Occasionally I receive random emails from students (especially, for some reason, German students) asking me searching questions about illustration. I put together this page for those eager seekers of truth.

Q: "What is your creative process, how do you create an illustration?"

And

Q: "How close are your final sketches to the final artwork?"

A: I thought the best way to answer these two questions is by showing you how I work. I took a random week and followed two jobs that I had on at that time from first contact to final artwork. One job is an editorial piece the second is an advertising job.

The first Job was done for the New York Times book review. Just to confuse matters the art director who commissioned me is the venerable Nicholas Blechmen. I have labeled our discourse as between Nick One and Nick Two. I should add that not only is Nick One a real gent and a talented artist in his own right, this is a textbook example of good art direction.

Nick One contacted me on Monday afternoon to ask if I would have time to do a small illustration. It would accompany the review of a book written about "the economy of sushi". I replied straight away and told him that I could do it. He sent through the article, the size, the fee, the due date and told me to have fun!

First thing Tuesday morning I read through the article once to get a feel for the piece and the tone of the writing. Then I sat down and reread the article more closely identifying the parts that already suggest imagery and identifying the articles most important point: that eating sushi is a "key indicator of modernization, a signifier of participation in the globalised economy".

Sometimes if I am stuck with a particularly dense or complicated piece of text I will try and boil the article down to a single word or phrase and illustrate that. Here are the ideas that I came up with...Roll over the images on the right to see larger versions of the sketches supplied to the client.

Nick One wrote back a very encouraging email:

"These all look great.

My favorites are:

Segments of globe as sashimi
Slice of sea on sushi block
World as tuna roll
(And I also kind of like fish skeleton as yen)

Which do you prefer?"

I sat down and looked over the ideas again and tried to evaluate them a little more objectively. Here is my reply:

"I like the globe sashimi, because it succinctly sums up the main idea behind the book. The world as a tuna roll I like for the same reason, but it is either a little more direct and or a bit too obvious (depending on your point of view). The trawler would be fun to draw but is a bit surreal and perhaps not readily apparent what the link to the story will be to a casual viewer (I don't know if this is an important point or not). The yen might be a stretch to make it look good as you have to squeeze a yen sign into a skeleton shape, also as I write this it occurs to me that it may be misinterpreted that the book is about the demise of the Japanese economy. I think the globe sashimi wins out? Let me know your thoughts."

His reply:

"Agreed, the sashimi is perfect.
Look forward to the finish.
Thanks."

I sent the sketch over to Nick One first thing Wednesday morning, asking if he had any colour preferences. He wrote back that he had no preferences on the colour but to bear in mind that their presses cannot hold more than a 250% combination of inks (in other words, no area should be so dark that the combination of cyan, magenta, yellow an black is above 250%). He also said that the sketch was looking good.

Now all I had to do is sit down and produce a more final sketch. I wanted to make the sushi resemble a Homolosine globe because it made more sense to me that if a globe were spread it out as sushi, it would look more like a Homolosine globe than an orange segment shaped globe. So I had to go away and find a good reference for that. Also I needed to get sushi references to make sure I got the Toro right.

The one artistic license is the band of seaweed wrapped around the sushi. You don’t usually do this with Tuna, but it worked so well as an equator line and it really helped identify the objects as sushi that I included it.

Now that I had his approval on the final rough I was free to go to final.
I managed to get the art over to Nick One by Wednesday evening.

The second job was for a large high end Canadian Menswear retailer. They wanted a picture to help advertise their upcoming summer sale.

To gauge what was expected of me I asked the Art Director, Bob, a couple of questions: why he had thought of me for this job? And did he have any specific directions for me?

He told me that he had seen some self initiated work I had done on how New Yorkers dress. He had liked the work and felt it had the appropriate style and feel of what he was looking for this project. He had actually mocked up a poster using this work and shown it to his client, who had also liked it.

Bob said that he had no specific directions, but reminded me that because the pictures were for a summer sale the pictures should have a summery feel. He also said it was important that the end art possess a sophistication consistent with the brand.

The next day I sent over a few very loose idea sketches along with a brief message saying that Bob was welcome to get in touch if he wanted to discuss any idea in more depth. I also suggested that because time had become of the essence we try and narrow down to a final image as quickly as possible and because each final sketch takes me a long time to get right, could we limit the next round to no more than three ideas at the most? This would allow me to concentrate on giving a single well defined and clear sketch rather than stretching myself thin trying to do three sketches.

As you can see the idea sketches are very loose.

I try to separate the drawing and idea-making process out from each other. At first I concentrate on the conceptual side of the picture and not the drawing side. This helps because if I come up with an idea that contains a composition or an element that I would really like to draw, for example a Chinese junk or an octopus, I tend to spend more time on the aesthetics of those elements rather than the concept. These elements can upstage the idea and make a weak illustration. The works I have been most satisfied with are the pieces that contain a strong idea first and an appealing aesthetic second. It is also more challenging to come up with an idea first and then try to work out the best way to make that idea work visually. It helps keep the work interesting.

I draw out these idea sketches very quickly, keeping them very basic, this way the art director has a chance to look at them and evaluate them for exactly what they are: ideas. When rendered so crudely it becomes immediately apparent what works or does not work. Not taking much time to think out how the ideas will work visually allows you to focus on why they might work conceptually.

These basic sketches are very disposable. You can be very free and flexible with ideas and throw out a lot of different unusual directions. Perhaps the art director will respond to a new previously unseen direction. Or not. Sometimes these sketches allow me to get the ball rolling with a project only to discover I am thinking about the project in a very different way from the art director. But again, because these are so loose not a lot of time has been wasted and we can quickly work out how to get back on track and address our differences.

Another good reason for not getting caught up in the intricacies of a drawing in the early stages of a job is that the Art Director may well choose another idea or ask for drastic revisions, rendering your passionate rendering obsolete.

Anyway, Bob replied that he really liked the ideas and that he had sent them over to the client with his recommendations.

On Friday I heard back:

Good news! (Maybe bad news in terms of your workload). We were planning on only doing one illustration but the client likes this style so much they are thinking of commissioning two or three! Lets proceed to a more comprehensive sketch on:

The kite sketch
The hammock sketch
The man dozing in the boat

I spent a frantic Friday and Saturday putting together better sketches and sent them over Saturday evening. I should mention that I rarely work weekends, it is important to me that I take time off to have a life outside of work. Of course sometimes, as in this case, it just can’t be helped.

Bob also gave me the deadline. The hammock was due on Friday.

Then both the boat and kite were due next Friday. Because I had to produce the last round of sketches in a hurry, I wanted to go back and spend a bit more time on the sketches. These adverts were for a men’s clothing retailer and I wanted to really focus on the clothes, emphasizing the drape and cut of the suits. I wanted to try and imply that the men in the pictures were feeling relaxed as an extension of their clothes, as if wearing a "relaxed fit" actually made you feel relaxed. So I redrew the hammock picture again and sent it over with a note that that this was the real final sketch and Bob could feel free to put it into a layout, as it will not significantly deviate from the final art.

Bob soon wrote back with actual size layouts for me to look over. He had discovered that because the ad sizes had changed slightly from previous insertions I needed to add a bit more background detail, which he marked in red.

Now that I had all the information I needed and everyone was happy with what I was going to do. All that was left was for me to settle down and actually do the work.

First I had to lay in provisions and I nipped round to the library to stock up on some books on tape (not actually tapes anymore) to keep me company while I hermit away at my desk and a pound of espresso coffee to keep me eager.

By Thursday I sent the first image off. Bob was very enthusiastic when he saw it and was excited to see the next two. He even suggested having some posters made up for the flagship store. This was great news. Next I redrew the boat image and sent it over. Once that was approved there was nothing left to stop me and I had the next two posters over by the following Friday.

Bob very graciously called me up to tell me personally how happy he was with the final art. He sent over copies of the final posters when they were ready.

Q: "How do you get your ideas?” or “Where do you get your inspiration from?"

A. This is the question I get asked the most often (after "is that normal?").

There is no formula for having ideas or feeling inspired. The best suggestion I can give is to always have one ear and one eye open to what is going on around you. Be receptive to new ideas and reconsider old ones. The only guarantee I can give about inspiration is that it will strike at the most inopportune of moments. In the meantime, while you are waiting for inspiration to strike, there are a few things you can do to help you bide the time:

Read lots
As an illustrator you will nearly always be asked to put pictures to another person’s words. It is a good thing to be able to assess the quality of those words and the ideas they contain. Being an illustrator is more rewarding if you can be articulate when discussing work and exchanging ideas. Feel free to send me book recommendations, as they are always welcome.

Look at other people's work
I admire the work of Eric Fraser, The Steinberg Brothers, Earl Oliver Hurst, Thoreau McDonald, Tom Friedman, Margaret Kilgallen, Anthony Valonis and Ivor Cutler. Looking at their work makes me feel good. It makes me want to pick up a brush and recreate that good feeling when I look at my own work. This gives me a reason to keep going.

Cultivate interests
Be it handlebar mustaches, gingham appreciation or chubacabra sightings. Pursue anything that you find intriguing. This serves two purposes, firstly you can bring these interests into your work, this will help you infuse your work with a sense of personality and make the work your own. Secondly your interest in breeding pangolins or playing the William Tell overture on your teeth will keep you going through spartan work times.

However, the single best piece of advice I can offer about finding inspiration is to travel independently as much as you possibly can. Traveling is the best way there is to expose yourself to new experiences and unexpected situations. It will make you look at the world anew and find the unusual in the usual.

Q: "How do you do your art, do you use a vectorisaztion PC25678 bobble weasel-encoding algorithm?"

A: I don’t even know what that is. My preferred medium is a small sable paintbrush. I will paint on anything, but if I am being posh I use Strathmore hot press illustration board. I use French Flashe Acrylic paints and CelVinyl Acrylic if I can get hold of them otherwise it’s whatever I can lay my hands on as I frantically rush round hoovering art materials into my basket because I arrived just as the store was closing and had to plead to be allowed inside.

If I am in grumpily pressed into service for a tight deadline I will ink out a drawing using Dr Martins then correct the numerous mistakes with turner gouache, scan and colour it on the computer using a wacom graphics tablet and Photoshop. This isn’t as much fun as painting but you don’t get paint in your hair and on the cat.

Using good materials will help in the execution and presentation of your work. However, it will not replace the actual work itself. The important thing is to try and cultivate an ability to express your thoughts in such a way that other people can understand what you are trying to say, and then it won’t matter if you are using a brush, a mouse or a squishy banana.

Q: "Do you work at home, isn’t it hard being alone in a small darkened room muttering to yourself all day, day after day?"

A: This is a personal choice. Some people love it; some people can’t stand it. Most of my time is spent rinsing out paint encrusted mixing bowls and staring blankly out the window. This drives some people batty but I enjoy being an illustrator for exactly the same reasons.

Q: "Do I still need an actual portfolio now we have the Internet and flying cars?"

A: Although I rarely use my leather bound portfolio, most of my work is sent electronically as a PDF folio (by request only), I cannot imagine not having a real life portfolio. Somehow giving a PowerPoint presentation is just not the same as showing a book of work. It allows you to present examples of your work, as you would like them to be seen. It allows the client to better evaluate your abilities and determine if you will be suitable for the job at hand. In my mind the end product is not my submitted artwork, but the printed image. As such I feel I should present my work as printed pieces.

Q: "How long does it generally take you to complete a piece?"

A: This depends on the deadline. A Newspaper editorial piece often needs to be turned around the same day or overnight but a book cover can take up to a month. The biggest variable is the amount of coffee involved. The more important issue is in scheduling jobs. I won't, and often don't accept a job if I feel that by accepting it I would compromise the quality of another commission because I have to rush through it. This is not fair to either client. I try to work on a first come first served basis.

Q: "What led you to develop your style?"
And
Q: "How long did it take you to develop your current style and grow confident with it?"

A: Essentially it took years of eviscerating dissatisfaction with everything I did to develop my style. While this process did little for my confidence, especially as a disco dancer, it did help me to push myself to become a better draughtsman (draughtsperson?) and painter. I drew and painted day in and day out for years and years. I think developing a style comes down to practice. Producing a high volume of work makes you refine your ideas, your aesthetic choices and improves brush dexterity.

It takes time for everything to ferment and percolate. It can't be forced and is something that will evolve organically over time. It just takes as long as it takes. I still don't think of myself as having a definitive style, it is evolving all the time. I think life would be quite boring if you had to have the same food for the rest of your life and it's much the same with how you work, it fluctuates with your tastes and fancies. Personally I am a big believer in voluntary simplicity and try to discard everything that is unnecessary in my daily life. I think this has a lot to do with how my work looks.

Q: "Do you have any advice for up and coming illustrators when it comes to dealing with clients and art directors?"

A: Be adaptable and have no ego.

Q: "I noticed that you have agents in both America and Britain. Is having an agent beneficial?"

A: I like working with agents because:

It gives me more freedom to move anywhere I like without worrying about being plugged into one particular place. This is really important to me.
Agents handle all the invoicing and money chasing. This frees me up to have more time to be creative which is what I really enjoy.
They have many more client relationships than I would ever have because they represent illustrators of all different persuasions. This means a wider audience will see my work than if I was promoting myself independently.
If you find someone you respect and trust together you can push each other into places you would not be able to go alone.
By pooling resources with other illustrators the agency can afford to produce more memorable promotional items like brochures or illustrated zeppelins.
They act as second (or even a third) set of eyes when evaluating what makes an illustration successful (or problematic). They can also be a great arbitrator for sticky contractual problems.
It makes life not so lonely.

Q: "Do you have a specific market (advertising, books, editorial, etc.) that you most enjoy working for?"

A: An enjoyable job depends less on the market than the art director or client you are working for. A good art director can make the most routine or unappealing job into something special. At the same time I will turn away work for political or ethical purposes, irrespective of the art director.

Q: "How do your promote your work in the industry?"

A: I enter all the usual competitions and send out brochures and direct postcard mailers through my agent, but I think a lot of work comes from simply being seen.

Q: "What's the hardest thing about being an illustrator?"

A: There are four things:

You need a 3-5 month float to stay alive while waiting to get paid. I recommend growing your own food. I grow spinach and rhubarb.
Staying engaged and motivated in a job no matter what.
Meeting the deadline! If you don't think you can meet the deadline, don't take the job on.
Cleaning all those ruffled curtains in Xanadu.

Q: "What is your opinion about the current illustration market?"

A: The computer has allowed a great many more people to become illustrators today than 20 years ago. However, there has not been a corresponding rise in available jobs. This means there are many more illustrators competing for the same or even less amount of work as before. As a result standards have both been elevated and diluted. On the one hand a great deal more creative freedom may be awarded to an illustrator who is no longer seen as merely someone to create a decorative image but as an artist in his or her own right. The flip side is that some designers regard illustration as a second tier alternative to stock photography.

Q: "You mention you try not to work weekends. Is this because you see Illustration simply as your job?"

A: I try not to work on weekends because I want to spend time with my wife. Also taking time away from the drawing board helps keep some perspective on my life. Working alone at home with no one to assess or critique you it is very easy to get caught up in your own self-importance/despair. My wife works in oncology research. She is literally curing cancer while I essentially draw pretty pictures for a living. If she can take the weekend off, then I certainly can.

Q: "Do you like peanut butter and chocolate sandwiches?"

A: No, I am a marmite man. However, my wife loves eating peanut butter and chocolate. But it has to be wholefoods own ground peanut butter scooped up with dark chocolate, which is the food snob version. However, when she gets drunk she will eat Reeses Peanut Butter cups.