Q: "How long have you been working as an artist?" WOC: "I've been drawing ever since I was a child. I began studying formally at the age of ten at a private art academy in my home town. From there I went to Alfred University where I received a BFA in painting in 1992. During this time I also studied at The School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design in Manhattan to learn illustration. I received my first commission in 1991, and have been illustrating professionally ever since." Q: "What kind of materials do you use?" WOC: "I always say that I will use whatever gets the job done. I've used everything under the sun, from oils and acrylics to collage, mixed media, found objects, digital, and even dirt. I am always experimenting with new techniques, new mediums and grounds. I have found however that the majority of my pieces are acrylic under paintings with oil finishes on either illustration board or masonite. Beginning in 2005 I have been painting digitally, using Photoshop on top of traditional drawings, using a stylus. This technique has allowed me to experiment with new textures and colors that was impossible in traditional painting. Furthermore I find that this is a frequent question when I do personal appearances and demonstrations. I always encourage new artists not to think that buying certain paints and brushes will make them better painters, or that using the same materials and techniques of their favorite artist will make their work look just as good. Just as a $5000 camera will not make you a better photographer, the top of the line oil paint and finest sable brushes will not make you a better artist. In fact expensive materials will often hinder a new artist from feeling that he can experiment and make mistakes. I've done some of my best work with a ball point pen and a piece of copy paper. Practice and patience are the only sure tools you can use, and they are free." Q: "How long does it take you to do a painting? WOC:"When I work on a painting, it is a process that takes several steps. First I like to think about the image I want to portray, the mood I am trying to capture that sums up the story. From here I begin thumb nailing quick compositional concepts, perhaps a dozen. These I refine to a rough sketch or two which is then submitted to the art director. After the two of us have hashed out the changes I produce a finished drawing on the canvas using all of my reference. If the art director requests a color sketch I will provide one, and up to this point usually takes about two weeks. Now I can begin painting. I start with a tonal under painting in acrylic to establish my forms, and basic color scheme. Once this is sealed I can oil paint over this building up consecutive layers of paint, refining and detailing until it is finished. The actual painting process takes about 30 to 50 hours for a book cover depending on the amount of time that is budgeted by the client. The process is very similar when painting digitally. Consecutive layers in Photoshop are applied in almost exactly the same technique as the traditional method. A large book cover may have up to ten Photoshop layers. For more information on how I paint see my new: painting demonstration. Q: "Do you use photo reference?" WOC"It depends on the assignment. If I am painting a dragon, or a two headed beast, no, but I will draw a great deal of inspiration from photo reference of animals or creatures with similar anatomical structure, or details such as skin, eyes, feathers, etc. If I am doing a close portrait of a character then, yes, I do use photography. The flavor and scope of the project is important for deciding whether or not to use photography. For a small spot illustration for a gaming project, it would likely take longer to find a model, setup lighting and costumes, photograph and process the image, than it would to paint the illustration. For a book cover where the facial details are important to the image, then I may take the time. It is important to remember that photographs should not be copied, but rather used as a guideline. I do have a very large reference library for everything from costumes to animals. The internet has also become an invaluable resource for visual reference. " Q: " What do you feel is the most important skill needed to be an illustrator?" WOC:"Storytelling. The art of illustrating is the art of telling stories with pictures. So many artists overlook this fundamental foundation. I've known painters over the years with magnificent skills never succeed because their images do not convey an emotional narrative. They're excellent painters, but not illustrators. Illustrating is not painting, or drawing, or digital or any medium. illustrating is communicating ideas in pictorial form. Tell an interesting story in any medium or style and your making interesting illustrations. Decide what kind of stories you want to tell, then choose a medium that best conveys that vision. All mediums are only tools. Choose the right tool to make your stories come to life. Q:Do I need to go to school for art? WOC:I am often asked by young artists where they should attend school. Choosing a school for art is personal, but I always recommend that students shy away from art schools for their primary education. Art schools can be excellent resources for learning specific skills one class at a time as an adjunct to your education, or as a preparatory introduction to the arts, but lack many of the fundamentals that are essential to receiving a well rounded education. Art is much more than painting and drawing, and being an artist is much more than a technical vocation. Do you need to go to college to be an artist? No. Are there successful artists working who did not attend college? Yes. But I feel that it would be irresponsible to advise young, college age artists, not to get an education and a degree. I always recommend that art students try to attend the most competitive college or university available to them with the best art department. This will expose a young person to a variety of people, ideas, experiences and disciplines that make a mature and thoughtful artist. For reference regarding choosing an art school education vs. a university see the 1/8/06 New York Times article by Daniel Grant "Art Academy or Academe:Four things to know before painting yourself into a corner." Q: "How do you break into the illustration/publishing business?" WOC:"Business is my least favorite aspect of being an illustrator. They don't teach you in art school that a large portion of your time is going to be spent running a small business. Advertising, research, invoicing, contract negotiation, web hosting, shipping, travel, etc. Starting a career as an illustrator is no different than starting any other business. Advertising and visibility are your first concerns. Most business models will advise that you should spend 10% of your net income every year on advertising. Go to every single convention you can possibly schedule. The bigger the better. Gen Con, World Con, Dragon Con, San Diego Comic Con, these are some of the biggest. Don't underestimate the little local cons too. These are great for networking with other artists in your area, and developing a support group. Hopefully at these cons you will get noticed by winning an award, giving away a lot of flyers, and meeting editors and art directors. A website portfolio is essential, so that art directors have 24/7 access to your work. Hard copy portfolios are still accepted at most publishers, but it has become much faster for an art director to just click to your website, than to sift through hundreds of portfolios. I have not shown a hard copy portfolio in years, and have not been asked for one. Blanket advertising like the Illustrator's annuals are an expensive and ultimately fruitless endeavor. There are thousands of artists in those books and they go to advertising agencies and marketing departments. Target advertising is best. Only send out mailers to art directors, not to art departments. Annuals such as Spectrum or Society of Illustrators are excellent since a twenty dollar investment can potentially put you in a collection of the year's best, and on the shelf of every art director in your field. In the beginning commissions may be few and far between, but take advantage of this time. Spend any down time you have working on your business. Create new paintings for your portfolio, learn new skills, take a life class, travel, work on advertising etc. Becoming a full time professional illustrator is like becoming a full time actor or writer. Treat your career like a business, and you will greatly improve your chances for success. Q: "What is your favorite part of being an illustrator?" WOC:"The freedom. Being your own boss is difficult, and a lot of hard work, but as an old friend of mine says, "A bad day painting, is better than a good day working." I make my own hours, I can accept or decline work as I like the project, and best of all, I draw monsters all day. The people I've met over the years too are some of the most talented and steady friends in my life. That has been a real joy." Q: "What painting in your career are you most proud of?" WOC:"At last count I have executed nearly 3000 illustrations for publication since 1991. I would have to say that "The Green Knight" is my favorite. Of all my paintings, it is the only one that hangs in my home. For me it is the purest composition, compelling narrative, and painted well. It was the process of that painting that makes it my favorite. Even today, I can recall the sheer pleasure of executing that piece. The paint just sang, using stains and scumbles, scratches, impasto, and glazes, it was like playing." Q: "What should I put in my portfolio?" WOC:"A portfolio should reflect only your best work, and should be genre specific. (ie: if you want to do fantasy work, show fantasy work. If you want to do comics, show comics.) Professional portfolios should look professional, and display only print-ready work. Do not show anything derivative. I've seen art directors close portfolios after the first page because it was just manga cartoons or pencil renderings of super heroes, or celebrity portraits. Come up with your own designs, your own concepts, your own creations. If you look at the most successful artists in the genre they are all unique in their style and look. If a client wants that particular look, they have to hire that artist. If your portfolio is just a copy of things you've already seen, there is no reason for anyone to hire you. Ultimately, what you want people to say when they look at your work is, "wow, I've never seen that before." Q:"Who are your favorite artists?" WOC:"There are so many artists that I admire that it would be impossible to name only one. As an illustrator, I often look to Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth for inspiration. As a painter I find many of the modern artists inspirational for their compositions and bold colors. Among these are Kandinsky and Motherwell. In the past several years I have become deeply influenced by the Japanese woodblock painters like Hiroshige and Hokusai for their cinematic compositions. As a story teller I always look to film. My favorites for cinematography are, Lawrence of Arabia, Apocalypse Now, The Last of the Mohicans, and anything by Ridley Scott. Amongst my peers I admire Donato Giancola, Todd Lockwood, Adam Rex, Keith Parkinson, Larry Elmore, Michael Whelan and Tom Kidd, not necessarily in that order." Q:"What do you feel is the most important aspect of being an illustrator?" WOC:"Patience. Patience in developing skills, patience in your work, patience in your career. I strive for patience, but usually fall drastically short." Q: "What reading list and web sites do you recommend for artists?" WOC:"There are so many great works that could help guide an artist in his career, some practical, others are more spiritual. First of all under no circumstances should you ever pick up a book that has the words "how to draw" in the title. Very simply, there is no one way to draw, there's just one person's way to draw, and each person has to find their own way. The only way to learn is to do it, everyday, from life, never copy another artists work. It takes more time, but you will develop your own voice, and save a lot of money on books. The only way to learn to draw is to draw. With this in mind there are however hard and fast rules of aesthetics, color theory, optics composition, and perception that are unalterable, and they must be learned. Some of the books that have helped me over the years: • "The Story of Art" E.H. Gombrich. (The only must-have book. Traces the ideas and movements of art from the prehistoric to the present day.) •"Art and Illusion: A study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation". E.H. Gombrich. (This book is a great reference for learning how and why we see pictures.) •"Introduction to Aesthetics" George Dickie. (Comprehensive overview of the history of art theory and the study of beauty.) •"American Society for Aesthetics" visit:aesthetics-online.org(A great website with interesting articles by some of today's best art theorists.) • "Composition". Sarah Kent. (This is a children's introduction to composition that I use for teaching, but I have never found a better reference on the subject.) • A wonderful webpage that sums up the basics of Composition: Composition and Design Principles •"Color Perception in Art". Faber Birren. (Everything you ever needed to know about color theory.) •"An Atlas of Anatomy for Artists". Fritz Schider. (The Anatomy book that I have worked from since high school.) •"History of Art". H.W. Janson. (The definitive book on the history of art that every freshman art major is required to own.) •"Concerning the Spiritual in Art". Wassily Kandinsky. (A treatise on the idea of the avante garde and the emotional impact of color.) •"Theories of Modern Art." Hershel Chipp. (A collection of writings from some of the leading artists from the modernist movement.) •"The Artist's Handbook" Ralph Mayer. (The ultimate art how-to book. Everything from grinding pigment, to making your own paint brushes and great color-spectrum charts.) •"The Sun the Moon and the Stars". Steven Brust. (A novel about a young painter in NYC. One of my favorites.) •"Narcissus and Goldmund". Hermen Hesse. (A novel about two artists in the middle ages. One a journeyman, the other a monk.) •"The Life of Bevenuto Cellini" Bevenuto Cellini. (Autobiography of a baroque sculptor chronicling his adventures in Italy.) Q:"What do you do when not illustrating?" WOC:"That would assume there is a time when I'm not illustrating. Actually I love the outdoors. Hiking and gardening are two activities I really enjoy. I've hiked in Maine, Montana, Wyoming, New York, New Jersey, California and Washington. One day I hope to hike the Appalachin Trail. I like traveling in general. Being an illustrator has allowed me to travel all over the country and visit museums and meet people, and see interesting and historic places. Q:"Where do you get your ideas?" WOC:" I steal them from a little elf in my dreams. Believe it or not, this is also a common question. If I had a formula for coming up with new ideas I'd be the wealthiest man in the world. Unfortunately, ideas are an amalgamation of all our experiences and perceptions. Sometimes the stimuli of what you've seen and done or where you have been at a certain time triggers an idea. The general formula for coming up with new ideas is not to close off the world. There are 5000 years of painting and sculpture, 2000 years of literature and 1000 years of music to be inspired by. For an artist to purposefully only focus on early 21st century pop culture is hopelessly short sighted. Going out and seeing and doing everything you can will inspire ideas and creativity. Listen to music you've never heard before, go to a new museum or gallery, try a new art medium, eat food you've never tasted before, talk to people you've never met. These are the ingredients of experience, and new ideas." Are there questions that you have that are not listed here? To send a question or comment to William O'Connor mail to: William O'Connor PO Box 434 Scotch Plains, NJ 07076-0434 wocillo@comcast.net