A few days ago, I was asked to answer a series of questions from a good friend of mine for his school research project. Here are his questions and here are my answers:
Q: What are some of the things that you have worked on?
I’ve worked as an illustrator / cartoonist for various print and online publications, including C|NET, TechCrunch, Hinduism Today, Microsoft, EE Times, The Straits Times, Other World Computing, and India Currents magazine. I’ve also developed branding identities for various Mac podcasts, including Typical Mac User Podcast, International Mac Podcast and MacMania Podcast.
Q:How do you go about designing your characters/illustrations, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?
I first start off by thoroughly understanding what the client / art director is looking for with regards to the character design / illustration. If I’m not familiar with the subject, I spend a few hours researching what I can find to fill in the blanks. Once I have a general idea of the concept, I start a series of warm-up sketches on the subject. While sketching, I’m always focused on capturing the personality of the character in the visuals as much as possible. I also pay particular attention to the silhouette value of the character – does the personality / time period etc. of the character read clearly with the silhouette? If yes, I continue… if no, I reiterate through the design until I find something I’m satisfied with.
I always try to send at least three variations of the character, particularly when the design is open-ended for me to come up with. Clients prefer a few choices, and it helps inform the direction I take the design.
After another round of iteration, I move towards the inking and coloring phase. Sometimes the colors are fixed, meaning that the client has a specific idea in mind, other times I get carte blanche to color the character as I see fit. I generally try to work with a small palette, as much as possible, and focus on color shades that evoke the mood or personality of the character. I find that sites like Kuler are very helpful in determining the colors I use in my designs.
Q:How does a typical work day for you look?
I teach between 6 to 7 courses per quarter, so my freelance illustration revolves around that, as well as family obligations / errands. Generally, I work best in the early mornings or late at night. Time management is crucial so I make a list of everything I need to do in a special To-Do notebook I carry around. It helps me organize my work day, my priorities and overall schedule.
Q:What projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working with Other World Computing to further develop comic strips featuring their character “Globeman”, as part of their PR and marketing strategy. I’m also creating comics for India Currents magazine and The BENT (Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society), which are published on a monthly and quarterly basis. I’m actively looking for new clients and plan to target my local Tampa Bay area in the weeks ahead.
Q:Who are you favorite artists and greatest sources of inspiration?
Some of my favorite artists include Stephen Silver, Bruce Timm, Ramon Perez, Goran Parlov, Mark Rudolph, and Ben Balistreri. I’m inspired by their work and work ethic, and I’m also inspired by a variety of art blogs on the net. My favorite sources for inspiration are Tom Richmond’s blog, Drawn.ca, and the Academy of Art Character and Creature Design notes.
Q:What tools and programs do you use? Digital or pen and paper?
I use Sketchbook Pro, Corel Painter, and Photoshop. I’m working all digital these days, but I do enjoy analog as well (though I’m faster digitally)
Q:What part of designing a character do you think is easiest, and what part is the hardest?
The easiest part (for me) are the details. The hard part is settling on a pose that really conveys the character’s personality in an effective way.
Q:What do you enjoy drawing the most, and why?
This answer may surprise you, but I really enjoy drawing backgrounds / environments and vehicles. They’re pure fun – and different from what I usually draw. I also really enjoy comic book cover design and have plans to do some cover tributes in the near future. Characters are a lot of fun as well, don’t get me wrong – but I’m rather a fan of variety these days.
Got a question? Share it in the comments below!
-Krishna
