ROBERT CARTER

British born artist Robert Carter is an award-winning illustrator. He combines a strong foundation in portraiture with a unique sense of visual and conceptual problem solving to create his striking, vibrant and textured illustrations and portraits. Robert now lives and works in Baden, Ontario Canada.

A selection of Robert's work can be seen at his personal portfolio website www.crackedhat.com


When did you first decide to become an illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

Actually I've pretty much known since I was a little kid that I had artistic talent, so I've been pursuing a career in it ever since. To be honest I've never actually seriously considered any other profession.




Who or what inspires you?

Inspiration is everywhere but as far as my artistic influences are concerned I have many, which I continually add to as I discover (or re-discover) great artists. Some of which include terrific painters like John Singer Sargent, Egon Schiele, Norman Rockwell, Lucian Freud, Steve Huston and Heather Horton. Also amazing illustrators like Kent Williams, Ray Caesar, Sterling Hundley, James Jean and Joe Morse. I could go on.




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

I graduated with a diploma in Interpretative Illustration from Sheridan College School of Art and Design in Oakville, Ontario Canada.




How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

Well I don't think it's a good idea to jump onto a particular style of illustration just because it's popular at the time. I do what I like to do and follow my interests, creating artwork I'm excited about. It may fall in and out of current trends but there's nothing you can do about that. I'm always trying to better my work and myself, exploring new things and keeping my work fresh in the minds of potential clients though. That's all you really can do I think.




What are some of your current projects?

At the moment I'm working on a cover illustration for Executive Buying Guide about making crucial decisions in big business. I'm also doing an a double portrait illustration of Al Gore and Chris Paine for Backbone magazine which talks about truth versus fiction regarding their recent documentaries "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Who killed the Electric Car."




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

An Illustration I did a while ago called "What A Waste" which was intended to be the cover for American Prospect magazine but got pulled at the last minute due to it being too controversial. It makes a strong statement on an important issue, which I believe strongly in. Also my Johnny Cash portrait, which has been very successful for me. It was also one of the very first paintings done in what I call my monotone style, a style of illustrating that I'm becoming known for.





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

Well I experimented with many different mediums and styles in college but one I've not yet tried and am really itching to is Encaustic where you paint with wax!





Any advice to the novice designer/illustrator?

Keep at it! If you truly know that being an artist is what you want to do, then keep working at it! Continually refine your skills and push your talent. Recognize and admit your weaknesses then work on solving them. Also know your strengths and play to them. If you have faith in yourself and your abilities and work hard on bettering your skills, success is sure to follow.





What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

If it grabs the attention of the audience.All I really ask is to grab their attention for at least a moment. Nothing is worse than to have people walk right by, turn the page or click next without wanting to stop for at least a moment and see what it is you have to say.





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

I've learned to take a break. I know it sounds obvious but I use to work through just to get it done even though I was uninspired or mentally and physically drained. Now I know there is no point to try and fight it. The work will suffer and in the end I will be disappointed and so will the client. If time permits I walk away from the easel and go do something to take my mind off work then get back to it with a fresh head.





Finish this sentence. "If I weren't a designer/illustrator I would have been a..."

Bum! No actually I think I would like to have been a professional chef, I love to cook.





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

Heroes!


Related Links:

www.crackedhat.com

STEPH DOYLE

Hello! My name is Steph Doyle. I am a corporate in-house creative director for a non-profit by day, and an independent graphic designer/illustrator by night. I have been working in the creative business since 1979. I am married to an attractive and creative gal named Michele and am currently located in Frederick, Maryland, which is about 40 miles north of Washington, DC. My illustration and design work has been published in various Government, National and International publications. I have a passion for aviation and the history surrounding flight and I’m sure you’ll see a reflection of that passion in some of my work.


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

I think the pivotal moment was when I was in the sixth grade. I was heavily into skateboarding and designed and built my own line of wooden skateboards. After being asked by my friends what kind of board I was riding, I decided to create a logo and spray paint it on the boards using hand-cut stencils made from masking tape and cardboard. The results were quite effective and drew a lot of attention. It was my first branding effort and I didn’t even realize it. I just knew I had a knack for it. Now that I reflect back on this effort, I wish I had kept those skateboards.




Who or what inspires you?

God inspires me. How the Earth looks from outer space. Looking at the early morning sky with all of its amazing color. Flight, and the fact that a huge composition of metal, glass and wood can fly safely at 600 miles-per-hour. Knowing that in this world, I am but a single grain of sand on an endless beach hoping to be discovered.

From a professional standpoint: Tibor Kalman really inspires me. After reading about him after his death, I discovered I was unknowingly following the same path he did and experienced a lot of the same trials and processes. I was never formally trained to be a graphic designer and after reading about Tibor, I felt reassured and confident in a world surrounded by degreed design professionals. What I found to be even more ironic is that Tibor employed an art director that shares my name, Stephen Doyle. That is part of the reason I go by the name of Steph rather than Stephen. I don’t think the design world is ready for two Stephen Doyle’s. Not just yet, anyway.




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

I started working as a sign painter for Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) right out of high school rendering large-scale type and illustrations on billboards by hand. From there I took many baby-steps to work my way up the career ladder over a long period of time. However, I did attend college courses and participated in art education programs along with continuing education throughout my career. I would have to say the best form of education I have received so far is through mentorship. I have had the pleasure of being instructed and criticized by many fine craftsman, designers, and artists of various levels of experience. My alma mater is The School of Hard Knocks. Fortunately, I never graduated, and I will always continue to focus on learning from others.




How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I actively network with other design and art professionals through organized meetings and conferences, read 10-12 professional publications per month, and participate in a few design forums online. I’m a member of the DC Area InDesign Users Group, the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, and several others. I also focus on the business side of our industry through such organizations as Creative Latitude and No-Spec.




What are some of your current projects?

I am finishing up a huge graphic standards manual project for the Center for Prostate Disease Research to wrap up a major re-branding effort. On the freelance side of the coin, I just finished a brand identity project for a small aviation business out of Florida. I have a few web design projects in the mill, one for a homeowners association, and one for a private school. I am also in the negotiation phase of branding a business that sells gourmet and specialty meat products, which is turning out to be quite a challenge.





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

This is a tough question and I don’t want to appear to be taking the easy way out, but I don’t have any particular favorites, I am proud of them all. I wouldn’t produce work I wasn’t proud of. There are many different levels of pride I guess. But if I had to pick which area of my field I like the best, that would be branding and creating logos. I find it a thrill to see the successful results of an identity that I have created.




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

I want to eventually try doing some Gocco produced illustration. Keith Bowman from The Design Bureau of Amerika does some interesting compositions using this technique and I have been intrigued by his work. I also want to get into silkscreen printing. I want to push screen-printing to the edge and do some wild experimental work with this medium on different surfaces like wood, metal and plastic.




Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Yes. Respect your elders. Seek out mentorship from those that have been in the business for a while and have already experienced the heartaches and growing pains. I know it saved me from a lot of disappointment and hurt. I always have to remind myself that there is going to be someone out there that is better at doing certain things than I am. The goal is to find out why they are better, embrace the challenge of working toward that level of experience, and then pass that knowledge on to others.

Secondly, don’t be afraid of continually interacting with other designers or artists. Whenever possible, solicit ideas and critique from others in the field. Many different ideas merged and polished by a collective team tend to be more successful than a single point of view. Often I find that people in our field love to throw in their two cents. Other points of view, no matter how much I may or may not agree with them, are a resource I can’t survive without.




What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

The piece must make a strong connection with the intended audience. I don’t care how cool a finished project may look to a group of designers or peers if it doesn’t convey the message clearly to the targeted demographic it’s a flop.




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

I participate in creative play and exercises, like say, SFG. Illustration Friday is another good forum for free exploration. And the HOWiezine on the HOW design forum is a great opportunity to break free with my talent. I also get a book, or “zine,” of my very own to see how all the different designers and illustrators solved a problem. These exercises are necessary for exploring topics or mediums that I normally wouldn’t on a regular basis. It all boils down to the freedom of expression each exercise offers and there is no client involved in the process to tell me to make changes.




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

I enjoy watching CSI. The processes they use to solve problems are interesting and I try and take some of that away with me into the real world of my profession. The special effects are very convincing as well. There have been times that I have actually felt sick watching them explore a decayed human body for clues.



Related Links:

My work can be found at:
http://flickr.com/photos/delineatedesign/sets

Here is my blog:
http://stephdelineated.blogspot.com