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

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

• 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

Typical Wednesday with Ryan Snook

Wednesday starts the same as every other weekday, I get coffee ready for me and my wife, Beth.

Then once Beth leaves for carpool and the 30 – 45 min commute and I take my coffee and commute to work…

And here is where I will sit for the next couple of hours. Above my desk I have the ICON 5 poster by Edel Rodriguez, a comic page I did for our wedding that worked as a program and a great little painting by Travis Lampe that Beth gave my for Xmas last year.

Next to my desk I have this Gary Panter print that was also a gift from Beth.

And here is the bookshelf where everything is stored. This thing creaks anytime I take something off it and I suspect it will topple over any day now. The top shelf hold a lot of my published work and at the bottom is a framed print of superman I did.

Now it’s time to work, so on this day I had some Kid Cudi playing.

Below are some pics from the work I was doing on a full page illustration for Bicycling Magazine.

LUNCH BREAK!

Wednesdays are the best for lunch breaks because generally every week I meet up with friend and fellow illustrator Alex Perkins for a trip to the comic shop and some pizza. We usually go to The Beguiling first…

I picked up a few comics.

Now it’s time for pizza.

YUM!

Before I go home I check out what Alex has been working on, lately he’s been putting together a wicked Dr. Doom mask!

Back to work, finishing up the full page for Bicycling Magazine. The final version ended up changing but this is pretty close what will end up in print.

And finally I finish the day with starting sketches for Boston Globe. Beth arrives home and that’s just another typical Wednesday for me.

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A Day in the life of Illustrator, Ryan Snook

update: be sure to check out Cherry Popping 2.

• What was your first illustration?
  Leave a comment about your entry into the world of illustration.

John Hendrix / www.johnhendrix.com / @Osawatomie

What was your first piece?
Village Voice “CHOICES” cover.

When did you do this piece?
Sept/Oct 2001

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
Spent a whole weekend on it.. got sketch approved on thursday, due monday.

How did it turn out?
Nearly the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. 

How much did you get paid?
Gosh, I don’t remember, probably $600-700?

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I was still turning in original art at this point. Didn’t know how to scan and send images over email. I was in NYC at the time, and this was the day of the plane crash in Queens. Everyone thought it was another terrorist attack. I was on my way to drop it off in the city and all the subways were shut down for the whole day. Ferrys, Path, everything. I figured my career was over since I wasn’t going to make my deadline. Called the art director in a panic and he let me off till the trains opened up again. 

Michael Wertz / www.wertzateria.com / @wertzateria

What was your first illustration project?
My first illustration gag was handed to me in 1995 by a very kind neighbor and friend, Lisa Hilgers, who was working as an art director for Parenting Magazine. It was a couple of spot illustrations, and they’re kinda cute but mostly terrible. Horrible. I was attempting to combine a xeroxed scratchboard drawing with a pastel background. I’m pretty sure I could do a better job today.

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I was paid $250 (not bad!) and had a week to complete the job.

*extra credit if you send a image of the piece!
I’m looking for the illustrations, but I can’t seem to find them.

Neil Swaab / www.neilswaab.com / @neilswaab

What was your first illustration project?
It was a quarter-page illustration about the best video stores for horror movies in NYC for The NY Press.

When did you do this piece?
2000

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
A day or so.

How did it turn out?
It was in a style that I no longer work in anymore. Looking back on it now all I can say is, “ick.”

How much did you get paid?
Around $50.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
It was just cool that someone was actually paying me to make art. And it helped build my confidence to pursue more work.

Frank Stockton / www.frankstockton.com / @frankstockton

What was your first illustration project?
After graduation, I did a spot for Steven Heller in the NY Times Book Review.

When did you do this piece?
2005

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I think I had four days, or it was over the weekend… not sure.

How did it turn out?
So bad that I wanted to cry. It was horrid.

How much did you get paid?
$500

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
Josh Cochran was in the same issue, I think he had 2 spots, and he knocked them out of the park–considering we were friendly “rivals” in school, it was even more painful that I did such a crappy job.

*extra credit if you send a image of the piece!
Never, that image will die with the The New York Times.

Zachariah O’Hora / www.zohora.com

What was your first illustration project?
A Fillmore poster: Bill Graham Presents, a concert by Karl Denson.

When did you do this piece?
2002

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
At least two weeks.

How did it turn out?
It doesn’t hurt me to look at it occasionally.

How much did you get paid?
$400 maybe $300. Not sure.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
It was a good sized painting, maybe 30″x20″ or larger. And I was still in school at the time, I actually had a 4″x5″ shot of it for the client to use. Probably a third of the budget right there. Fortunately, I sold the original later on before I moved from California.

Jennifer Daniel / httpcolonforwardslashforwardslashwwwdotjenniferdanieldotcom.com / @jenniferdaniel

What was your first illustration project?
Linking Kevin Bacon to Osama Bin Laden for Nozone: Empire, by Nicholas Blechman.

When did you do this piece?
2004.

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
Months.

How did it turn out?
I remember pitching it to Nicholas and he loved it but wanted it to fit in a vertical page. I redesigned it for weeks and could not come up with anything better than this, which isn’t that great either but if it makes you laugh then I figure it’s not too bad.

How much did you get paid?
No $$

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I remember having no idea what I was doing, and five years later, I still have no idea what I am doing. I was super grateful Nicholas asked for me to be a part of his revival of Nozone, which he had put on hiatus for a number of years. After it was published a reporter from NPR called while I was in class asking if I could do an interview with him for a story on Nozone: Empire. Describing visuals over radio is probably why TV was invented and I think he faded my voice out into the background when it went onto air. Still, NPR! Woo!

Rob Donnelly / www.robdraw.com / @robdraws

What was your first illustration project?
Notorious BIG illo article for Kitchensink Magazine.

When did you do this piece?
2003 or so

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
a week. I painted a portrait in oil on masonite. put it in my oven to make it dry faster. then messed with some digital photoshop stuff which I barely knew at the time.

How did it turn out?
I am happy with how it started with a rough painterly image and by the time I finished it looked like a mix between paint and cheesy airbrush. However the process of making the image wouldn’t really jive in the real world because the end result didn’t match my sketch at all.
Luckily I wasn’t getting paid so the art director couldn’t complain that much.

How much did you get paid?
the nameless art director found my work  at my Mocca table and took my reprinted sketchbook without paying the 3 dollar price so I guess I actually got paid -3 dollars. I don’t work for free anymore so don’t judge.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
The picture is now hanging in my bathroom.

Frank Chimero / www.frankchimero.com / @frank000

What was your first illustration project?
A quick spot illustration for a subsidiary of Business Week called Business Week Small Biz.

When did you do this piece?
2007? Early 2008?

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
Sketches due within 2 days, final 2 days after sketches.

How did it turn out?
Forced, trite, but kind of effective as an illustration. I suppose not everything can be flashy or witty. The article was about supply chains, something which I know nothing about. I had to phone up some college friends that were working on MBAs so they could tell me what the article was about in, well, plain English.

How much did you get paid?
$500, I believe.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I remember having to go to 2 or 3 different book stores to find the magazine. I eventually found it in a Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Park in Chicago. I was so relieved to see that it was still in the issue, and I got some perspective that it wasn’t worth killing myself with stress over an illustration that was 2×2 inches.

Jonathan Bartlett / www.seejbdraw.com / @seejbdraw

What was your first illustration project?
How lucky was I…first real job of my career was a full page and spot for Field and Stream Magazine, Neil Jamieson (shout out!). The illustration was accompanying the story of a Bull Elk hunt…I hate guns and don’t care for hunting…but I was pumped to do it. It came 2 months after I graduated undergrad in summer of ‘07. However, beginners luck, because I didn’t get another call for 8 months…ha!

When did you do this piece?
2007

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
In hind sight I had a pretty good chunk of time, about a week for sketches and another week for a finish. Good thing too, because I was working a full time job designing books and I needed all I could get.

How did it turn out?
I have my humility so I don’t mind showing this. I was still an oil painter at the time and yeah, well lets just say im not doing THAT anymore. I look at this image now and feel a sharp pain in my stomach. Like being punched by the school yard bully…and losing my lunch money. But at the same time, it still makes me smile

How much did you get paid?
I think it was about $1800 for spot and full.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I said this first job came pretty quickly after school ended so I was really excited. I had just moved to New York and all I wanted was to make an illustration career work, after I hung up the phone I think I danced around the office…and then had a panic attack…what if I F*** up?!!

Joel Kimmel / www.joelkimmel.com

What was your first illustration project?
My first illustration assignment was a cover and 5 interior illustrations for LA Weekly

When did you do this piece?
2005

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I got the job on a Thursday and had to have the finals in my Monday morning, while working full time at an art store.

How did it turn out?
I was really happy with the work I did, although I had a couple revisions and probably shouldn’t have experimented with a strange collage technique to cover up a watercolor mishap

How much did you get paid?
I was paid $1300 for my first ever assignment. Then I was back to work at the art store the following day!

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
The art director left a message on my cell phone while I was at work and I called him back from a calling card while hiding in the stock room. I canceled all my plans for the weekend, skipped meals and hoped I remembered how to paint.

*extra credit if you send a image of the piece!
I’d include an image of the piece, but I think it’s saved to a zip disk somewhere!

Jacqueline Bos / www.jacquelinekari.com / @jacquiebos

What was your first illustration project?
(first actually “printed”) 2AM is when Coyote’s Disco, for Mankind Magazine.

When did you do this piece?
2008

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I had at least 3 weeks, i ended up doing about 4 versions, so it took me a while to get it together. Prob 2 weeks

How did it turn out?
I was very excited about it then, now, not as much. I think I got stuck somewhere between what I imagined and what came out.

How much did you get paid?
n/a

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I drew about 100 coyotes before picking the few that I used. My google image search was riveting.

Sam Weber / www.sampaints.com / @sampaints

What was your first illustration project?
It was for an article about European companies benefiting financially from their anti iraq war sentiments, the New York Times OpEd Page.

When did you do this piece?
2003, I think.

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I think I had three days? I worked on sketches for almost the whole time, I was very nervous.

How did it turn out?
hahaha. I was proud of it at the time.

How much did you get paid?
A king’s ransom.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I got the job because of my sketchbook.

Kate Bingaman-Burt / www.obsessiveconsumption.com / @kateconsumption

What was your first illustration project?
It was in 1998 during my junior year in college. I illustrated labels for Apron Strings Gourmet (no longer around), while I was going to college in Branson, Freaking, Missouri. They specialized in Mason Jar Cookie Mixes (remember, this is Branson, Missouri). I later went on to make labels for soups, brownies and muffins – oh my!

When did you do this piece?
1998

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I think I did it in a night. I had no idea what I was doing, but I know I tried to make my illustration look “country”. ha!

How did it turn out?
For not knowing what I was doing, I think it turned out fine. I still cringe at anything “country” and I have never actually cooked any of the mixes.

How much did you get paid?
Probably a case full of cookie mixes. No, I really don’t remember…I think I was just excited that someone wanted me to draw something for them. I later went on to draw a bunch more for them…we had the mason jar mix market cornered in the late 90s early 2000s! ha!

Kristin Varner / www.kboom.com / @varnertown

What was your first illustration project?
First gig was an editorial spot for Utah Buisness magazine.

When did you do this piece?
I believe it was in 1996 (yes I’m old).

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
Prolly had a week and a half for sketches and final.

How did it turn out?
Actually turned out great – as their print and paper quality was outstanding.

How much did you get paid?
It paid $150 for the full color spot.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I have a soft spot still for this piece because I had my best childhood friend pose for me and I shot her with a crappy Polaroid camera since this was pre-digital.

Ryan Snook / www.ryansnook.com / @ryansnook

What was your first illustration project?
A black & white spot for an article about environmentalist affecting change (or something along those lines, it’s hard to remember the exact details of the article). The magazine was called Canadian Dimensions. It’s a left-wing black & white political magazine.

When did you do this piece?
2003

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I think I had a week from sketch to final. It didn’t take very long maybe a couple hours in the afternoon to do the final. I spent more time on sketches, maybe most of one day.

How did it turn out?
At the time I thought it was good, now not so much.

How much did you get paid?
$80! Yeah pretty much nothing but it was my first paying job and I wasn’t about to turn it down.

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I remember being very nervous that they wouldn’t like my sketches or the final. Now I don’t worry but back then I imagined they would come back and say the job was killed because my sketches were not good enough. Also I think this is the only political illustration I’ve ever done.

Alex Eben Meyer / www.eben.com / @ebencom

What was your first illustration project?
A Op/Ed illustration for the New York Sun about the Theodore Roosevelt Association giving away teddy bears to needy children.

When did you do this piece?
2002

How much time did you have? How long did it take?
I have no idea, likely a day, but i just don’t remember.

How did it turn out?
It’s a bear with Teddy Roosevelt glasses, how could it not turn out awesome! Uh, it’s okay. i can still look at it, barely. And i have no idea why they outlined the illustration.

How much did you get paid?
$100!!!! FTW!!!!

Anything else, stories, nerves, etc.?
I got the gig because one my roommates at the time was working at the New York Sun and recommended me to the AD (nepotism!). Prior to this, i had sort of done some illustration work while in webdesign and advertising, pro-bono stuff, etc, but this piece feels like my first, honest to goodness professional printed piece.

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Cherry Popping: A Collection of Illustrators’ First Illustrations