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.

Artist interview Jon Mcnaught

Jon Mcnaught

With the interview with Jon Mcnaught who creates graphic novels will using screen printing.

What he has done as a career is a mixture is:

• Storyteller illustration
• Commercial work
• Comic work
• Magazine work for London book reviews and New York times

He has also self publishing with books called Dockwood and Nobrow . With this he told us what helped him develop his style and career.  He started by telling us that his influence such as Hiroshige who used woodblock printing to create his Japanese traditional prints. Edward Bawden use to uses linocuts to create his drawings but now he uses traditional inking with photoshop. These are just a few artists that peak his interest in print design. But he also got influenced by Raymond Briggs who created the snowman. He said that he liked that this story had no narrative but the pictures told the story instead. Jon Mcnaught said that he wanted to create something like this in his work. He was also influenced by a comic artist called Tom Gauld who create simplistic comics.

The next thing that Jon Mcnaught told me was his process of creating a comic himself. He takes a sketchbook where he goes. He sometimes does doodle from observation and then creates a story out of them but sometimes he mostly creates notes of what he plans to do. He is also influenced by everyday objects which he sometimes apply his comics. He also  does take photos for his references.

He told us how he developed his art style which he started with screen printing by using three colours. He added tone to his image by overall the colours to create a new tone. But know he creates the outline and tone by using ink onto his sketch pages which he refines with the ink, then the pages with colour in photoshop.  He also told us that original started off with just creating illustrations by chance but with time he just developed into the graphic novel section. With the colours he also said that he trying to express the mood of what happen in the scene.

He finished the interview by giving me advice on who to be illustrator:

• Publishers come to you
• Set a project every month to produce a comic 

Jon Mcnaught Graphic Novel work

Artist intrview: Helen Ward

Helen Ward

This interview was with the talented Helen Ward, she creates illustrations for Children books by using watercolours. Her process of her work is to create rough drafts of what she plans to do in a little sketchbook. With the sketchbook she does portraits, zoom in, landscape and tries it in different styles. When it also comes to her drawing her rough sketches she looks at reference to get the sense of the body shape and to get the idea of movement. She also said to think of story that you would like to write but also think about the audience you are showing it to.

  

When she decided what she plans to do, she then plans it out on A3 piece of watercolour paper. She does the rough draft in a soft pencil, so then she had an outline to follow. She then outlines it with ink and then colours it with watercolour.


As an children book illustrator she has made her own stories which she has illustrated like "The Moonrat and the White turtle". But she has done illustration for book that she does not own, like the Wind and the willows. But also as a writer she has worked with artist illustrating her stories such as The tin forest which was illustrated by Wayne Anderson. She also does book collaborations with artists such as the book of Dragonology. But with working in the Children book industry, sometimes the project does not fall through. Helen Ward told us that she has had a lot of experience in this aspect, she has sometimes had the book cancelled or the project shorted by budget cost/cuts or clients changing the minds.


Overall this was an very insight interview because it showed me what I need to know when designing my characters for my stories and what might happen in the Children book industry.  

Helen Ward illustrated and written by Helen ward       

Weeks Eleven to fourteen "illo" book illustration

These four weeks we had to get into groups and create illustrations for sections of what it takes to become an illustrator. The section give to the group I was working in was the law side of illustrator. So such things as copyright right issues, payment methods, contracts and etc. Then we had to decide who got what section and we then had to research it. I decide to go for royalties checks, I research it with my own independent research but also took the information from Fumio session.


With the information taken I then decide some thumbnails of what I planned to do.  I know that I wanted to go for a crown and the idea of different currency. I then showed the thumbnails to group to get any info to improve it. But when I should them they said that there was nothing wrong with the design. So I continued with the design to create the final outcome.

When it came to the final product, I wanted to use Photoshop as my painting and drawing media. But after I used it, it just proved to be too soft for shading and just created the effect that I wanted. So I then decided to go for a more natural root with my ink brush pen. With this it created the best outcome because I could control the thickness of the ink. But with this outcome it did not work because the image was not the right shape that was required. So the next and final step was to recreate the image to right size which need to be a square. The things that I need to also improve with the previous images was to add more hands, to add more shading and to take away the money signs which was told by the director of the project, Georgia Hounsome.          

First attempt

Second attempt

Third attempt

Four attempt

Five attempt

Six attempt

Artist interview: Jenny Bowers

Jenny Bowers

The first artist interview was Jenny Bowers who creates illustrations of bright, vibrate colours. Her chosen media is Photoshop.When she was giving a session, she told the group what she has done as an illustrator. She works in group of fellow illustrators that went to Brighton university with her. The Peepshow group was set up in 1998 and they have done a range of projects such as art festival, exhibitions and commissions such as project called a journey around the pencil which was a project in which the peepshow group created cartoon memorial around  New Royal London Hospital to make it an entraining Journey to the operating theatre.(to find out more visit www.peepshow.org.uk)

She has done also animation projects for companies such as Diesel and Samsung. She has also done animations  But she has done more projects but by her own. These projects that she did was becoming a product designer such as pattern design to ceramics. She has also done some window display, designed book covers and illustration for magazine/papers.

Overall the best thing about this interview, she told us information about what it takes to be an illustrator and what it takes to be an illustrator. She said that I need to be adaptable, flexible and open to the clients comments and complaints. But she also told me to work with people that I want to work with. The next thing was about her audience/ clients, her clients are wide but she also had American clients, so she had to get an American agent to help her with the business in America. The last fact that I want to talk about was she told me what it would be to work with a group of illustrators. I learned that you need to help each other and chat about who would do the job.


My final thought on this session was that it was very informative of what it takes to be an illustrator but also learning that you must be open minded and also looked at Jenny Bowers work has show me that I can use a simple colour scheme to get an illustration. With this idea of the colour scheme I want to apply this thought to my future work.          

Pattern design created by Jenny Bowers

Illustration created by Jenny Bowers

Lecture with Georgina

Georgina Hounsome

With Georgina Hounsome session she was telling the group her Journey of becoming an illustrator.

She has done a range of work ranging from creating her own printing company with Alexandra Higlett. With this company Georgina Hounsome has done a range of stuff such as pattern design, book, posters and ceramics. With this business they work as a team to create prints and books. In 2011 they worked together on a project at Norfolk gallery "The cold press" to get visual research to create pieces work. She showed us the notebook that she took which showed how I should set out my book when creating my visual notes. The layout of the book was mostly visual drawings with little notes at the side. With the media that she used, it was coloured pens with watercolour. In 2011 they also did another project in which the did an interactive book project, which was part of the show. This book was called "Mr & Mrs Gren". Georgina said that her aim was to show the process of her work but to also show to show the audience the information that they got for this project.

With Georgina she has also done charity work with her work. She sold her original screen print, this screen print was "rooftops and clouds". The charity that she has chosen is called Dorothy House hospice care. She donated 250 dollars to that charity. This is a good way of selling your work because it gets your work out because it is towards a charitable cause. She has also done commissions for clients like the Guardian, Waitrose and the Independent.


Overall with this session I learned how flexible you have to be as an illustrator.

A screen print that Georgie Hounsome created for a charity event

A range of research illustration that Georgie Hounsome Visual recorded

Lectures with Fumio about his experience being a illustrator and copyright issues

Fumio Obata

Fumio has give me two lectures so far, one is about his personal experience as working as an illustrator and the other was about his experience when creating a book and what process I would have to go through when create a book.




The first lecture was interesting because he told about his history of being a illustrator. He started off by telling the group what influenced him to become an artist which was manga and anime culture when his living in Japan. This was nice to find out what influenced Fumio because I could tell it influenced his work by looking at it. I feel that I am on the same boat as Fumio because when I was little I watch anime and read manga. But I mostly got this experience when I visited America for it's take on Japanese culture. So in a way I am influenced by both American culture and Japanese culture.


He then went on to tell us what he did that started off his career as an illustrator. He studied at Glasgow School of Art for BA Illustration degree and got a masters degree in communication Design from Royal College of Art in London. He told us how he was very passionate about Character design and how he got taught to expend his skills and tutors telling him to pursue his career of Sequential design. With this knowledge it was good to know what he did to help him build up his skills and knowledge of what he wanted to do as career. He also did said that he had a basic idea of what he wanted to do which is the same as me because I know I want to be concept artist. But also I know I want to go into further education which involves the video game industry. So this information was comforting to know what kind of work you would have to do to get to that kind of level of work.




Fumio also developed a career as an animator from 2003 to 2008. He worked for many companies which were Duran Duran, Channel4 and the Redkite animation. With this he showed what kind of work he had to do when he was an animator which was him creating storyboards for the animations, Structuring and planning out the animation  and creating concept art. He also told us that with the projects he had deadlines to fill and with each company and program it was different. Sometimes he had two weeks to finish animation or a month to produces a 1-5 minutes of animation which takes time. He also told me sometimes he would have to work in a team or by himself. Which again was interesting to know because he said that it was easier to work in a team but still was a lot of work to do and he said that it was a stressful because of the short deadlines. It is good to know what is expected off an animator and it something that I would not mind trying again but I did find animator a bit stressful from last year but that was a time when I did not have the knowledge of what to do as animator.




In 2008 Fumio then went to France for an Artist residency to study comic book  design at La Cite Internationtionale de la Bande Dessinee et de L'image in Angouleme, France. With this he understood how comics are made. With this knowledge he has chosen graphic novels and comic books as his main creative outlet with also be a freelance illustrator who has designed illustrators for Italian magazine called Internazionale which is a comic about the earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011. This was interesting to know that Fumio does a wide range of things will still he is doing the career path that he had chosen. I think this good knowledge to know even if I do the career that I want, I still have a range of choices to chose from.




Overall this was a brilliant lecture because it has gave me the knowledge from Fumio life experience of being an illustrator and will this knowledge it can me think about what I want to do as a career and what I could also branch into when doing my career.
      

Fumio graphic novel

Fumio short animation "Shhh"

            


With the next lecture with Fumio I was told what to do when creating a children book what process we would have to go through when deciding on a publisher. But before I decide on which on a publisher I should research about them first and find out what one is best for independent illustrators and what kind of contract they offer.  With the books themselves they are sold to the sellers not the actual publishers and with selling them to sellers they need to be given to them at a discount rate which will be normal half the price or sometimes more, so that it can bought in a large bulk. So when it comes to the actual selling of the book, the illustrator/storyteller normal only get 10% of the profit for each book sold so when it comes to pricing it. This ten percent is called the Royalties checks. I should consider what will work best at what price and consider how much I want as an illustrator.


Fumio also gave me advice such as always look at the contract because sometimes the contract may say that you only get the full amount of money, when all the books are sold. With Fumio he went with Jonathan Cape in which he present the idea for his book to the company, which they approved and then provided a contract. With the contract it stated that he would be paid in three instalments which was him get a £1000 once he had signed the contract and he would get a £1000 once he has completed the book. But with the third instalments Fumio has to wait twelve months after the book has been publish. He also told me that there is another form of pay which is called Royalties checks, which are checks you get once the whole quantity. But with the quantity is different each the less you have, the lower the profit but if higher the illustrator/storyteller gets more but not a lot more to get ten percent profit you must sell three thousand books but to get eleven percent you must sell six thousand.  With the royalties checks profit rating, they do not change if it sold as a hardback copy or trade paperback. I was also told if the books get translated or taken over to America, the publishing company that want to do this will have to buy my artist right, which means that I would get a large profit from this.    


With each publisher they give you a time limit like any project but sometimes they would want something in three weeks or three months, it just counts on what the client wants. With this knowledge to is good to know what will happen if I get into this business and what I need to do when signing a contract. But with this knowledge I am also worried about joining this business because of the ten percent profit, I thought how will I make a living out of that but then I though if I sold a large amount of books or translated I would gain a profit. But in my head do I want to take that chance. I will have to try this out but use this knowledge to help me get the better advanced.