MEGHAN MURPHY

I'm a freelance illustrator, located in Rochester NY USA, specializing in digital work that is heavily-influence by graphic design. Adobe Illustrator is my best friend, and my worst enemy. I also write and illustrate a webcomic called Kawaii Not (www.kawaiinot.com). I'm probably a little crazy -- but in the best possible way.


When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

I've always known I wanted to be an artist, except for a brief love affair with marine biology in middle school, so I guess in that way I'm pretty lucky. I actually went to a high school for the arts, and it was there I realized that this "art thing" was the real deal, that it was what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing in some way or another.


Who or what inspires you?

Inspiration-wise, I've always considered myself something of a magpie - my imagination grabs onto the shiny/interesting bits and pieces of everything around me, and files it all in my head for later use. I particularly love trawling through art books for ideas, and I really dig any sort of visual reference book (like any in the Taschen Icon series). Movies are also a brilliant starting place for me when I'm brewing up a brain storm.


Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

As I mentioned before, my high school was arts-based, so I guess my official training began there, with a strong emphasis on basic drawing techniques -- which was the perfect foundation I would have to say. I went on to get myself a Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and then after spending two years working as a cashier/pharmacy technician and realizing I'd go nuts if I had to do this a day longer, I enrolled at the Rochester Institute of Technology and received a Master's in Computer Graphics Design. I basically spent two years in a basement computer lab pouring my sanity into a glowing computer screen in front of me. It was a weird and wonderful time.


How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I keep fresh by remaining as busy as I can, and always trying to have new projects coming in. It's hard to get caught up in one problem too long when you have other work that needs to be done. Of course, a good old-fashioned stare into space can work wonders too. Sometimes just shutting down for five or so minutes is completely and utterly necessary.


What are some of your current projects?

Currently I'm writing a series of Illustrator-based tutorials for a newsletter, as well as creating new illustrations to supplement each article. I also have a hush-hush project I'm very excited about, provided everything works out. Both my fingers and my toes are crossed for that one. Of course, I'm always working on my webcomic Kawaii Not. I update with a new comic once a week. Well, I try, at least.


Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

I'm not sure I have a good answer for this one. I'm usually proud of any project I finish, or I feel like I've failed. I'm always competing against myself to get better and better.


Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

Man, what don't I want to try? I see something, and I want to give it a whirl. I am particularly interested in doing some printmaking. I explored it somewhat in college, and really loved the whole process involved in making a print. I also want to paint more -- but doesn't everyone?


Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Keep working! Every illustration, every design -- even the ones that seem to fail -- bring you closer to being the artist you want yourself to be. You can't win if you don't play. You can't even tie.


What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

Hmmm... I think I'm still figuring this one out sometimes. I mean, part of the equation is obviously the marriage of a great concept with great execution, but sometimes there seems like there's a third part that's a little more nebulous in a truly brilliant piece of illustration or design. Maybe it's that instinct that leads you in the right direction when you're creating.


What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

I try to work many different kinds of projects, usually all at once. A magazine illustration, writing a tutorial, designing a t-shirt; mixing up my work flow keeps my brain limber and engaged. I hate being bored.


And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?

Ooo...that's a tough one. I'm completely addicted to Veronica Mars, and have a pretty embarrassing attachment to Lost -- even when it seems to be just stringing me along. And The Venture Brothers, although not technically on in prime-time, is the perfect mix of gorgeous design and insane writing. Oh yeah, and I really, really miss Arrested Development. Damn.


Related Link:

http://www.murphypop.com

Recent Work:

BEN LANE

Hi, I'm Benjamin Lane. 35 years ago, I was born. 17 years ago, I went to prom with my girlfriend. 16 years and 51 weeks ago, I got dumped by my girlfriend. 16 years and 50 weeks ago, the "Simpsons" premiered on Fox. 9 years ago, I got married and started working on the "Simpsons" as a character layout animator. 5 years ago, I had a little boy. Last month I built him a clubhouse.

Every once in a while, I draw something.

Sometimes, those drawings become animations.

When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

Around first grade I played on a little league baseball team. I played outfield. I was always playing outfield. Sometimes, I just stayed in the outfield even when my team was up to bat. It really didn't matter who was up to bat because there was no way I was going to catch the ball. The ball terrified me. It was obvious to most everyone, including myself, that my baseball was not my calling. So I tried drawing.

Drawing was fun. Drawing rarely caused bodily harm. My older brother also drew and had a lot of sketchbooks full of wonderful cartoons. One year, I got a small lightbox and started tracing over his drawings. I got pretty good at doodling and slowly began to realize that other people really enjoyed my sketches. This peaked my interest in art. The real pivotal moment came during college when, my then girlfriend (now wife), helped me leave the ramshackle art school I was attending and go to an art college that offered a wide array of training and possibilities. It was there that I was exposed to all aspects of art; graphic arts, illustration, comic book, fine art, sculpture, animation, etc.....I had found my calling.

Who or what inspires you?

I get inspiration from all sorts of things. Museums, magazine ads, milk cartons. I usually have my best inspirations when I'm supposed to be working. There's a corner of my desk that is reserved specifically for idle sketches that happen while I work. It tends to pile up very fast. I also learned to keep a sketchbook with me at all times, for who knows when you might see a precious pimply faced kid looking completely void while he mans the castle jumper at Chuck-E-Cheese.

Recently, I've been hooked on blogs. It's like peeking into someone else's sketchbook. I'll find a blog I like and they almost always have links to other great artists. It's a vicious circle. Before I know it, it's so late that I'm going to bed to info-mercials. I've had to reorganize my 'favorites' folder because I've bookmarked so many blogs.

As far as artists that inspire me. Glenn Barr comes to mind, Peter De Seve, Carter Goodrich, Gary Baseman, Heinrich Kley, Lane Smith, Bill Watterson, Rockwell, Daniel Adel...fine artists with a sense of humor.

Inspirational blogs: Why sugarfrostedgoodness.com of course! As well as blogs of Pascal Campion, Jared Chapman, Steve Lambe, Marcelo Vignali....too many to mention really.

Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

I went to Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio. My main motivation for going there was because Disney studios had sent representatives to look over porfolios every year. Animation was having another revival and I had ambitions of becoming the next Walt, however, "Lane Land" just didn't seem to have the same pizzaz as "Disneyland".

I taught myself Flash and thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the program. I love creating short animations, I love illustrating with Flash, I love making applications with Actionscript. I love Flash, and Flash….loves me.

How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I keep looking at inspirational work. I'll try something new. I bathe daily.

What are some of your current projects?

I work full-time as a character animator on the Simpsons. In the late hours, I’ve been freelancing with American Greetings creating “winks” - animated greetings used with instant messaging. In the late, late hours, I’ve been doing some design work with Flinch studios in Florida and Wicked Liquid out in L.A. And in the early morning hours, I’m painting my house.

Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

A while back, I animated a short segment of the Simpsons in Flash. It was dream sequence that was supposed to emulate the look of the opening credits to “Catch me if you can”. It was a nice melding of work and hobby.

Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

Hypnotism.

Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Focus on telling a story with your images. That’s the bottom line of illustration. Don’t get hung up on mastering a slick technique. If your drawing conveys a message (hopefully, the message you intended to convey), consider yourself a successful illustrator.

What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

See #8. Even the simplest sketch can be considered a successful illustration if it can convey a message beyond being just a sketch. Almost sounds like the premise for a Disney film.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

To keep motivated, I’ll look through my collection of art books, illustration annuals, sketchbooks of other artists, etc… within a few pages, I’ll find myself at my desk doodling away, trying to capture a feeling I got from looking those other great works of art.

Avoiding burn-out? Take breaks. That and I’ll find ways to create and play at the same time. For example, I’ve made simple games on the computer that I could play with friends, but during that process, I’ve learned something that will help with a future job. I’m having fun, but I’m developing skills at the same time. If only high school was like that.

And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?

Well, I'd have to go with "The Simpsons"...followed closely by World series of Poker, 24, and Lost. Oh, and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.

Related Link:

http://www.benlane.com/


Recent Work:

TOMMY KANE

My name is Tommy Kane and I have been an advertising art director for
the past 25 years, cranking out print ads and commercials for people
like IBM, Life magazine, SONY, Liz Claiborne, and blah, blah blah.
During this time, I was secretly drawing and painting relentlessly on
my own. Recently, I put a website together to showcase what I have
been doing. The response has been overwhelming. It has rekindled in
me those feelings I had when I first started out all those years ago
to become an illustrator. I am now taking the first steps to making
it a reality.


When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

In my mind, I decided to be an illustrator at three years old. I had
no interest in design. After graduating from art school in Buffalo, I
was hired to be an illustrator for The Buffalo Evening News. But my
dream was to work and live in Manhattan. Soon after I moved to New
York City, I realized it would be very difficult living here because
you need lots of dough just to survive. The pivotal moment in my life
was getting hired my first day in New York by an advertising agency.
My job was to do magic marker drawings all day so the art directors
could show their ideas to the clients. I realized there was more
money in the art directing thing than illustrating so I gradually
abandoned my dream of being a full time illustrator. After 25 years
as a creative director, I am finally going to try to pursue being a
full time illustrator. I'm giving myself the gift of a second pivotal
moment in my life.


Who or what inspires you?

This may be an odd answer but I would definitely have to say, the
internet. I have discovered and met more great artists there than I
ever could have in a lifetime of scouring bookstores, magazine stands
and museums. There are such brilliant websites like Art Dorks, Drawn,
Juxtapoz, Illustration Mundo, 3 Thumbs Up, and the Wooster
Collective. I've become friends with great artists such as Sauerkids,
Danny Gregory, Mattias Adolfsson, John Casey, Vonster, Butch Belair,
Brendan Danielsson, James Jean, Lori Early, Tomer Hanuka, and on and
on. So I'm very inspired knowing I can wake up in the morning, stroll
to the computer in my underwear and with one click discover new
artists, musicians and filmmakers whose work will blow my mind.


Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

My training comes from Mad magazine. I was very self-driven to draw
even from as young as three. No one made me, I just wanted to do it
all the time. I had no formal training in art until I entered
college. That left an awful lot of years for me to develop as much as
I possibly could all on my own. It wasn't just the illustrations in
Mad magazine, it was also the sense of humor and the rule breaking
that I also loved so much. No one would be in art school unless you
have somewhere along the way taught yourself how to be a decent
enough artist to get into an art school in the first place. That was
a weird sentence. Once in art school, though, I progressed in leaps
and bounds because I was so hungry for the training I never had. I
took it quite seriously.


How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I keep myself fresh by applying a liberal amount of Old Spice
deodorant to the old underarms each morning. Wait, maybe that's not
what you're asking. Advertising is mostly filled with uncreative
people who think having ten clients tell them how to make an ad is
creative. It has always been easy for me to keep fresh because I am
an anomaly of an art director who is actually a real artist. You
know, I can actually draw and paint. I have a thirst for discovering
interesting talented people. Ad people tend to use the same ten
photographers and directors over and over.


What are some of your current projects?

Finding an illustrator rep. I plan to move from the lowly but
extremely high-paying field of advertising to the highly regarded low-
paying field of illustration.


Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

Unfortunately having been in advertising for 25 years my answer isn't
about my personal work but a stupid ad campaign instead. My ads for
Steve Madden shoes reached a cult-like status. It was a very famous
campaign on the east coast for ten years. It spawned a slew of
copycats. Even the hugely successful Bratz dolls were based on my
ads. I have to give Butch Belair, the photographer a huge amount of
credit for creating them with me. He's a genius of sorts. You can see
some of them on my website under print ads. Hopefully in the coming
years my answer won't be about advertising anymore.


Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?


No. That is the one thing about being an art director for 25 years.
I've done everything. I've art directed music videos for MTV, I've
shot commercials in France, New Zealand, Africa, Australia, New York,
Los Angeles and Amsterdam, I've done all types of animation, I have
two commercials in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern
Art in New York, I've worked with huge print and still life
photographers and countless great illustrators. I've done all that,
and I still say advertising sucks. It's the money that keeps you going.


Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Don't get discouraged. It can be very daunting starting out. You can
easily get derailed by so many factors, and money is the big one for
many people. I remember a friend who graduated from my art school. He
didn't instantly find a job in art. He got hired at a bank instead.
He got married and had a little kid. Slowly he was succeeding in the
bank. He was not happy but he felt he needed the money he was making
to support his family. He would have had to make a lot less to start
over as an art director, designer or illustrator. So he never made a
move. I know now he regrets it. I on the other hand had only one
mission. Get a job in art. So again, try not to get derailed early.
You will probably hate the job you get in art anyway but at least
you'll be paid to do art everyday.


What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

There are several ways to look at this. In advertising, there are
meaningless awards handed out. Certain ads I've done have hit a
certain cult-like status, like the Steve Madden and Yellowtail ads.
When I served on a jury once, everyone went around and told a little
bit about themselves to the others. After I told them I created
those ads, no one looked at me the same again. They even made me the
foreman. That's success.


What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

I journal. I have a moleskine book I keep with me at all times. So I
can draw anywhere, anytime. And I do. I draw until my fingers fall
off. Plus I just got married.


And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?

It would have to be Access Hollywood. It's the only way I can find
out if Brittany Spears has dropped her baby on its head again. Where
else can I hear about the trials and tribulations of Tom Cruise or
how Jennifer Anniston is coping with her bad hair days? I need to
know instantly if Paris Hilton's dog has gotten new breast implants.


Related Links:

http://tommykane.com/
http://tommykane.blogspot.com/


Recent Work: