Interview with Jack Lawrence

Jack Lawrence self drawn portrait

 

I have the luck to interview freelance/comic artist Jack Lawrence. Here is the interview below.

1. Hello Jack Lawrence, can you brief describe yourself and what you do as an artist career

I describe myself as a geek hobbit! I'm 39, short and love most geeky stuff. Career-wise, I'm mainly a comic artist, but I'm a freelancer, so I take on whatever comes my way really!

2.What is your media of choice when it comes to your work?

Definitely a mix of traditional and digital. I draw everything in pencil, then ink. From there it goes into the scanner to be coloured on Photoshop.

3.What is your education background?

I did a year BTEC First at Canterbury technical college, then two years BTEC National at what was then KIAD at Canterbury (Now UCA). When it became clear it was going to be pretty much impossible to find someone to teach me the art of creating comics, I left education to train myself. That was 20 years ago.

4.How has your practice change over time?

It actually hasn't really changed from when I started out as a freelancer. The system works, so why fix it? Added to that, I found modest success as soon as I started out, and I haven't stopped since, so there's really been no time over the last 12 years to change anything! That said, the quality if my work has improved exponentially. The benefit of drawing for 8-10 hours every day!

5.What jobs have you done beside being a artist?

When I left college I worked full-time at Toys R Us during the day, and trained in the evening. That wasn't really helping me though, so I left there to train during the day and work the night shift at McDonalds. From there I got a job in a bookshop, which I actually loved, but after three years was offered a job at a New Media company as a character animator. I took the job because I thought I should; step in the right direction and all that. Well, it was the worst job of the lot. It was a sterile, silent work environment and that little prospect of creativity was utterly crushed under the management's corporate boot heel. That said, my deep hatred of it gave me the push I needed to strike out and go freelance in 2003. It was terrifying, but here I am!

6. What has been your most favourite project and also worst project?

I get to work on some awesome stuff, usually that I'm a fan of myself. Skylanders stands out as one. I'm a complete Skylanders nerd, and I'm now one of the artists who draw the comics. My favourite, though, has to be my own project, Tinpot Hobo. I don't get to work on it as much as I'd like because there's no money in it - yet. But yeah, writing and illustrating (and colouring, lettering and publishing) my own book is what I really love to do.

Worst project...that would be working on Jackie Chan adventures, way back when I started out. It was a licensed comic, and the licensor was awful! Absolutely zero creativity on that job.

7.Who or what is your inspiration? 

I'm inspired by all kinds of things, and people. Everyday people with everyday lives inspire me the most though. The most mundane can often be the most remarkable.

8.How many hours of artwork do you do a day?

Between 8 and 10 on a normal day. If things are in a deadline crunch situation, that can go up to between 12 and 16, sometimes more. I did once work for 81 hours straight, but I wouldn't advise that. I was hallucinating at the end of it!

9. What comics have you produced? 

I've illustrated tons of them, including Spider-Man, Judge Dredd and TMNT. In terms of comics I've produced from scratch through to publishing, just Tinpot Hobo. So far!

10. What is your process when creating a comics and a illustration?

It all starts with a script, of course. Either I've written it, or more often, someone else has. From there I'll thumbnail the page (usually at about a quarter of A4) then lay it out at A3, pencil then ink the art. Scan it and colour on photoshop. Then email the files to the publisher. Then start all over again on the next project!

11. What is your dream project?

Actually, Tinpot Hobo. I love to create, and nobody but me has any say in what happens in that book. It's mine. You can wait around your whole life for your dream project, or you can just do it. I just did it.

12. Do you listen to music will you work and if so what type of music?

I listen to music while I'm working all the time! My music tastes extend pretty much just to film and tv scores. Great, sweeping orchestras are my thing!

13. Do you have any hobbies? (if that all right for me to ask this question)

I have a few hobbies really. I love toys, so I collect certain things. I'm also a tabletop gamer and absolutely LOVE Dungeons & Dragons. See? Told you - complete geek!

An example of Jack Lawrence work and banner design

 

Own  written and illustrated comic series by Jack Lawrence 

Overall with this interview it has shown we insight of what it takes to be a graphic novel illustrator and what is expected.