http://www.danielmackie.co.uk

As well as the cover art for widespread publication ‘change the world 9 to 5′

We have been kindly given a taste of Rod’s retro styled isometric work along with a bit of background and some great advice for up and coming artists.
Rod stresses the importance of knowing your rights as a working artist, along with the need to just get out there and show your stuff to the world.

So without further ado, the much appreciated and insightful interview with Mr Rod Hunt!

DT: Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and where are you living now?
RH: I’m a London based Illustrator/designer who has built a reputation for retro tinged Illustrations & detailed character filled landscapes with UK & international clients in publishing, design, advertising & new media, for everything from book covers to advertising campaigns, & even the odd large scale installation too!

Some of my many clients include Barclays, BBC, Computer Arts Magazine, Dorling Kindersley, The Economist, FHM, Maxim, The Observer, Orange & Vodafone

Originally I was from rural town of Bridport, in the country of Dorset, UK. For the last 12 years I’ve lived in Greenwich, London.

I’m also currently Deputy Chairman of UK The Association of Illustrators. The AOI was established in 1973 to advance and protect illustrator’s rights and encourage professional standards

http://www.theaoi.com

DT: When did you realise you wanted to work as an artist full time?

RH: I was always a prolific drawer as a kid, but didn’t consider art as a career until I was 17. Originally I was planning on pursuing Biochemistry & horticulture, & was studying towards that. I thought studying art was just for fun. But the realisation grew on me that I wasn’t really enjoying it [bio/horticulture] any more & as I spent all my time drawing, art college beckoned.

After a one year foundation course at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art & Design, I studied Illustration at Anglia Polytechnic University (now Anglia Ruskin University), Cambridge.

I became a full time illustrator in 1996 when I decided to move to London to be closer to potential clients. These were the days before the internet was prevalent, so the only way to show clients work was to post out sample postcards or take your
portfolio to them! Before that I spent the 2 years in Nottingham working on my portfolio & learning about the industry. My work today is very different to how it used to be then, as I used to paint my work in acrylics.

DT: What people places or things inspire you?

RH:I draw much of my inspiration from humour, retro graphics & contemporary culture. Comics were my big love as a kid, especially 2000AD/Judge Dredd, & that fired my imagination & inspired me to draw.

Things that inspire me, in no particular order:
Edward Hopper
comics
2000AD/Judge Dredd
pulp fiction covers
sci-fi
Terry Gilliam
Tim Burton
robot toys
retro 50′s/60′s/70′s advertising & graphics
architecture
animation
film
Mad magazine

DT: What are your most used ‘tools of the trade’?

RH:All my work is produced digitally, but before I go near the computer I start doodling ideas and compositions in an A5 sketchbook with a pencil or biro. These are very quick and throwaway. Once I worked out the rough idea and composition & gathered any visual reference I might need, I work on a larger finished pencil drawing, which I then use as a guide for drawing the final artwork with a graphics tablet in Adobe Illustrator.

DT: What are you working on at the moment?

RH:I’m currently working on the visitors site map for one of the UK’s main theme parks, & also illustrating a whole book for a major BBC TV show.

DT: Could you explain the inspiration between ‘dreams and nightmares’?

RH:The piece Dreams & Nightmares was an illustrated Shin Tanaka paper sculpture the InkThis exhibition of the same name. I wanted to have the piece being like a mixed up dream, with threats hiding in the shadows. Like a child in their bedroom at night in the dark with only their teddy bear to protect them.

DT: What has been your favourite commission to date?

RH:My favourite commissions have been the cover for the best selling environmental book Change The World 9 to 5 by We Are What We Do & the interactive environmental display for the Lightbox Museum & Gallery in Woking, UK. The Lightbox display was particularly challenging due to it’s complexity & scale.

DT: What’s the best and worst parts of being a full time, working designer?

RH:The best parts are getting that unexpected enquiry to work on a great commission. Being freelance means that you don’t usually know what’s coming week to week, so the next project enquiry could be a big surprise! Also I like being in charge of my own destiny & career.

The worst parts are when the phone doesn’t ring for a few weeks, & also the increasing amount of unreasonable contracts & copyright grabs from some clients that I have to deal with.

DT: Any advice to up and coming artists/designers?

RH: Get out there and get your work seen by as many people as possible. You should never be afraid to show people your work. You maybe the best designer/illustrator in the world, but if no one sees your work, you won’t get commissioned

I’d recommend joining the UK Association of Illustrators (AOI). http://www.theaoi.com (or a similar organization elsewhere). They’re constantly campaigning to protect all illustrator’s rights, and if you need advice on pricing commissions, contracts, promotion, etc, it really pays to get help from the experts.

Maintain control over your Copyright in your Illustrations. There are very few occasions that clients need to own the Copyright in your work. Your body of work is your livelihood, and you should be entitled to the financial benefits of your talent and hard work.

A huge thanks to Rod for showing us some of his work and also for the words of wisdom!

www.rodhunt.com/

I’m very happy to finally present to you some Aussie talent, we’ve gone far too long without a little creative input from home.

“Huynh’s experimental graphic novels span a diverse variety of genres from surrealist fantasy to polemical essays, dramas and autobiography. His inky, energetic brushwork has appeared on everything from magazines and prints to clothing, accessories, health resources, tattoos, film, performance projections, vinyl toys and dolls. When he’s not at the drawing table, he can be found conducting instructional workshops, public presentations, exhibitions and live art demonstrations as a member of Popperbox artists’ collective.”
(via Matt Huynh Bio) 

Midnight Morning is a limited and handcrafted publication combining the distinct work of Haline Ly, Matt Huynh and Will Loeng in a new and never-before-seen illustration series celebrating shared experiences of love and devastation.

Matt Huynh is a self taught Sydney based comic creator and illustrator; already an old hand at all in the field of visual arts, from editorial work to advertising, visualising to toys, tattoos, to publishing and graphic novels. You name it, Matt’s done it. Huynh’s work is imaginative and emotive but clearly expressed through his fine detail and a clever use of colour, dull or vibrant where appropriate

 Because of Huynh’s wide range of work, he is given the freedom of constant varitation in what he does and what he’s working on. Keeping his work fresh and creative; a typical day will always include the following:
“drawing, writing, creating somewhere between scheming and dilly-dallying.”

Matt’s inspiration for his stunning work comes not only from the likes of artists such as Yuko Shimizu, Paul Pope, Jillian Tamaki and Suiho Tagawa, but like many visual artists, it’s also Matt’s own life that impacts his thinking. “I love my home, my loved ones, a continual source of surprise and inspiration..I love space and quiet.. 0r the sound of pebbles and schloppy mud under my boots.”

Under the microscope is ‘Popperbox‘

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ10vPiNUo

“I was one of seven odd artists who joined together to paint up a huge wall over two consecutive days.
It was a chance for a lot of artists who long admired each others work to be thrown into the deep end and see whether we could work together.
Luckily we got on like a house on fire and hit it off.
We used everything from chalk to spraypaint, housepaint and poscas to create a time-lapse video of our work.
It was performed in a warehouse that was sometimes used as a boxing training gym.”

Currently, Matt is working on a new graphic novel! “a large undertaking.” to would be artists and illustrators Matt offers this nice quote.. and sound words of advice.
“Reach beyond your grasp.”
Though this of course could be applied to all of life’s situations.

A huge thanks to Matt for sharing with us some of his work and for agreeing to this interview! all the best for the new graphic novel! Hope to see it soon.

http://www.matthuynh.com

more..

I have recently been in touch with Russian artist Ilya Kazakov; and was delighted when he agreed to an interview and allowing me to show some of his work.
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Unfortunately we hit a road block as there was a bit of a language barrier, (remind me to learn Russian next time I’ve got a spare moment) nevertheless, It would be a shame not to show some of Ilya’s amazing work – and besides, the quality speaks for itself!

So without further ado, the (far too short) interview with Ilya Kazakov -
Now living in Moscow, Kazakov was born in the Northern Russian town of Pokrovsk.
After studying fine design at college, Ilyas began works as web designer and illustrator, though has been sketching from early childhood and still does in his spare time – he likes to work mostly in photoshop but always has pencil and sketchbook handy.

I was originally interested in Ilyas’ work “Risunki” which he informed in English is simply ‘Pictures’ (my first Russian word! learning already..) I loved the quirky, carefree originality of these pieces, an underlying message present but not easily translated.

Ilya’s work seems to be plucked straight from the deepest pits of his own  imagination, and he has gladly shown us an insight. A roller coaster of weird and wonderful, Ilyas seems to never settle on the same subject drawing what his imagination see..

..If you are ever in need of a dose of inspiration, check out the rest of Ilya’S ‘Risunki’ its bound to spark something!

You MUST check out the rest of Ilya’s work, there is a large collection at

http://www.behance.net/ilyaz

and his direct blog (in Russian) can be viewed at
http://www.ilyas.ru

спасибо Ilya!

Swedish Illustrator, Mattias Adolfsson has kindly allowed us to show some of his impressive work from a series called ‘architecture.’ Adolfsson’s unique style is largely imaginative (though he does traditional works as well) and has the ability to stir memories and emotions like something straight out of a childhood dream. His sketches explore the bizarre and the dreamlike in a beautiful, intricate cartoonish way, infused with care and precision. Adolfsson can also boast one of the most popular sketch blogs on the net and has travelled the world with his work – His last exhibit in downtown Melbourne!

Thanks for agreeing to this interview Mattias, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Mattias Adolfsson I’m a 43 year old Illustrator living in a town called Sigtuna just outside of Stockholm Sweden. I moved here a year ago after living in Gothenburg for 18 years.

At what age did you begin illustrating? And when did it become a profession?
I’ve been Illustrating almost all my life but didn’t take it up as a professions until last year (the same time as I left Gothenburg. I’ve been working with computer games and 3D animation ever since I took my Masters at fine Design.

What people (artist or otherwise), places or things inspire you?
There is a lot of wonderful artists out there, but I tend to try not to be too much inspired by other artists (that takes away parts of the enjoyment in watching them). I get a lot of inspiration while moving about, walking or running, while reading or listening to music.

Are you professionally trained or were you self taught?
I majored in graphic design, in that education there was some tutoring in Illustration but not very much. Most of my drawing skills are self taught, that goes for my skills in 3d Animation as well.

What are your most used ‘tools of the trade’ (i.e markers, pens, etc)
I draw with a fountain pen (a namiki Falcon) and use watercolors for coloring, To be frank this is what I always use.

What are you working on at the moment?
I just started a course in comic creations, I have to start doing much more print. Apart from that I’m working on some children’s books projects and some freelance commision stuff

I’m particularly interested in your ‘architecture’ pieces, what inspired these?
Prior to studying Graphic design I went to an Architecture school (for two years). I always loved classic buildings and have been drawing them since starting studying.

What are your other interests beside art?
I’m very interested in Science, technology and history as part from music and films.

What’s the best and worst parts of being a full time, working artist?
The worst thing of course is the unsecurity and uneven cash flow at times. The best is the freedom, the ability to steer your own time.

Any advice to up and coming artists?
Make the most of your time at art school and take all possibilties you can take to spend some of it abroad (if possible). I often feel I didn’t make the most of my time studying.

Thanks Mattias for taking the time out to answer our questions- It’s much appreciated and an inspiration to us all!

Visit Mattias’ site here: http://www.mattiasadolfsson.se/

and also his blog here: http://mattiasa.blogspot.com/