Clare has used her printmaking skills in conjunction with Photoshop and Illustrator to create fantastic, unique pieces of art that retain the feel of handcrafted images. Her work has attracted myriad clients, including BBC Worldwide, The Ecologist, Southampton University, and Reed Business Information. Currently, she’s producing an ongoing series of images for the BBC magazine, Who Do You Think You Are?, which supports a TV show exploring our ancestry.

Layers: How have you incorporated your training in traditional printmaking with the digital world of Photoshop and Illustrator?

Nicholas: Printmaking is a wonderful medium that boasts many different processes, each with their own unique characteristics. It’s an indirect method of mark making that involves creating a plate or block or screen to produce the picture. Each process requires sensitivity to its limits. I always enjoyed combining printmaking methods, such as lithography and etching, to capitalize on each technique. Images can be constructed by layering and overlapping, sometimes transparent marks and areas of form. This compares quite closely to the way I work using Photoshop and Illustrator combined: I collect reference material in the form of photographs, simplifying the images by heightening the contrast and sometimes creating silhouettes. Then I apply texture and marks to them, which I’ve manufactured by freehand and scanned. I create my textures and marks using rollers, brushes, and paint spray, sometimes working into the textures when dry by scraping and scratching back to the negative.

I was always interested in pushing the boundaries of the medium by breaking the rules a little and found hand burnishing and over-inking relief prints gave them unique and interesting qualities. In this way the process had its own unpredictable input into the creation of a piece.

One of the things that I like about using Photoshop is the interaction between the software and myself. I see it not just as a tool but almost as having its own personality, which often contributes unexpectedly to my image making. Being self-taught means that quite often mistakes provide an inspired approach to composing that I’d never have arrived at logically. I see myself very much as a Photoshop novice exploring the possibilities, having fun, and adapting my style as I learn.

Layers: How much input do your clients have in the initial concept for your designs?

Nicholas: The level of input from clients varies a lot but I generally prefer to have the freedom to come up with my own concept, as I find that too much art direction can sometimes suffocate the creative process for me.

Layers: What’s the key to unifying your digital montages into a single message?

Nicholas: I like to use a limited color palette and to keep the dynamic simple by making the images fairly minimal and unified by the textures and fluidity of the marks. By using a limited color palette, the visual journey can be controlled and softened.

Layers: Your work has been used in industries ranging from business to food to medicine. What is it about your particular style that makes it so versatile for such a wide range of subjects?

Nicholas: I think my printmaking knowledge has led to a technique with a very organic friendly feel. In this way it’s particularly successful when applied to natural subjects. I do have regular input to a British publication called Estates Gazette, which often features my illustrations in the legal section. Although it can be a rather starchy topic, my approach seems to provide a sympathetic visual solution.

Layers: Where do you find inspiration for your particular style of art?

Nicholas: I love the simplicity and color of the 1950’s designs and I particularly like the work of Alvin Lustig. I draw inspiration from a wide base of influences. Three contemporary illustrators whose work I admire are Kate Miller, Sara Fanelli, and Roman Klonek.

Layers: If deadlines weren’t an issue, would you prefer to spend more time printmaking or working in Photoshop?

Nicholas: I guess I do miss the printing process but my move toward digital production was induced by a need for speed. When it comes to commissioned work, I find that digital is much preferable, as it’s infinitely easier to edit.

I think there’s also less inclination to become possessive about the piece. When you craft an image by hand, it really is a labor of love, and having an outside input can be difficult to embrace. There’s also, of course, the added benefit of remaining clean!

Contact Clare Nicholas http://altpick.com/clarenicholas

ALL IMAGES BY CLARE NICHOLAS

Layers: What are the advantages (or disadvantages) to working for the same design studio for the past 12 years?

Campau: The biggest advantage is knowing the people I work with. Over the 12-year span, I’ve worked with the same key people at SeventhStreet to refine and develop a creative process and workflow that’s become second nature to me. On the other hand, working at the same place for a long period of time makes it harder to get an outside perspective and creative input. I work with some talented designers, retouchers, and 3D artists, but we work together every day, so we sometimes take each other for granted creatively. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for outside collaborations or freelance projects that let me work on digital art and imaging that I wouldn’t normally work on at the studio.

Layers: As creative director at SeventhStreet, are you involved in every project that comes through the studio from the client brief to the finished product?

Campau: Yes, I’m involved on every project that comes through the studio, as well as any creative marketing and self-promotion. There are some projects I work on from start to finish, usually the more complex and challenging projects. Then there are other projects that I review along the way and make sure it’s up to our creative standards before it leaves our studio. At SeventhStreet, everyone knows how to do just about everything, but everyone has their own specialties and it’s my job to make sure the right people are working on the right aspect of the project.

Layers: How has SeventhStreet attracted and maintained some of its bigger clients?

Campau: SeventhStreet is big on collaboration with our clients. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and really are here to work with them and help as much as we can. We try to convey this message in all of our marketing because we think it’s more than just making good images; it’s making our clients happy. We also try to keep a wide range of styles and images in our portfolio, and I think most of our clients can find something that relates to their project.

Layers: When did you first discover Photoshop, and how did you learn to master it?

Campau: I discovered Photoshop in 1991 when there were no layers, one undo, and it was software that came bundled with a scanner. My knowledge has come through many different resources: classes and workshops, co-workers, online tips and tutorials, and a lot of trial and error. There are hundreds of ways to do the same thing in Photoshop, but I always strive to find the fastest way to accomplish the result. I also tell people new to Photoshop to not be afraid to try anything—there’s always an undo.

Layers: You use a lot of 3D tools in your work to create realistic CG images. What are the advantages of using CG in your projects?

Campau: With CG you’re not limited by the laws of physics; some shots you just couldn’t create in photography. That doesn’t mean you should use CG for everything—just think of it as another tool to create the end product. I would have to say that most of my work is 50/50 CG to photography because I feel that to make the CG look completely believable, it needs some real-world influence to trick the eye. Once you’ve achieved this perfect balance you can fool almost anyone. My Poser human figures, however, are all CG and Photoshop painting (no photography) and I take great pride in fooling fellow photographers with some of my portraits.

Layers: What’s your secret for staying fresh creatively?

Campau: I’m always searching for new ideas in imaging, and I’m never satisfied with my own skill set. Whenever I see an image I like, I ask myself, “How would I make that, and how could I make it better?” Every day I try to review design blogs, online creative groups, and keep up to date on the latest in photography. If I’m ever feeling creatively stale, I’ll reach out to a fellow artist or photographer—working with another talented artist tends to push you even further than working alone.

Mike Campau www.seventhstreetstudio.com

ALL IMAGES BY MIKE CAMPAU

Jonas Bergstrand was born in Stockholm, Sweden, where he still resides today. Jonas knew early on that he wanted a career where he could draw all day long but had no idea at the time what an illustrator or graphic designer was. After graduating from Forsberg’s School of Design in 1997, Jonas got his start by assisting a former teacher. Three years later, he was picked up by CIA (Central Illustration Agency), a critically respected agency in the U.K. According to Jonas, “Illustration may not be rocket science but to me it’s a blast.” His long list of clients includes Chrysler, Hasbro, MTV, The New Yorker, Priceline, T-Mobile, and Yahoo!

Layers: On a student blog in the U.K., you mentioned that illustration is just another form of communication. What did you mean by that?

Bergstrand: I think illustration is much more than just decoration. A good illustration/illustrator provides illumination. And this doesn’t happen by chance—it’s not a byproduct to style. Illustration may not be a science but it certainly communicates in a precise way.

Layers: A lot of your images use solid colors or various shades of the same color in the background, which really helps to focus the viewer’s attention on the subject. Does this occur more in your commercial work, or is this a personal preference?

Bergstrand: It’s a personal preference that luckily works pretty well as a way to direct focus to what’s important. I can’t pinpoint exactly when and where I picked up on this way of treating colors. A conceptual color treatment is something you’ll find throughout the history of illustration, I guess. Many of my personal favorites like Paul Rand, Abram Games, and Saul Bass used limited palettes.

Layers: Many of the characters in your illustrations are very two-dimensional—some even have the appearance of jointed cardboard cutouts. How did this style evolve and how do you feel it impacts the viewer?

Bergstrand: When I started out, I was very exited about the precision that computer-generated images offered. I was heavily into flat areas of color and perfect shapes without jagged edges. I still like the control that Illustrator provides when I lay out my images, but over time I’ve backtracked slightly and I enjoy the presence of the hand more and more. I think my current style is something of a hybrid where I try to pick the best out of two worlds. Control and chance brought together is what I’m hoping for.

Layers: What applications do you work with regularly? Do you have a favorite?

Bergstrand: I use Illustrator and Photoshop for all my images. I produce the basic drawing in Illustrator and then apply “makeup” in Photoshop.

Layers: You have a lot of photographic elements in your images that create a collage effect. How do you decide what should be illustrated and what should be a photograph? How does the mixture of photographic elements and illustrations help to convey the message you’re trying to get across?

Bergstrand: When I plan an image, I have something like a wish list of what photo material I’d like to feature. Many times though I have to reconsider because I can’t find what I’m looking for. Sometimes the clash between photo and drawing helps underline the message but I also grant myself the luxury to use the effect just for the fun of it.

Layers: What artists have most inspired you? How has that inspiration carried over into your own work?

Bergstrand: Paul Rand is the undisputed king if you ask me. I don’t want to use “was” because his work is still so fresh. (What was UPS thinking of when they destroyed their classic logo?) His work proves that there’s no boundary between illustration and graphic design. In all things important they’re the same. This is a fundamental and very inspiring truth—many times sadly forgotten, though. Why are design schools so keen on separating the two? I don’t see the gain in that, only loss.

Jonas Bergstrand:
www.jonasbergstrand.com

Matt Haley is a creative consultant and commercial illustrator who has most recently provided onscreen artwork for seasons one and two of Stan Lee’s Who Wants to Be a Superhero TV series for the SciFi Channel. He is also currently designing a video game IP for Atari.

How did you get your start as a comic book illustrator?
Honestly, I just kept drawing and drawing and sending my art around until somebody hired me. I started really young. I got my first gig drawing Star Trek for DC Comics when I was 20, so I learned a lot on the job, blew some deadlines, and realized I had to take this stuff seriously if I wanted to keep my career going.

I know you had the privilege of illustrating the comic book adaptation of Superman Returns in 2006. What was your creative process like? Were you given much creative latitude, or did you work within a pretty structured framework?
Oh, it was very structured. You’re basically being asked to adapt a film they won’t let you see, which is why most movie adaptations look pretty different from the final film. I had very little reference supplied by Warner Bros. Studios because they were worried about images from the film getting out before the film’s release. I did hire a couple of models to pose so I could get the clothing right—one of them had actually been cast for the role of Superman!

What responsibility do you carry for Stan Lee’s Who Wants to Be a Superhero television series? How has that challenged you as an illustrator?
In addition to consulting with the producers, I create all the comic art seen in the show: when our contestants first appear, when they get their new costumes, and when we cut to commercial. It helps to reinforce the notion that this show is about people who want to be real-life superheroes. The biggest challenge for me is trying to hit that middle ground between photographic likeness and comic-book dynamism.

Describe your workflow. Do you start with paper and scan your artwork in, or do you do everything digitally?
I generally only do pencil artwork when I do comics, but ever since I got a Cintiq tablet, I’m doing all of my commercial art digitally. The Intel Mac Pro is so powerful, there’s virtually no lag time between penstrokes, so I can generate digital art very quickly.

What software applications do you work with most? If you typically work with more than one, how does that usually play out?
My commercial work (like the art done for the show) is a combination of Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. I use Painter for basic drawing because you can move files back and forth between it and Photoshop. Although if you have any paths in your file, they’ll be lost in the transfer to Painter, so be sure to save a duplicate version.

What advice would you give to talented artists looking to break into the creative arts industry?
I think the best thing to do is work hard to develop your own style, and realize you’ll never be an overnight success—there’s no such thing. Doing this for a living is a long, hard road, but it can be very rewarding. There’s no job like it. Additionally, don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it, that you’ll never make a living, that you’re crazy for pursuing it. The more I heard that when I was younger, the more determined I was to succeed.

Check out more of Matt’s work:
www.matthaley.com
blackmatte.blogspot.com