By Kagan McLeod
If you have a degree in what field is it? I don’t have a degree, but studied illustration at Sheridan College.
Have you always been able to draw or was it a skill you learned in college? I’m told my first art project involved the contents of my diaper. My dad was a staff newspaper illustrator in the 1980s, so I’ve always drawn and been around drawing. Definitely honed my skill in college, though.
What was your first paid assignment? My first major assignment was a Michael Jordan portrait for a book review in Canada’s Globe and Mail. It was due on a Tuesday and I couldn’t get a sketch in on Friday, so I went to final over the weekend without showing the art director a sketch. I was worried about not having enough time on Monday. I phoned her from a pay phone outside the newsroom, with the painting in my hand, and she wasn’t pleased. I was warned never to do it again, but thankfully she loved the piece and played it really large.
Which illustrator (or fine artist) do you most admire? David Downton.
What would you be doing if you weren’t an illustrator? Probably writing, but I’d hate to write without drawing along with it.
From where do your best ideas originate? I really have the most fun drawing people. Observing and mentally recording little subtleties that could help add to the believability of an illustration is something I always try and do. I wish I could befriend every interesting person I see if only to draw them later.
How do you overcome a creative block? Lie down on the couch, psychiatrist-style, and think up three ideas for whatever I’m trying to do. Looks like napping, but it’s work.
In one word describe how you feel when beginning a new assignment? Optimistic.
Do you have a personal philosophy? I like to think that one’s skill level never peaks; that there will always be room to do something better. I’m having fun now, but look forward to seeing what I'll be doing as an old man.
Do you have creative pursuits other than illustration? I have comic book projects of my own. I’m nearing completion of a 400-page martial arts-themed book in the style of 1970’s kung fu movies. After that’s done, I want to try something historical. Even though they take so damn long, comics are the perfect outlet because I like to write and draw. I also like hip hop karaoke.
What music are you listening to right now? Donovan for mellow and for the opposite, a rapper named Bumpy Knuckles.
What's your favorite quote? Almost everything written by David Apatoff.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Never try to write an assignment off as something just for money, the goal should always be a portfolio piece (if not an award winner). Of course it doesn’t always happen, but I think it’s worth thinking that way from the start. Bad pieces can come back to haunt you on the Internet! Also, people skills are more useful than you think for someone who works alone at home. Art directors float around within the field and someone who hired you at one place could be your ticket to getting hired at another. It’s good to build relationships early and establish trust in the quality of your work and the fact that you deliver on-time.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? Every project in school was a three-week assignment, and there were never more than two or three going at a time. Kind of a joke compared to some of the things that were asked of me as a professional, especially working in newspaper. Juggling assignments and adjusting techniques to fit the time available is an art in itself.
Have you always been able to draw or was it a skill you learned in college? I’m told my first art project involved the contents of my diaper. My dad was a staff newspaper illustrator in the 1980s, so I’ve always drawn and been around drawing. Definitely honed my skill in college, though.
What was your first paid assignment? My first major assignment was a Michael Jordan portrait for a book review in Canada’s Globe and Mail. It was due on a Tuesday and I couldn’t get a sketch in on Friday, so I went to final over the weekend without showing the art director a sketch. I was worried about not having enough time on Monday. I phoned her from a pay phone outside the newsroom, with the painting in my hand, and she wasn’t pleased. I was warned never to do it again, but thankfully she loved the piece and played it really large.
Which illustrator (or fine artist) do you most admire? David Downton.
What would you be doing if you weren’t an illustrator? Probably writing, but I’d hate to write without drawing along with it.
From where do your best ideas originate? I really have the most fun drawing people. Observing and mentally recording little subtleties that could help add to the believability of an illustration is something I always try and do. I wish I could befriend every interesting person I see if only to draw them later.
How do you overcome a creative block? Lie down on the couch, psychiatrist-style, and think up three ideas for whatever I’m trying to do. Looks like napping, but it’s work.
In one word describe how you feel when beginning a new assignment? Optimistic.
Do you have a personal philosophy? I like to think that one’s skill level never peaks; that there will always be room to do something better. I’m having fun now, but look forward to seeing what I'll be doing as an old man.
Do you have creative pursuits other than illustration? I have comic book projects of my own. I’m nearing completion of a 400-page martial arts-themed book in the style of 1970’s kung fu movies. After that’s done, I want to try something historical. Even though they take so damn long, comics are the perfect outlet because I like to write and draw. I also like hip hop karaoke.
What music are you listening to right now? Donovan for mellow and for the opposite, a rapper named Bumpy Knuckles.
What's your favorite quote? Almost everything written by David Apatoff.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Never try to write an assignment off as something just for money, the goal should always be a portfolio piece (if not an award winner). Of course it doesn’t always happen, but I think it’s worth thinking that way from the start. Bad pieces can come back to haunt you on the Internet! Also, people skills are more useful than you think for someone who works alone at home. Art directors float around within the field and someone who hired you at one place could be your ticket to getting hired at another. It’s good to build relationships early and establish trust in the quality of your work and the fact that you deliver on-time.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? Every project in school was a three-week assignment, and there were never more than two or three going at a time. Kind of a joke compared to some of the things that were asked of me as a professional, especially working in newspaper. Juggling assignments and adjusting techniques to fit the time available is an art in itself.
