real dedication to young / new illustrators. what drives that?

If you make it good for the next generation you are helping out your industry. I also teach so I work with a select few to hone their skills learn from them. They are my science lab.

Are you still learning as a painter / image maker?

Yes.

Do you ever doubt yourself / your abilities?

Yes. Not abilities as much as doubt my sensibilities.

Whats the most important advice you can give to new illustrators?
Art directors love finding new talent. That's an advantage. The key is to be seen and to have enough great work to put you over the top. Young artists tend to have a few good pieces with too many mediocre works thrown in to increase the size of the portfolio.

Any advice for the older / established ones?

Stay young and humble and make it your job to learn the names of the kids coming up. They will have your future in their hands in many respects so make it a point to meet new artists and be interested. That's not easy to do for many. They love what they love and may not like where current trends are headed. I try to understand what is going on today and just be in the mix.

all images copyright Tim O'Brien - check out tims work on drawger: http://drawger.com/tonka/
you're in for a good story and some amazing work!!

2010-02-26T13:50:00.001-08:00

CHARLENE CHUA

Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I was born and raised in Singapore, and I moved over to Canada in 2007 with my husband. I currently live and work in Toronto. I did my very first paid illustration when I was 14 or so, but I didn't pursue it as a career until I was in my 20s. I think I started doing illustration work in 2003 and moved on to do it full-time and exclusively in 2005. Which means I've been at it for 5 years now, full time.

Can you give us a brief account of how you got to where you are today?

Being stubborn and lucky I think. Stubborness helps me stick with things that might otherwise be unpleasant. Luck comes in the form of clients, opportunities and friends. I have some wonderful friends in Canada that have really helped me grow as an illustrator since I got here.

I started rather tenuously like most illustrators; I didn't have a portfolio or any proper work to show, even though I had been working for a couple of years as a designer before. So I quit my job, did a really bad comic (which helped get my drawing skills freshen up a bit), hacked together a portfolio and foolishly believed I was good enough for real work. Turns out at least one person thought I was, and I got my first real gig illustrating an article for the in-flight magazine of Singapore Airlines. Things were pretty slow going for the next year or so, and my husband (fiance at the time) was not making much money either, so we pretty much burned through our savings. Before we ran out I decided to go back to being a designer for a bit, and when I did things suddenly took a turn and I started getting illustration jobs from magazines. After about a year at the design firm, I quit that and resumed illustration full-time. This time it worked out better and I cultivated a relationship with a magazine that, while not particularly fun, paid me enough to pay the bills in a month.

Things were going ok in Singapore, then we decided to move to Canada. The move was pretty much like starting over; I had to try to find new clients and adapt my work to suit the market here. I did nothing for 6 months I think; moving everything, setting up the house and making initial introduction emails took up all the time. It was frustrating but again, things eventually got going. It's been three years since I moved here and despite the recession last year was pretty good, and I hope that with things looking brighter all round this year, it will be an even better year in 2010!

I know what you mean about being stubborn! That was something I was always told was a bad trait when I was younger but it's served me well since then, particularly in that first 6 months after graduating. Can you expand on what you had to do to adapt to the Canadian (and I guess American) market? Are there different aesthetic preferences or is it that you've shifted your focus from say, narrative to editorial for example?

The North American market is a lot more developed than the Singapore market for sure. It is more competitive, but at the same time there is a greater appreciation for the art and what it can do. Ironically, it also feels like people get pigeonholed more here.

So, I've had to streamline my portfolio more, to give it a more consistent overall look rather than being a collection of 'look at all the stuff I can do'. The children's and educational markets have been quite good to me thus far,though that's where the problem with pigeonholing comes in. I enjoy drawing things for children - but I do enjoy drawing other things too, and trying to sell yourself on more than one thing seems to be a little more difficult here.

Aesthetically, I've developed my drawing style I think, to be less cartoony and to, of course, include people of various ethnicities. Most of the people I drew before moving here looked pretty Asian, even if they did spot blonde or chestnut hair, but usually no one cared. It's more sensitive here, and for some of my current clients it is necessary to show racial diversity in the work.

Concepts are probably the hardest thing for me to adapt to, and something that I suspect I will never quite master. Years of living in a place where thinking different is generally seen as an annoying habit have permanently dulled my ability to generate intelligent visual metaphors. I'm trying to get cope by being efficient - not all illustration work requires heavy-duty conceptualizing, so I just try to target stuff that doesn't require such brain work. I am trying to improve my sense of composition too, so that even if I can't draw a smart picture, I can at least draw an interesting one!

I think you're selling yourself short there Charlene! Take this image for example-

That's a great idea and you've realised it so well too! Definitely not an easy one to do and you've managed to make it clever and beautiful. I reckon that's always a winning combination. I know of a few illustrators that work under more than one name in order to market their different styles, have you considered doing this? (Maybe you already do and Charlene Chua doesn't really exist!!)

Thanks, I'm glad you like that piece! It was fun to work on, but it's a bit of a rarity in my book. And it's in the ink style, which I find allows me to think quite differently from my usual vector-based stuff.

I have considered marketing that style under a different name. I've also wondered if I should spin off the pinups I do under my 'sygnin' pseudonym. But it really comes down to resources - I don't know if I have the energy and money needed to market a second persona.

That, and it would be confusing to answer the phone if someone called up looking for a person that doesn't exist. I've always wondered how illustrators with secondary personas handle that - I guess it's not so bad if you go by a pseudonym like Art Boy or something... but it would be odd to say yeah I'm Charlene and also Danielle. I'd like to hear other illustrator's opinions on the matter, really.

Do different influences inform the separate styles or do you think they just show different sides of your personality? Also can you name some of your influences for us?

I think it's a little bit of both? I'm quite bad at naming influences! Let's see, the one's I remember, from earlier in my youth - Ernie Chan, Boris Vallejo, J Scott Campbell, Jim Lee. Slightly later - Bruce Timm, Marc Hempel, Yoshitaka Amano, various manga artists whose names I simply do not know. Recently - Kazuma Kaneko, Patrick Nagel, Vargas, Schiele, Klimit. I say influences because these are the people whose work I actually studied in one sense or other, first by trying to copy their styles when I was a teen and later trying to understand the work and incorporate elements of that into my own. There are many other people whom I admire and numerous works that I have seen and thought 'wow that is amazing' but I either never took the time to pay particular attention to what they did or else didn't get their names.

By the way, I think I've answered this question in different incarnations several times before, and the answer is always slightly different! I don't think I'm lying, but sometimes I forget to mention someone or feel more inclined one way or another depending on when and how I'm asked!

You've managed to break into two separate illustration markets in your career, starting from scratch both times. This shows a lot of determination and tenacity, what advice would you give to new illustrators trying to get going with their careers?

Um, just keep at it? Getting a career in illustration going is tough, because it's usually a slow process. Which means that you won't be earning a lot for the first few few years. Practically, this means that you can forget about buying that dream loft you wanted since you were 15. Heck, you probably should put off even RENTING the dream loft for a good long while. Save your money if you can - use it to pay off your student debts and loans first. If you're happy living with your parents, you can save a good deal by continuing to live with them. Start figuring out how to pay your taxes - you probably won't need to pay anything if you're not making much in the first place, but it's good to know how the tax law works in your country so that you're not in for a nasty shock when you do get to the point of paying tax (Canada's cumulative tax is something like 30% on average for a single person with no children - that means for every dollar you make, you have to put aside $0.30 to give to the taxman).

I know most people say some inspirational stuff as advice for aspiring illustrators, and yes I do think that it is important to keep being creative and inspired too. But I do think that ultimately, if you want to make a living off your illustrations, you need to be able to look at your finances too and understand if this is really the thing for you. If you choose to ignore it from the start, it could easily snowball into a problem you'll not be able to solve as a freelancer - things like paying off debts, handling your credit scores, that sort of thing.

Ok, I hope I didn't make that sound too scary!

What can we expect to see from you in the future? Any particular plans for your work or big projects in the pipeline?

I wish I could say. Right now it seems like it's work, work and more work. Which isn't a bad thing, really. Although sometimes it feels like I'm batting a neverending stream of tennis balls.... the problem isn't so much batting them at breakneck speed, it's when the machine stops tossing balls at you. By that point you're so used to batting you start feeling really edgy when it stops and you start wondering when the ball machine is going to start up again, and while waiting you either pace around the court or else keep bouncing a ball anyway in anticipation. It's a bit hard to pull yourself out of it, to say right, the ball machine's done, I'm going to go do something else now and come back later.

I think every time I've named some big project I wanted to do in an interview, it ultimately got canned because something or other came up. So no, I suppose this time I don't have anything spectacular planned, you'll just have to stay tuned to see what I manage to cook up when I do get time off work!

Thanks Charlene it was really good talking to you. See more of Charlene's amazing work at www.charlenechua.com and check out her livestream at www.livestream.com/charlenechua

CHRIS WHETZEL

2010-01-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?
Well, originally I am from the very small town by the name of Mt. Solon in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I would place the population around 1500 or so. Picture tons of cows and fields in every direction. It was a great place to grow up as a child, and my brother and I had many an adventure in "the sticks." But needless to say, as I grew into a teenager I felt the urge to see what else was in the world. So I moved up to Philadelphia and went to the University of the Arts from 1999-2003. It took me a while to muster up the courage to actively pursue an illustration career, and I worked mostly non-art jobs, then in-house design and illustration jobs until 2008. That’s when I bit the bullet and said “let’s give this a shot.” And here we are, solely freelancing for a little over a year and a half.

2. How did you like your time at University of the Arts? Did you feel prepared for real world upon graduation?
Honestly, my opinion on my school experience changes depending on what mood I am in when you ask me. Well, today I am in great mood! Those formulative years at UARTs are the greatest time of my life (so far). As you can imagine, it was a very “country mouse in the city” scenario for the first few months, but I met amazing friends who really pushed me to be a better artist. UARTs is set up in a manner that all students take a “foundation year” and then three years with in a major. Now, I was pretty set on becoming a two-dimensional artist before even entering the school so a lot of the first year felt like a waste of time.
Making wooden sculptures and such were things just getting in the way of drawing cartoons. But on the other hand, that first year was when I got my first real taste of observational drawing; all of my experience up to that point was mostly drawing out of my head. And then on top of that, the illustration major really pushed drawing in the sophomore and junior years; I thoroughly enjoyed anatomy class under sculptor Sabin Howard and more observational drawing under Roger Roth. However, during that time I was not feeling that I was being prepared adequately in terms conception/ideation, and so I honestly had a rocky patch in junior and senior year with a lot of disagreement with faculty.
It really got to the point where I was doing my own thing and critiquing myself more earnestly than I felt the faculty or my fellow students were. And honestly, I was putting out garbage and I knew it. Senior year turned things around though, and I felt I had a great teacher in Megan Berkheiser. With a focus on a concept-driven portfolio, I feel I really found a good path that year. So now I see that the department’s method is to get you drawing and painting well and THEN to get your ideation technique in order. I guess I was ready to do it all at once and got impatient! In hindsight, the program does a good job of preparing students. Mark Tocchet has set up a great learning environment, and I don’t think anyone can come out of that program and say that they were not prepared with the knowledge needed to perform as a professional illustrator.
Business practice is covered extensively as well as art and concepting skills. They even have a class for seniors taught by visiting working artists like Tim O’Brien (acceptance upon portfolio review). Can it get any more “real world” than that? But I have to be honest, I didn’t take that class; I didn’t even submit my portfolio as that was during the period of time where I was being an idiot ☺
Anyway, the illustration program finishes with “Portfolio Day” at the Society of Illustrators in NYC! It’s a day of showing your portfolio to visiting art directors that students and faculty contact beforehand. That was actually where I got my first freelance gig way back in 2003. So in summation, the illustration program at UARTs teaches you how to draw and paint, how to think and conceptualize, how to run a business, and they even try to get you a job! Good stuff!
3. So, you love drawing - and it really does show! What do you think is your favorite subject matter to draw?
Ha, recently I am lacking in drawing time due to projects. But I make myself do it almost every day by saying “somebody is drawing or painting right now and getting better than you” or “(blank artist) isn’t watching tv. He is working.” That gets me up from the couch. In terms of subject matter, I love to draw the figure. And to narrow it down even more, I love to draw the female portrait. It is actually my weakest area and so I try to draw it as much as possible. But I really love to draw anything. Drawing “tech” is always a blast! By tech, I mean anything mechanical.
My girlfriend is getting her Master’s in Metal at SUNY, and I often sit in her studio drawing all sorts of mechanical stuff like compressors, and there seem to be pipes and gauges everywhere. I try to draw a broad range of everything so I have some knowledge of how things should look when I need to draw it for an illustration; its just fueling that library in your head while also working on observation skills. I also like to just experiment in drawing. Trying new materials is a fun drawing in itself regardless of the subject! Recently, I am trying to more evenly balance observational drawing and imaginative drawing; that has been really exciting! My love of drawing is a bit of a problem though. I tend to really render out my sketches for an assignment. Fellow illustrators say that it is a waste of time that I could be working on other commissions. But what can I say, I enjoy drawing them so much I want to fully realize the idea and I like having a finished drawing! I’m an addict! Financially, I’m sure this is not the best practice, but I think that extra really makes a good impression!

4. How long have you been working digitally - did you find it at all (initially) in contrast to mark making with a pencil or was it completely natural?
Well, I wouldn’t say it was “natural;” there was a definite learning curve! Hmmm, I as I stated previously, UARTs stressed drawing and painting to a point and then you sort of felt your way into the medium in which you were most comfortable. For me, that was watercolor/gouache as I had E.B. Louis (watercolorist extroardinare) for my painting class. So there I was in junior year drawing in ink and coloring with washes. Initially it worked well as I was working very realistically, but as I started to think more graphically, watercolor was just getting in the way. There I was trying to get a flat even wash when I could just fill in the color in Photoshop.
Luckily, Mark Tocchet taught a class in which one demo was to do color comps in Photoshop so I had an idea of what could be done digitally. It was at the beginning of senior year (1998) that I “went digital.” I consider in pretty much self –taught and believe me, there was a great deal of struggle that first year. Working digitally is definitely a different beast from drawing and painting. I like that I can be an absolute perfectionist in my digital work, but I still get a thrill out of a happy accident in an ink painting as well. And I honestly feel working in one makes the other stronger; everyone says working digitally needs to be built on a foundation of drawing and painting, but I feel experience in digital work can also make one a better “analog” artist.
5. Your work with Mountain Dew is awesome, you must of been psyched about getting that call! How is working on an Ad project different from an editorial one?
Ha ha! I actually thought that email was a bunch of baloney! I was sarcastically thinking “Yeah, right. I’ll bet this is totally legit.” Then it turned out it was. I actually worked with Tracy Locke Design on that project. Advertising work is SO different that editorial. The major difference it seems is that they had a concept pretty fleshed out before even contacting me; they even had mock-ups and references for me! The focus was on my “look,” and so I really enjoyed being to spend hours upon hours just really drawing my heart out. Even drawing revisions was enjoyable. That is another big difference: it seems that advertising jobs have a longer deadline that you usual editorial commission. Working with the folks at Tracy Locke was very enjoyable and pretty much effortless. I was bummed that we did not move into the last two posters of the project due to the budget being killed. But I hope to do more advertising work in the future as it’s a nice balance conceptual work. Hint hint, advertising art directors!

6. Im a really big fan of your ... almost tongue in cheek metaphors, whats your brainstorming sessions like?
Well Pete, I think that my girlfriend could answer that question better than me. I’m sure she would say something like “Chris comes up with like 20 ideas and hates them all. Then he sits and pounds his head with his fist while yelling ‘C’mon, think you idiot!’ until he comes up with ideas that he calls ‘the it.” I typically try to refuse the easy concepts and really get beyond them to the ones that make you say “Ah ha! That’s it!” You just know that one concept that really nails the essence of the commission. My typical process is to thumbnail concepts as they come to me; I also write down phrases that come to mind as I’m mulling it over. In all of this, it may seem like I’m building up a concept, but I am really boiling down to the essence of the article. The goal is to find an idea that is easily understood by a viewer and is also relatable to the viewer. I am not one of those artists who uses metaphors like “the bird represents a child and a cage represents poor education” or something like that; my goal with my illustrations is to convey the message of the article without NEEDING the article to explain it. As for the “tongue in cheek” aspect, I guess that just my personality coming through. I am a sarcastic-in-a-sweet-way kind of guy. Also, a lot of the assignments I get are about serious or non-exciting subject matter, and I try to make it fun or exciting for the viewer while still solving the problem.

7. How has your work been evolving the past few years? what direction do you see it heading? Man, that is a great question, Pete! I think its really important to be continually pushing yourself. Otherwise, you’ll get bored and burn out. Realizing you are getting close to that is very important to keeping yourself excited about this career. Personally, I find being immersed in some type of artistic community is very inspirational and makes me want to evolve. Although I consider myself a professional, I am a member of the Visual Literacy Program as a way to continue to learn and find inspiration. Faculty includes Sterling Hundley and George Pratt among other greats, and there are a ton of talented folks enrolled in the online community.
I don’t agree with everything that is taught, but I take what I need to grow as an artist, and I try to be open-minded to new techniques and approaches to making images. I also recently set up an illustration group called The Illostop Collective that consists of a blog of our work and a private discussion forum where we talk candidly about projects, experiments, influences, and anything else. I really see things like this as making me address the need to evolve simply to keep up with all the great work I keep seeing! I am actually starting to push my digital work in a direction that I think will still be similar but different as I am becoming very re-interested in painting, both traditional and digital. So I am exploring how I can take my current techniques (which I see as more of a printmaking approach) and bring in some painterly aspects and vice versa. None of this is “portfolio-ready”, but I think I may be working a bit differently in two or three years.
I am also trying to address the issue that I am always more of a fan of my sketch than of my final image, and I am trying to figure out how to bring some aspect of my initial drawing into the final art that I think is getting lost. The direction I HOPE to head in is one that successfully addresses and combines what goes on in my computer with what goes on in my sketchbooks and on my drafting table.
8. Do you have any dream clients you've yet to work with?
I was actually just thinking about that this morning. I would love to do something for Rolling Stone or Sports Illustrated. Any comic book covers would be a ton of fun as well. In thinking about it though, I though” well, what my dream job would be is to be commissioned to cover an event through drawings like they used to assign back in the day.” That would be awesome. I guess I was born about 60 years too late, though! But since we probably won’t see a time machine in the span of my life, I will have to say that my dream client is myself in that I would love to do a creator-owned project like a graphic novel or illustrated manuscript. It is slowly in the works so I guess I’m working my dream job!

9. any advice for new illustrators?
Do you mean students entering the field or folks in a similar position to myself having been in the field a short amount of time? To students, I would say start getting ready NOW. Start saving money for those mailers and your studio, and don’t be afraid to spend money!
You have to get your work in front of clients so don’t just put your work on a website and not promote! I try to add two pieces to my website every month as well as to blog about them and any other events like gallery shows or items like this interview! Also, try and talk to working illustrators and learn from them. And of course, always be working on new material to add to that website that you are actively promoting! I would say 1/2 of my job is actually making images; the rest of the time is occupied with the business of promoting, client relation, networking, and financial chores. I guess all of that can apply to new illustrators as well. An addendum would be to always be kind, courteous, and professional. ALWAYS meet the deadline, and always do your absolute best. Try to deliver more than is expected. And be gracious for any assignment, especially in this economy!

10. any advice for older / established ones?
Well, I guess I would say to be open to us new guys. Please don’t see us as beneath you or as competition. Share your knowledge, and I think folks in that class might even be able to learn a thing or two from us fresh faces. We all need to get along and depend upon each other; we need to unite as a single entity if we are going to have a voice that carries weight and can unlock stagnant budgets, protect our artwork from things like Orphan Works, and continue to provide content in a world where its very easy to license stock art or photography. None of that will happen if we don’t communicate.
Thanks Chris, It was great to hear about your practice :)
All images copyright of Chris Whetzel.
To see more of Chris' work go here: http://www.chris-whetzel.com
or here: www.chris-whetzel.blogspot.com

ROB SCHULTZ, Macworld

2010-01-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

1. where are you from and how long have you been an AD?
I was born in Chicago but spent most of my life in California. I've been art director at various publications (T3, Computer Gaming World, Macworld) for the past 10 years.

2. how was your university experience - did you feel ready for the real world upon graduating?
I went to California State University, Chico, starting out as an art major. I developed a solid foundation in art, then decided I wanted to do something that was more stable financially. At that point I changed majors and put all of my creative energy into design.
I graduated with a BA in Communication Design. In the last year of school I got an internship at a local weekly newspaper. That turned into a full time job upon my graduation. The job entailed the entire editorial design of the paper, including the covers. At this point I knew this was something I wanted to do with my career. I've been in editorial design ever since. I feel like that internship was crucial in sending me on the path I've taken in my career.

3. Macworld is an awesome, hugely read mag - how thrilled are you to be directing its visual identity?
I always look back to the time when I was in college and subscribed to Macworld after I bought my first Mac. I could not have imagined that one day I'd be the art director there. It's an honor to have the job and I love coming to work every day (... or most days at least!).

4. what are some of the key responsibilities in your day to day role?
My position is a very hands-on job. I supervise one designer and multiple illustration and photography projects every month. I'm responsible for the look and feel of all editorial content in the magazine. In conjunction with our designer, I lay out the sections and features of the mag every month.
The cover is also my responsibility -- from developing a concept with the editors, to directing the photo shoot or illustration, to designing the covers. I generally design 20-24 covers every issue before we decide on the final one.
5. you hire illustrators all the time, how does someone get your attention?
I generally discover new illustrators through postcards or emails. Once I find a style I like, I'll generally utilize that person's talent more or less regularly for for an indefinite amount of time. Send me great work, stuff that sets you apart from the next guy and you'll have a much better chance of grabbing my attention.

6. what can an illustrator do to really piss you off?
Some illustrators seem bent on illustrating their own concepts for a given assignment. Sometimes that's fine, but there instances when it isn't. If you don't cooperate then there's a good chance I won't use your services again. At least give me a sketch for the desired concept, then do another with your own idea.

7. what are your thoughts on the current state of the industry?
Print is obviously in a continued decline. A lot of magazines aren't going to make it. But it's also an exciting time to consider what is next. Could a tablet save the magazine industry? Will the web continue to evolve to and become a place where magazines can thrive. Who know. Right now I'm just thankful to have a job.

8. what are you loving about design right now?
It's been really interesting to see how the web has influenced magazine design. You can see it in magazine navigation, photography, etc. You used to see that sort of influence over print design from television. Now the web influences everything around us.
9. what magazines catch your eye / do you just have to pick up?
I've always loved Esquire. Also a big fan of Bon Appetit -- both content and design.

10. how important is down time, away from the office etc for your creativity?
It's funny, you'd think with the economy slowing down work would be the same. I'm actually as busy now as I've ever been. My free time is generally consumed by other work-related projects. Free time away from work is usually spent doing freelance projects. In the rare event I have some down time, I try to stay away from design work, enjoying time with my family. Any amount of time away does wonders in getting me recharged for when I return to my work.

11. favorite font and why?
I'm a huge fan of Helvetica. i love it's simplicity and versatility. Distant seconds include Din and Gotham.

12. any advice for new illustrators just starting out?
If it's what you love to do, commit to it and don't give up. Get your work noticed and the assignments will come.

13. any advice for those looking to get into the magazine industry?
If you want to work in magazine design, go for it. Jobs aren't nearly as plentiful now as they used to be. The key here is to make yourself more valuable to the employer. Do this by broadening your area of expertise to web design. As we move forward, more and more publishers will be hiring people that are experts in both areas. Limiting yourself to print could prove to be a huge handicap.
Check out more of Rob's great design work on his website: http://www.robschultz.net
Thanks Rob!!

2010-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

ZARA PICKEN

1. Where are you from and how long have you been illustrating?

I originally hail from England, specifically Walsall in the Wild West...erm, Midlands. I spend a quarter of my time explaining how I'm not from Birmingham, thanks to my apparently not-unlike-a-Brummie accent. I use another quarter describing where Walsall is in relation to Birmingham and a further quarter is spent wishing 'Walsall' didn't sound so much like 'Warsaw'. It is quite disappointing for all involved when my inability to speak Polish is uncovered. The remaining quarter of my time is spent illustrating. I have been illustrating since I can remember, though properly and professionally since graduating in 2008.

2. From an outsiders point of view there seems to be a healthy arts scene in Bristol and the Here Gallery is really great but what is the city like to live and work in?

Bristol is great place, full of contrasts and contradictions. You could probably walk in any direction for 20 minutes and find yourself in completely different surroundings. There are a lot of wonderful people living and working here, I'm lucky to know a few of them - being able to meet up with like-minded souls is invaluable to coping with what can otherwise be quite a solitary lifestyle. It's also helpful that Bristol is a friendly city, it doesn't feel as big and anonymous as a lot of other cities. I live right in the centre so it's easy to go elsewhere when I feel like a change of scene from a screen.

3. I think the conceptual side of your work is outstanding, can you give us an insight into your ideas generation process?

My ideas mostly emerge from my ability to talk a lot of rubbish! My husband Alex and anyone else who happens to be within a mile radius suffers as my soundboard - I read briefs aloud, ramble down various dead ends and labyrinths, make lists, bang my head against wooden furniture and consume a wide range of beverages.

I like to think I'm a visual person but I tend to generate a lot of links between words. I approach each brief as if it was a problem solving activity, looking for an eloquent answer to a question. Connections will lead me to start considering visual solutions, from the obvious to the tenuous and everything in between. I like to feel like I'm halfway there by the time I start sketching.

4. You also realise these ideas very well in the medium you use, how much experimenting did it take before you found this way of working?

It took me quite a while to find a method I could be happy working with. I actually worked in a linear style using fine line pens and pencils for a long time, even though I love colour. It was quite frustrating not being able to make my work look the way I imagined. Aside from a brief love affair with gouache, I never found a great affinity with paint. Even though I felt I could get sort-of-satisfactory results from using it, the process of creating the work brought me no great pleasure.

I then moved into experimenting with collage using blocks of colour and latched onto a more graphic approach. I tried all sorts of print making as well, finding the look of screen prints especially appealing. So referencing the basic principles of these processes combined with digital techniques, I found that using my line drawings as a framework for building up layers of colours and texture was the way forward.

5. Apart from trends in fashion what do you think it is that separates work that sells from work that doesn’t?

From an editorial perspective, I think content is key. I've always thought of illustration in terms of illumination - not lighting up something in a decorative way but rather as a means of shedding light onto the subject. A strong style is essential, of course - I don't believe people who dismiss style as unimportant or a secondary consideration. Individual style does exist and it's an essential part of voice. It is what we use to convey ideas, after all. For me, however, there has to be a good balance of the aesthetic and the conceptual. Illustration should communicate. A voice has to speak.

6. In the first few years out of university what can new illustrators expect and what do you think is expected of them?

New illustrators can expect to expect the unexpected! I don't think university fully prepares anyone for the reality of it all. It probably helps if you can let go of any preconceived romanticised notions of what it is to work as an illustrator. Initially, the chances are that you will have very little money, which is less than glamourous. Unless you consider shoes with holes in to be in vogue, of course. It's probably best not to focus too much on that aspect! You are expected to create the best work you can, enjoy it and be professional about it - ask questions, make sure you understand what is required of you and your work, meet the deadlines and work with the art director. It's not easy starting out but if it was easy then it wouldn't be worth doing.

On a positive note, I just bought a new pair of shoes.

7. What do you do outside of illustrating that inspires you and your work?

Observation is a favourite pastime - I like to stand back and watch people interacting. I love to wander around aimlessly, walk through cities or jump on a bus or train when I can, just to see what's out there. On my random travels I will occasionally purchase some old object which I will deem to be "the best thing in the world ever made" for at least a few days - collections are a passion of mine, faded objects from the 1950s always seems to capture my imagination. I also read a lot of books and seem to be working through everything Haruki Murakami has ever written at the moment! I like the surrealism of his work.

Music inspires me a lot, I have been known to create illustrations based on songs before. I'm currently a fan of Spotify and like putting together playlists to work to. I own a lot of musical instruments which don't get played as often as they would like. I'm also a bit of a technology geek - I'm usually figuring out some gadget or other. I fancy maybe making an online project this year. Of course, it has only just turned 2010 so it is possible that this ambition will fade along with my resolutions to learn Japanese, ride a unicycle and write an award-winning sitcom.

8. Who are your favourite illustrators/artists at the moment?

So many! I started a blog called Hovering Cat (http://www.hoveringcat.com) in 2008 to keep a running record of all the amazing things I see. There are more than 400 posts to date so I suppose there really are a lot of talented people around.

9. Dream client?

I've worked with some great people so far. I always love working with people and companies who are creative and open minded. I have a strong interest in ideas surrounding communication and technology, as well as relishing the challenge of more conceptual or scientific themes, so anyone who commissions something like this would be a dream client for me.

10. Any particular goals for 2010?

I try not to have anything too specific in mind - one of the things I enjoy most about doing this is not knowing what will come next. It would be exciting to have an advertising or publishing project come my way. I have also recently been working with clients outside of the UK, which brings interesting new opportunities.

Everything I did in 2009 was a pleasure, so I hope 2010 is just as good. Challenging editorial jobs are always welcome and it would be fun to complete a few personal projects along the way. I've been doing a fair amount of hand lettering work recently, I'd like to continue forward in that area.

11. Any advice for new illustrators?

Just do it (apologies to Nike).

12. Anything to say to the old one’s?

Keep doing it (no apologies to Nike).

To see more of Zara's fantastic work visit her site at http://www.zaraillustrates.com

Thanks loads Zara.