How long have you been working as a freelance artist?

Has it been a rewarding experience?  How has it influenced your personal and artistic development?

Where did you come up with the name for your blog, 24 Hour Emergency?

Thanks! It was for an Op-Ed class and the assignment was to illustrate a piece on the pirate attacks along the coast of Somalia. I was listening to a radio program for research and someone describe the attacks as desperate caused by economic starvation in Africa. The term starvation sparked images of survival in nature and so forth. From there, the water seemed like an interesting connection back to the literal story. And, as I recall, it was pretty well received.

For that illustration I think I had a cold temperature in mind for the whole scene and mood, so I spent some time on the sketches and then worked from a range of reference to capture her likeness in as chilly a way as possible.

In that particular Op-Ed, the author specifically named Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella records as having cited Sinatra as an influence, so  both the Art Director and I saw including Jay-Z as a natural fit.

Book review assignments can be a a tricky simply due to the fact that the assignment is to work from a secondhand synopsis of a book without a real direct connection to the source material, especially since there is never time or opportunity to read the book itself. The books are, more often than not, critically acclaimed (and often unreleased) novels, which makes the pressure of having to work with very broad strokes feel more precarious than usual. But, it also makes good practice in expanding visually on a single scene or specific passage from the review.

For me, the most rewarding experiences with art directors have been when we are able to work as collaborators on something that we’re both genuinely excited about. When the art director is able to send me rough design layouts and dummy text early in the process it is always creatively inspiring to build and play off the space within the designers framework.

So far I haven’t been called upon to travel for any assignments, which (in the case of the New York Times Op-Ed’s) might be for the best, since there’s often barely enough time to leave my desk on such quick deadlines. But, that being said, there is an interesting momentum to getting to work and think about a subject that’s unfolding in the world as you draw it.

My experience working with art directors at the New York Times has been great. There is a confidence and steadiness to the folks I’ve been able to work with there that alleviates a lot of the pressure of drawing something that’s about to be in the New York Times.

I would advise artists to talk with as many illustrators as they can about their experiences with reps, and to learn the different ways those partnerships can work and begin.

I’ve been very influenced by teachers and classmates from Art Center, and the further I get from school the more I realize the effects of it. Currently I’m very inspired by the community of illustrators on Twitter, and feel very fortunate to be able to hang around in such a positive community of commercial artists.

This week I’ve got a new Medical Mystery piece for the Washington Post and an album cover illustration. Beyond that I’m excited for the yet to be unveiled next assignment and spending some time exploring the Bay Area, where I just moved.

Hot weather, because it’s usually accompanied by much more sun.