How did you get started in illustration? I got started in illustration long before I knew it. Because of the narrative quality of my fine art, editors, publishers and authors would occasionally approach me to use an image of my work for a book cover or an editorial piece. In the beginning, I was happy to offer illustrations to anyone who wanted to use them, free of charge. Then it dawned on me that most of those people had budgets for their projects.
What personal experiences or circumstances have most influenced your work or style? Though people often think my work has a melancholy, moonlit quality, the “late afternoon on a sunny fall day” backdrop is what I strive for—when colors pop, shadows stretch into the distance and everything has a dark, mysterious side but is held in suspension between day and night. I saw it when I rode a bike on the Playa at Burning Man, as the sun began to set behind the mountains—one of the most satisfyingly peaceful settings I’ve experienced.
How do you prepare for an assignment before you set pencil to paper? My process is to first avoid the project at all costs; then to gradually ruminate on the general theme of the assignment in places like the shower and car where sketching is completely out of the question; then to get out the sketchbook while still in bed in the morning so that—if it all becomes too overwhelming—I can go back to sleep; and then to reluctantly, but with a growing sense of confidence, throw myself behind the project and become consumed by it. For projects with a shorter timeline, I panic, scramble and then work like mad.
You seem to love black and red. What draws you to those colors? Black and red work great together. I started out with black, then gradually added red, then came across Edward Gorey’s work and was convinced I had made the right decision.
What’s your biggest challenge as an illustrator? The biggest challenge is marketing. I’ve been lucky in the past few years to have had my work published in major illustration annuals such as Communication Arts and American Illustration, and I’ve gotten some really choice jobs through the resulting exposure. But you have to get published so that you can enter the competitions. The Jonathan Franzen book cover really helped to get my work into those publications initially. I unfortunately had to turn down a Murakami book cover in the United Kingdom recently because of a bike accident that rendered me temporarily disabled... that project could have really helped to stir up new interest.
What are some of the unique opportunities of editorial illustration? What are the limitations? Editorial illustration is unique in that the assignments are more often intellectual in nature. They really get me to think, without requiring me to incorporate a product as the centerpiece of the project. But editorial assignments can be limiting because they are often one-offs. In other words, you create the illustration for the article or whatever, and then you’re done.
What inspires you lately? I was recently inspired by Guy Billout’s work. He manages to convey his message in the simplest of terms, yet his illustrations are always so compelling. I connect with his attention to detail and identify with his statement that he sees himself as a “lonely craftsman.”
What would be your dream assignment? My dream assignment would be a children’s book for adults in which I could develop a series of illustrations based on some of the motifs that I use in my fine art, especially the theme of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I could have a lot of fun with that one.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Enter as many competitions as possible. Though there’s often a fee to enter, the payoff can be manyfold if you get in.
