MICHAEL SIEBEN EMAIL.

This is the third and final post where I've contacted various artist I admire via email and asked them a series of questions relating to the big bad world of the industry. It's been an absolute pleasure to hear back from artists that have inspired and influenced my work and how I go about producing it. I was pretty amazed when I heard back from Michael Sieben as I thought he'd be too much of a big shot to reply but I was proved very wrong indeed. Brief background on Sieben. He's an American illustrator based in Austin that studied at the university of Texas receiving a BFA in Studio art in 1999.  Since then he has been a founding member of the Okay Mountain Gallery, set up a skateboard company and worked with Thrasher Magazine, Adidas, Toy Machine and Volcom to name just a few. Anyway, back to the "interview". 

1. How did you first get into illustration after finishing university?

I was actually doing a little bit of commercial illustration while I was still in school - doing spot illustrations for the Austin Chronicle which is the city's weekly art and entertainment paper. After graduating I just tried to do as much work as I could which basically meant doing a lot of work for free for friend's bands or small skateboard companies. I had a full time job for many years after graduating and I'd do my art stuff at night after work, which included making paintings, working on my website, making zines, organizing art shows, etc. Basically I just tried to immerse myself in art and tried to do everything I could think of to get my work seen. 

2. Other then illustrating what stuff do you do like doing?


I like skateboarding, I like to go swimming, I'm a big fan of camping, I like going to thrift stores and staring at old crap, I like reading, watching movies... normal stuff.


3. What really inspires you when coming up with ideas for your work, and do ideas come reasonably easy or do you have to rack your brain for hours on end?

I just try to keep a sketchbook around all the time so that if I think of a concept I can jot it down or make a crude sketch. Later when I'm trying to think of ideas for a painting or a commercial project I revisit my sketchbook(s) and see what's still funny or interesting to me. 

4. Its evident that you have a clear, confident working method and technique when producing your work, did you develop this "style" or did it come naturally?

My illustration style developed over many years. It was definitely a conscious decision though. I remember when I was younger, I really wanted to come up with a mode of illustration that wouldn't require me to sign my pieces. I wanted people to look at the work and know immediately who had drawn it. It took many years to get my work to the point that I felt like it was really my own and not just a mash up of my favorite artists. Patience and practice.


5. A lot of your work includes strange little characters and animals that are quite sci-fi/comic book esq looking. These are all cool themes to be illustrating giving a lot for the imagination to play with. Is this what attracts you to them?

I never made a conscious decision to draw characters, it's just what I've always drawn since I was a kid. But I like that people make connections with the characters or are able to see themselves in the work. I don't know if you get that same connection with landscapes or abstract work. 

6. When making illustrations, whats the amount of time you typically take to complete them?

Most commercial illustrations that I do (if it's just a single illustration) are finished in 1 work day. But often there's lots of time spent up front doing sketches and talking with the client. But as far as the actual drawing, that happens fairly quickly.


7. Do you prefer to work on your own or in a studio with other artists around for example with Stacy Lowery working on Roger Skateboards?

If I'm really in the thick of it (in the middle of a project) I prefer to be by myself in a quiet environment. But for projects like The Internet Shack I work with other people in a studio and I love the interaction and the sharing/morphing of ideas. So I guess I prefer to be able to work both ways depending on the project. 

8. You've worked with a lot of big names such as Adidas and Volcom. Is there any particular firm you really enjoy working for more then any other?

My favorite client is Roger Skateboards. Which isn't really a client since I co-own the company. But I love the freedom of literally being able to do anything I want to do without somebody giving me the thumbs down and telling me to try again. Roger pretty much ends up being the landing pad for all of the ideas that I know nobody else would want to touch.


9. How did you get into working with Thrasher Magazine?


In 2002 (or maybe 2003) a friend of mine told me that Ed Templeton was going to be at a Fugazi show in Austin that I was going to be attending. My buddy suggested that I bring some zines for him (since Ed's a zine collector.) I felt really weird about it since I didn't know him, but I thought I'd be stoked if some random dude gave me a bunch of zines, so I brought a handful of zines with me and gave them to Ed after the show. He brought them back to California with him and showed them to Michael Burnett (Thrasher Editor.) Burnett contacted me and I started doing some freelance work for the magazine. After about 6 months he (Burnett) called and asked if I would be interested in joining the Thrasher staff. As corny as it sounds, It was seriously a dream come true. I started reading Thrasher when I was 12 years old and the opportunity to be a part of the magazine means so much to me. I still get really stoked when I think about that phone call.

10. How has the art scene changed in America since you first became interested in creating artwork?

It's definitely gotten way bigger since I graduated from college in 1999. There are so many more artist run spaces and so many more opportunities for artists to get their work seen now then there were ten (plus) years ago.


11.. Last but not least, what advice would you give to aspiring designers/illustrators?

It's totally cliche, but be patient. For most artists it takes years before their work becomes recognizable or marketable, so use those years to practice your craft and to refine what you're doing.

KEVIN DART REPLIES.

A few weeks,perhaps even months ago I did a cheeky post on the work of Southern Californian Kevin Dart. As well as inspiring me massively with his amazing scenery and sometimes delicate character designs his animation pieces have had a huge impact in my thought process about where I want to go next with my work. Anyway to get to the point, he's emailed me back a few times over the last month chatting to me about his work and was even kind enough to check my site out. He came across as being a dead nice person and I can definitely relate to some some the answers he's given aking me feel (slightly) more normal ha.

Enjoy!

1. Starting from the beginning, how did you first get into illustration?


I’ve always been into art. My parents were super encouraging of it. When I was in elementary school I loved writing short stories and illustrating them. In middle school my best friend and I would doodle comics and video game ideas. In high school I got really into graphic design. I don’t think I realized ‘how’ I wanted to draw until I saw Samurai Jack for the first time. That was a big awakening moment for me. It made me realize that drawing was something I HAD to do. It wasn’t until several years later though that I finally felt it was something I could do for a living, and that was another big change. It’s a big thing when something goes from being your hobby to your profession.

2. Other then illustrating what stuff do you do like doing?

I really enjoy shooting and editing video. Since moving to California I’ve been doing a lot more traveling, and I really enjoy driving and learning about different places. I love museums.

3. When it comes to inspiration what kind of things do you look at? A lot of your work contains landscapes elaborate and exciting landscapes, do you use reference to real places or does it all come from the mind?

It’s a mix of everything. I love photo reference. I use tons of it. But I’m not sure I would be inspired to draw if I hadn’t seen a lot of cool things in real life. Often times what sparks the idea for a drawing is wanting to recreate a memory of some place that I’ve been. It’s usually just a feeling or a fuzzy image though, and that’s where photos come in handy for fleshing the image out.

4. Its evident that you have a clear, confident working method and technique when producing your work, did you develop this "style" or did it come naturally?

I definitely developed it. My method used to be just starting an image and then going into a rage if it didn’t turn out how I wanted. That got really tiresome and eventually I learned that I could increase my success rate if I followed certain steps. So now I always gather reference, do thumbnails, color studies, etc, before trying to paint an image. It’s made drawing a lot less stressful for me.

5. A lot of your work seems to include comic book/sci-fi esq imagery. These are all cool themes to be illustrating giving a lot for the imagination to play with. Is this what attracts you to them?

I think I’ve always been into science, and science fiction. My parents did a really good job of making learning fun when I was a kid. Besides art, I was also really into science, especially space and paleontology. I think it made my imagination really active and I still get excited about those things and like to incorporate them in my drawings.

6. Without giving too much away could you explain how you go about making your images?

My process basically goes as follows:

• Research. Gather images of location, lighting, mood, and detail reference.
• Thumbnail. I do some quick scribbly thumbnails in my sketchbook of the ideas in my head.
• Layout. Get on the computer and do a more refined drawing of the image in Photoshop.
• Color ideas. On top of my layout I do some really sloppy color ideas to get an idea of what the image will look like. I also decide on the lighting here.
• Cleaned up layout. It’s always a good idea to do another pass on the layout and refine it. I also mirror the image to check for mistakes.
• Block in final shapes. I usually start my paintings with flat shapes. It’s important to work on the image evenly, in other words don’t just focus on one area. I try to work the entire painting all at once.
• Add texture. I like picking out certain shapes that would look really cool with lots of texture on them.
• Add details. Once everything is blocked in, it’s easy to just start adding all those fun details to finish the piece off.

7. Some of my personal favorite pieces of yours are the work you did for Sym-Bionic Titan and the animation for the 08 Olympics. Do you see yourself getting involved in doing more work like this in the future?

Yes, I still plan to do background painting. I’ve been talking with Genndy about more projects he has which he wants me involved in. I also still work with Passion Pictures, who produced the Olympics spot. I enjoyed that project a lot.

8. Do you prefer to work on your own or in a studio/collaborating with other artist like with the Looks That Kill project? (which I'm dead excited about)


I definitely prefer collaborating. I get really bored with my own ideas and I need constant inspiration from other people.

9. Whats your opinion on the art industry at the moment? Is now a good time to be an illustrator?

I think this is the best time in history to be an artist. I can’t even imagine being an artist before the internet. It’s so easy now to find outlets for your work and other artists to get inspired by. Collaboration is so easy now. My friend Stephane, who does a lot of animation for me, lives in London. We’ve only met twice in person, but we’ve made 2 films together. Our music guy lives in France. My book printer is in China. But yet we’re all able to create things together. It’s really an amazing time.

10. Last but not least, what advice would you give to aspiring designers/illustrators?

Use the internet to your advantage. It’s great not only for self promotion and quick access to other artists, but also gobs of information and photos and stories which you can use in your art.
 

I looked through your portfolio and you definitely have some cool composition and design ideas in there.  It looks like you’re still trying to find your voice, as there are quite a few different styles.  Which is totally ok, when you’re a student it’s good to try lots of different styles and working methods.  The only way you will find your own voice is through lots and lots of practice and experimentation.  It takes a really long time to figure out what you want to say with your artwork, and to realize your own unique perspective on the world.  But just keep at it!  I think getting in touch with other artists is a really good idea.  Good luck with everything!


Kevin

 

JON BOAM.

Last week I decided to get in contact with the highly talented Jon Boam and asked him a few questions about his work and personal life that I was intrigued to know more about. He was kind enough to reply very quickly and in great detail. It was dead nice to know that an Illustrator in the "real world" was so down to earth and friendly. Thanks again Jon. Below is his response to my email with my questions included.


1. How did you first get into illustration?

I studied graphic art & design many years ago but became disenchanted with my own creativity and the prospect of becoming an artist/illustrator seemed very bleak. The harsh reality of living and working in the real world took hold & I did lots of different jobs for money.

In my spare time I filled sketch books and piles of paper with drawings allowing my imagination to run free - I had loads of of original artworks I never showed anyone

anyway while backpacking in Asia about 4 years ago I decided I wanted to share my drawings with people via the Internet.

my first illustration commission came from the Science Council via Chris Gray the founder/creative manager of "TOY" who found my portfolio on the Behance network.

2. Other then illustrating what stuff do you do like doing?

I love getting back to nature and walking for days on end in the mountains & woodlands, more recently my favourite thing is just hanging out & having fun with my 2 year old daughter and being a dad, I watch films when I can.

3. What really inspires you when coming up with ideas for your work, and do ideas come reasonably easy or do you have to rack your brain for hours on end?

sometime ideas do come easily other times it's an uphill struggle - ideas that exist in my mind have to make the successful transition onto paper. some ideas just can't exist in the outside world.

4. Its evident that you have a clear, confident working method and technique when producing your work, did you develop this "style" or did it come naturally?

my "style" "visual language" has developed in a fairly natural way over time - lots of experimentation and drawing.

5. A lot of your work seems to include comic book/sci-fi esq imagery. These are all cool themes to be illustrating giving a lot for the imagination to play with. Is this what attracts you to them?

I love imagining things - sci-fi/fantasy/dreamland are comfortable places my mind continues to go, but I would like to do more things based in "reality" too. The next logical step for me is comics and children's books I'm just juggling my time to try and make a proper comic at the moment.

6. When making illustrations for something like nobrow, whats the amount of time you typically take to complete them?

"Colour me Menagerie" took 2 - 3 weeks as did my sub for "A Graphic Cosmogony" NB2 & NB5 subs took 2 - 4 days this is very rough and including all the other stuff I do - daddy day care and my night job as a care worker.

mostly I spend longer on the drawing and less time on the computer colouring things in but it's hard to say how long things take since I tend to start and stop a lot.

7. Do you prefer to work on your own or in a studio with other artists around?

It would be lovely to be part of a communal artists studio - the times I have been fortunate enough to work in the company of other artists & designers I have always got good work vibes but for practical money reasons I work from home which is nice too and both have there pros & cons.

8. Whats your opinion on the art industry at the moment? Is now a good time to be an illustrator?

I think for all the time and love and skill you put into an illustration you will be disheartened by the low pay that illustration work offers, chasing people for money is a chore as is working out taxes. Don't do it for money do it for love!, you will most probably have to work in another job to pay your bills and eat.

9. Last but not least, what advice would you give to aspiring designers/illustrators?

I still have to work in a job I don't particularly enjoy to pay my rent & finding time for drawing/illustration work is a constant juggling act but my passion and drive carry me through. so yeah I would say if you are passionate enough about it you will find a way to do it and overcome the many obstacles life throws at you.

Kris I hope these answers can be of some help to you, good luck with everything

Jon.

If you like what you (which you should) see check out his work here.