To kick things off for my very first interview here on Fuel Your Illustration I’m joined by one of the very artists set to participat in this Friday’s upcoming 3G show (Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and Goonies): Dave Perillo. Drawing from a retro-inspired background of 50s and 60s album covers and character designs, Perillo combines his love for pop culture (cartoons, comics, video games) with this vintage aesthetic to create works of art that are both strikingly bold and brilliantly simple.

Visit Dave’s portfolio |   Follow Dave on Twitter

Thanks for joining us, Dave. Can you recall the first illustration you ever did? What do you remember most about it?

I don’t really remember the first illustration I did, but I do remember being around the age of 4 and making a little mini picture book called “The Bubble Factory” where a mad scientist made a bubble machine. The scientist and a little boy get trapped in a bubble and then float away until it eventually pops and they safely land on the ground. I know my mom helped me put it all together. It was riveting story that I hope one day will be made into a big budget Hollywood film… maybe James Cameron could direct?

You graduated from Cabrini College with a degree in Graphic Design. Was there any specific experience you had that drew you more towards the illustration side of graphic arts?

Well, I was always told that if you majored in graphic design that it’d be easier to find a “real” job, which it did. I eventually moved into doing illustration work since it was more up my alley, I always loved “drawin’ pictures” so that’s the way I had to go. I do think that the graphic design background definitely helps when incorporating type and choosing color palettes in my work.

Most of your artwork seems to revolve around pop culture icons whether they be from film, television or video game. What do you find most appealing about this subject matter?

I guess as an artist you find inspiration on what surrounds you. Monet had water lilies, Van Gogh had sun flowers and I have cartoons, comics, video games, movies and sugar coated cereal.

With that in mind would you say that you consider yourself a caricaturist, cartoonist, or simply an illustrator? What do you perceive to be the differences between the three, if any?

It really is a fine line defining the three, but I would consider myself to be a cartoonist/illustrator. I always think of a caricaturist to be the guy who sits at an amusement park and draws silly pictures of people in a race car or on roller skates.

What kinds of things do you find the hardest to illustrate?

I gotta say feet and hands are always a pain to draw. Also, I once tried to draw the back of my head but could never get a clear look at to see if it came out okay.

How do you go about developing a typical illustration, do you start with a sketch and photo references or jump right into digital?

Sometimes I’ll do a rough sketch and then kind of use it as an overlay when I work on it digitally. Other times I’ll jump right in to digital, it depends on the piece really.

You co-host a podcast series called Megapodzilla with ‘Krazy Joe’ Fiore. Can you tell us a bit more about that and how you got involved?

My friend Krazy Joe wanted to do a podcast talking about movies, TV, comics and all things nerdy and asked if I wanted to co-host. We talk about what we currently enjoy (the “high five” section of the show) and our dislikes (Damage Report) and we give our thoughts on upcoming projects (Megapodzilla Prediction Network). We both used to do college radio shows back in the day and the podcast is kinda like an updated version of that.

Your work shares an aesthetic of simple shapes and flat colors that could be found in either animation or the Sunday ‘Funnies.’ Are there any specific examples of artists from these mediums that have influenced you at all?

I feel very influenced by things from the 50’s and 60’s. Occasionally I do some off registration in some of pieces which is kind of a throwback to way newspapers got printed. I guess as far as artists that influence me, I find I lean more towards artists like Jim Flora who did a bunch of jazz album artwork and Mary Blair who worked for Disney in the 50’s and 60’s. I use to own a book as a kid called “Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals” which showed you how to draw using basic shapes, i think that might have had an impact on my style today.

In 2002 you had a comic entitled “Abbey and Squirrel: Toad Trip” that was loosely based on an trip you and a friend had to experience Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Unfortunately, the comic never concluded… did they make it?

Ah yes… Abbey and Squirrel, I remember those two. Did they make it? Much like the riddle of how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop the world may never know. That is of course unless James Cameron would want to make it into a feature length film… Hollywood are you reading this?

In your biography you mentioned wanting to be Ziggy when you were a boy. Whatever happened to little ‘Ziggy’ Perillo?

Let’s just say I’m on my way to baldness and then after that the pants come off!

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Interview w/ Dave Perillo, Illustrator and Pop Culture Connoisseur

Chelsea Conlin

Find Chelsea at:

• http://paper-nautilus.com
• http://twitter.com/cacodaemonia

Rachael Rossman

Find Rachael at:

• http://rachaelrossman.com
• http://twitter.com/rachaelrossman

Kristin Bowen

Find Kristin at:

• http://doghousepetportraits.com
• http://www.twitter.com/doghousepetart

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For the Love of Dog: Pet Portrait Artists!

We’re kicking it off with E.K. Weaver of The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal fame, a (more than epic) comic about two guys who throw caution to the wind, and take off on a cross-country road trip. As the author puts it, “”This is the story of two dudes who drive from Berkeley to Providence, take multiple detours, smoke too much weed, eat terrible Chinese food, sleep in seedy motels, get kicked out of a Goodwill, contemplate fate versus chance, piss into the sunset, start a brawl in a Waffle House, and fall in love.”

On with the Interview!

What started you down the road of comics?

I wouldn’t really say I’m “on the road of comics”… maybe on a smaller frontage road, or in the bike lane. I’ve always liked drawing quick sequentials, but never really identified as a Comic Book Artist – partly because it’s not how I make a living; partly because I’m still a very green amateur. Honestly, what got me started working on a comic book was realizing the story I had in mind was best told in that medium. That’s it. I’ve come to love it, though – the craft of comics, I mean. Scripting, pacing, timing, layout. It still blows me away that when you make a comic, you manipulate time with art. How cool is that?

Who was your biggest inspiration in the field of comics or cartoons?

Oh gosh, um. There are so many amazing artists (many my age and younger) who are continually evolving inspirations, but if we’re going with the past tense, I’d have to say Al Hirschfeld and Kyle Baker.

I’ve always admired Hirschfeld’s knack for distilling a person’s likeness down to its essential forms – not just facial resemblance but style of motion and posture as well. He depicts someone’s essence clearly even while rendering it in impossible ways – placing the eyes below the mouth, say, or drawing tight spirals for eyes. Not only that, but watching the documentary The Line King and seeing how instead of just flinging out these effortless curves and perfectly placed lines (as I’d previously thought), that he took each drawing through a painstaking sketching and refining process… it was like a beam of light out of the blue. I saw that pouring effort and time into artwork showed dedication, not inability to “get it right the first time”. That artists aren’t gods but people who work really damn hard.

As for Kyle Baker: His comics showed me the importance of acting. Characters don’t just move through a scene, they live it – they act it. Just read the first 10 or 15 pages of I Die At Midnight and you’ll see what I mean. His work is incredibly cinematic. Also, Baker’s books Why I Hate Saturn and Undercover Genie – and more recently, How to Draw Stupid – have been huge inspirations. There’s a LOT of Saturn influence in TJ and Amal – building characters through conversation and facial expression, setting the story in its place and period rather than trying to make it ‘timeless’, telling the story in ordered vignettes rather than one continuous arc…

What were some early creations – and what do you think of them now?

Comics-wise? I don’t really have much to speak of. Most of my creative projects before TJ and Amal were commercial illustration and design, or fandom stuff I did just for fun. Nothing I could call a truly original creation.

What is your favorite medium to work with?

Plain old mechanical pencil.

Regarding your process of creating a finished panel, what is your favorite part? Sketching, lineart, or the color?

Probably the first passes in pencil and ink. That’s when things really start to solidify, and when the emotion starts to show clearly. It gets me pretty pumped to see everything finally taking shape.

How long does it take you to create a final, fully-detailed comic?

We’ll find out. Three years, at least. *haha* A single page takes between 6 and 15 hours, and a 10-page segment usually will take between 3 and 6 weeks. (I have a day job, so comicking happens on weekends and at night. )

Who is your favorite – TJ or Amal?

I can honestly say I do not favor one over the other. Amal’s easier for me to relate to, but TJ’s dialogue is much easier to write.

If TJ and Amal were stranded in a rainforest, do you think they’d survive? (And who would crack first?)

Probably. TJ’s appetite might have him end up eating some nasty mushroom, though. (Amal would crack first, just because of all the bugs.)

Annnndddd…. What is your favorite webcomic?

Oh man, that’s like setting me loose in a cheesemonger’s and telling me I can only pick one! Erm, so I won’t.
For strips, probably either Nedroid, Hark! A Vagrant, Girls With Slingshots, or Something Positive. I’ve been following those last two for a long time. Long-form webcomics I like include Hanna is not a Boy’s Name, Templar, AZ, The Meek, Octopus Pie… I don’t think I can go on without leaving someone important out, but there are way more than this! There’s so much love, enthusiasm, and talent out there in the webcomics world. It’s really exciting.

You can find more about E.K. Weaver and her art here:

• Big Big Truck
• Official TJ and Amal site
• DeviantArt
• Twitter
• FormSpring
• TJ and Amal DA Club

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Webcomic Wednesday: Interview with E.K. Weaver

Michael Jackson

(credit: Edel Rodriguez)

If 2009 was rough on illustrators, it was really rough on celebrities, every week it seemed there was a report that a movie star, socialite or politician had passed away, the most iconic of them being the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. News outlets couldn’t get enough of the story, and illustrators didn’t disappoint, all the while Thriller playing loudly in the background.
- MJ collection from drawger.

Cliched Themes

While starting a new illustration project is usually exciting, inevitably you get the call or email, read the article, and now have to figure out for the umpteenth time how not to draw windmills, euros or a medical bag. Yes, we’re talking about the assignment featuring the global financial crisis, the healthcare debate, or environmental jobs. All important topics of discussion….but please, don’t make us draw anymore dollar signs!

Death of Print

Unfortunately, this year we saw the shuttering of more magazines and newspapers. While calling it the death of print is a bit overstated, it’s sad to see them go for a number reasons, not least of which that these are an illustrator’s bread and butter. We wish magazines and newspapers better health in 2010.

Where The Wild Things Are

(credit: wikipedia )

Okay, okay, technically, this book is not from 2009, but it’s reemergence is. With the excitement that came from the release of the movie by Spike Jonze, Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book re-won it’s way into our heart, with drawings and story that are still as magical as ever.

U2 – I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight

Here’s a brief musical interlude featuring our favorite illustrated/animated video of the year. Full disclosure, we don’t even like the song, which speaks to how good it looks.

The Twitters

Like everyone else, we love our social networking, particularly twitter. Whether showcasing a new piece, complaining about a deadline, or mostly (and preferably) simple irreverence, we illustrators love us some twitter. Here are some of our favorite chatty illustrators (aka, twitterstrators) from 2009: @jenniferdaniel, @TheHeadsofState, @dirtbagg, @uberkraaft.

Radiolab

(credit: Jez Burrows)

Working in the vacuum of freelance illustration, we all need something to listen to. While music is constantly in rotation, if you ask illustrators about podcasts, someone will always pop up and ask, ‘ooh, do you listen to Radiolab!?’ Heck, they even had a series of posters made for them.

Portfolios

Trends for online portfolios come and go, and this year we have seen the rise of two services allowing illustrators to post their work online with a familiar look. Some of us love the tech, some of us hate it, but there sure are a lot of us using indexhibit and cargo.

New Yorker Cover

(credit: Jorge Colombo)

One of the more entertaining discussions in the illustration world this year was over the New Yorker covers by Jorge Colombo using only his iphone, his finger, and the brushes app. Are they inspired drawings from real life? Technical masterpieces? IPhone overload? Was the New Yorker giving all its reader the finger? The debate was most entertaining.

Happy New Year everyone.

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Best of 2009 in the Illustration Industry

His style and language with this medium continue to grow as can be seen in the more intricate interpretation of the Empire State building at the bottom of this page. And just to give you an idea of the work involved, at the time of the photo the piece was made up of “Approx. 40+ hrs work so far, 1500 holes pierced, 33m of cotton stitched.” to which we respond, dammmn.

• www.petercrawley.co.uk / @petercrawley

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Peter Crawley’s Stitched Illustrations

Wrap a fish in one today!

• More information available at www.thepencilfactory.org

Participating artists include Kim Bost, Josh Cochran, Jennifer Daniel, Gilbert Ford, Jessica Hische, Grady McFerrin, Ted McGrath, Alex Eben Meyer, Chris Silas Neal, Zacharia O’Hora, Leif Parsons, Rachel Salomon, Joel Speasmaker, Jillian Tamaki, and Sam Weber.

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15 Uses for Newsprint

Also, if you know of someone that NEEDS to be a #fff contestant, leave a comment with a link to their beautiful work. We’re always on the lookout for more talented folk.

Astrid Yskout

p e l l e t

pedro hamdan

ken garduno art

remed_art

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Five Flickr Friday

Flickr: h e i d i b u r t o n

Flickr: Skinny Ships

Flickr: andricongirl

Flickr: jaredchapman

Flickr: Juan▲Pez

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Five Flickr Friday: Halloween Edition

• Lander Gallery: Christopher James Tate

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Christopher James Tate

Flickr: danidonkeyboy

Flickr: helvetica_mouse

Flickr: baskew

Flickr: OZ OZ OZ

Flickr: Ana Galvañ

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Five Flickr Friday

• www.chrisgilmour.com

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Cardboard Artist: Chris Gilmour

• What was your first illustration?
  Again, if you would like to share your own experience, drop it in the comments.

Leif Parsons / www.leifparsons.com

What was your first illustration project?
nyt’s letters op-ed / Peter Buchanan-smith was the art director at the time

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
It was an already done response to 9-11 for a concept class (Blechman and Neimann)
(peter was giving a guest crit and liked it)

How did it turn out?
no bad feelings

How much did you get paid?
the same op-ed letters fee that has been going for 10+years ($175 i think)

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
Already done so all happy feelings -told the peeps

Ted Mcgrath / www.tedmcgrath.com / @tedmcgrath

What was your first illustration project?
First job: I was sent to a kosher hot dog factory in Williamsburg to draw it from life for 11211 Magazine

When did you do this piece?
the summer of 2002

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
It took about a 2 or 3 hours (i was given a lovely and fascinating, if visceral guided tour) and maybe an hour to clean up the drawings back at my apartment and deliever the originals to the magazine’s offices (dial up!!!).

How did it turn out?
I thought the drawings were actually really cool, but the magazine ran them really really tiny and put a weird gray haze over them for no apparent reason, which was a bummer, especially back in my sensitive, formative years.

How much did you get paid?
The job was unpaid, of course, as so many first jobs are and the “learning experiences” and “exposure” that came with it were you know, maybe not the lessons you have fun learning but i suppose are inevitable in this line of work… i did end up smelling like hot dogs for about a week, and threw out my sneakers as the smell never left.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I ended up a vegeterian for the first part of that summer, much to the delight of my then roommates and girlfriend (all vegetarians), but the allures of barbecue season eventually proved enough to overwhelm the gory grossness i had begun to associate with seasonal grill fare.

David Huyck / www.cloudyco.com / @huyckd

What was your first illustration project?
If I remember correctly, my first client project, where someone contacted me and wanted me to do some work in exchange for actual money, was after my 2004 Threadless shirt “Shadow Bunny” came out. The band “The Honorary Title” contacted me to do some t-shirts for their upcoming tour.

When did you do this piece?
I think it was 2005.

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I don’t remember exactly, but I do remember it was kind of short. They wanted three shirts and a set of four buttons in two weeks or something like that.  I met the deadline, but it was kind of an ASAP thing, so I just sent them what they wanted as soon as I finished it. At the time I had a day job, and not much else going on in the evening, so I just did it right away.

How did it turn out?
The shirt I liked best was the one they didn’t choose, but I used the design for some other things down the line. Overall, I was pleased. The best part was seeing people wearing the shirt “in the wild.”

Also, they came back for more shirts, so I assume that means they were satisfied customers!

How much did you get paid?
I don’t remember, but I remember asking for more than they wanted to pay, and less than I wanted to earn, so it was a compromise. They paid a little late, but they paid in full, so I wasn’t put off by the process too much.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I think the biggest thing for me was trying to make sure I wasn’t getting ripped off, at the same time I was trying to deal with them as professionally as I could, even though it was a bit of a seat-of-the-pants operation at the time. I feel like a LOT has changed since then, and still I feel just as nervous when giving a quote as I did back then. The Graphic Arts Guild book is my best friend. I never feel bad about quoting something in the range of GAG suggestions, but in general I’ve found that people will be shocked at a fair price if they haven’t paid for professional illustration before.  I figure if they don’t want to pay a fair price, I’m not interested in trying to educate them. Eventually they will get what they pay for.

*extra credit if you send a image of the piece!
the honorary title

Jon Han / www.jon-han.com

What was your first illustration project?
My first illustration project was for a spot for the New York Times.

When did you do this piece?
2007

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I had about 5 hrs to finish the assignment. from receiving the article to sketches to finish. i took about 3 hrs.

How did it turn out?
I thought it came out ok.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
It was a bit intimidating. since the quick deadline. Prior to the job i had spent at least a couple days on images.

Josh Cochran / www.joshcochran.net / @pencilfactory

What was your first illustration project?
My first illustration project was for the NYTimes Book Review back when Steven Heller use to art direct the section. The review was for the book “Urban Experience and the Language of the Novel”. It had something to do with the language of the modern novel reflecting the modern city. 

When did you do this piece?
I did the piece in June of 2005

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I had about 4 days from start to finish. I worked on it pretty much nonstop from beginning till end and might have even pulled a near all nighter to deliver everything in time on Monday morning.

How did it turn out?
Pretty good! The author of the book wrote the Book Review because he really liked the illustrations which blew my mind. I still keep it in my portfolio maybe also in part of fond memories since it was my first piece.

How much did you get paid?
$1000, for this illustration and an accompanying quarter pager.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
See Frank Stockton’s q/a for this.

Nina Frenkel / www.ninafrenkel.com

What was your first illustration project?
This was one of the first illustrations I did for Slate magazine when I was working as Production Assistant on the staff in 1996. I made this just before, on, or around the time that magazine launched, as a header for Herb Stein’s regular “column”, called the “Committee of Correspondence”.

When did you do this piece?
1996

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I did it in a couple of hours, at my desk at Microsoft, which was Slate’s publisher at the time. 

How did it turn out?
This piece turned out pretty good– I felt like I got Herb Stein’s features in the right place, and captured a twinkle. It also has a soft spot because, looking back, I was really into scratchboard at the time, and I haven’t used it in ages. So this piece reminds me of how excited I was about that material– how it looked crafty and woodblocky.

How much did you get paid?
I don’t recall getting paid for Slate Illos I made at that point– I was working on the Staff, thrilled to have Illustration be part of my ‘job description’, and so my regular paycheck was the payment.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I was weirdly calm and confident doing this piece.  I think that the subject -Herb Stein- looks like a family member, and I so I could relate to him that way. I felt I knew him, from his face.

*extra credit if you send a image of the piece!
(I have the original in storage, and no scans on my current system, but I did find this online…it’s tiny!)

David Gibson / www.gibsonillustration.com

What was your first illustration project?
my first job came after 2 years of calling up AD’s and doing the rounds with portfolio and sending mailers- it was for the Times higher education supplement-for the growing use and benefits of e-portfolios among recent graduate students.

i had actually given up all hope of a career in illustration a couple of days before  the email came.

When did you do this piece?
april 2007- i think it was a wednesday

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
couple of days to produce some roughs then 4 days (including the weekend) to get the final over.

i was so excited that i got to work straight away on a near by old envelope and the very first sketches i made were the obvious- a mortar board hat and a computer mouse. i continued making sketches and ideas all day-at this point i didnt draw people so they were all just combinations of relevant symbols to the piece- cd’s, graduation scrolls, computers etc. 

the final took me maybe a day but i was so fussy and messy back then- used to just layer things and textures and play with sizes in photoshop and use different pencils-i thought knew what i was doing. now that process confuses me and seems very studenty

How did it turn out?
i kind of like it still. i sent 2 versions because i was nervous and insecure, the art director chose the best one.

How much did you get paid?
£180 or £200 what was good is that i sent the invoice a week late for some lazy reason and when he recieved it he asked me to do another job, i thought it was a promising start after 2 years waiting for a job. 

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
i’m certain i got this job because the AD was covering the original person i had made the appointment with- who was on maternity leave- so he gave me a shot. i needed this small break otherwise i think i would now be a teacher or in advertising 

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Cherry Popping 2: A Collection of Illustrators’ First Illustrations

Mr. Bowlegs

Vander Yacht

Dr. Cola

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.marmushka.

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Five Flickr Friday

My works are large archetypal representational images, made from layer upon layer of translucent packing tape, applied to clear Plexiglas and placed in front of a light box to give the image shadow and depth. I see my tape art as a form of painting. The 2-inch tape acts as a wide brush, and the light behind the panels as an alchemist’s luminous blending medium. In working with tape, like in painting, accident and control are always present.

These taped paintings are a delight, and one can imagine that they look even better in person.

• Mark Khaisman: www.khaismanstudio.com

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Tape Artist, Mark Khaisman

• Monsieur Pimpant: les carnets (books) / www.pimpant.com

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Monsieur Pimpant