Interview with Gavin Ball [gbball] on Whohub

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What is your specialty in illustration?

I specialize in design, whether it be characters, props, creatures, vehicles or environments. That is what I like to do the most. I'm also pretty adept doing portraits and caricatures.

What are your regular clients like? What do they expect from you?

My clients vary, but I do a fair amount of work for advertisement and idea pitches. So that means a lot of thumbnails and process work, getting stuff approved at different milestones.

In terms of a final product, I usually work digitally, unless someone needs an original copy of something which does happen sometimes. My work is generally pretty cartoony, but highly rendered at the same time, I also try to be unique and creative. So I guess that's probably what my clients are expecting.

Is there a web address where we can see some of your work?

Have you completed formal art studies, or are you self-taught?

I've been studying art in school since I was 9 years old. The last formal schooling I had was at Seneca College in Toronto for animation. That is where I really learned a lot from some really good teachers.

After that I did a few workshops here and there. Art is something that you have to continually work at, so I expect to be honing my skills for the rest of my life.

How did you get your first full assignment? What did it involve?

The first assignment I got was when I was still in art college. I had a summer job at the Rogers Centre (Skydome at that time) as a cook.

My bosses there knew that I drew caricatures because I approached them one time about doing caricatures during baseball games. The way they got me to prove I could do it (caricatures) was by doing some samples of the staff there.

That never ended up panning out, but a few months later, they need some caricatures of the company executives for an idea they were pitching to do bottled sauces with the executives faces on them. So basically they just asked me to do it. They gave me some photos to work from and off I went. The images turned out really cool. The sauces never got produced, but it was a fun experience.

What past or present day illustrators do you admire most?

My favorite artists and illustrators of all time are (in no particular order):

Leonardo da Vinci
Gustav Klimt
Hyung Tae Kim
Norman Rockwell
H.C. Lyandecker
Hermann Mejia

There are so many more, but this all I can think of off the top of my head.

How similar are your current drawings to those you did as a child?

They're similar in concept, but they are far more sophisticated now. There is no comparison in terms of technical execution.

What was your favorite comic book as a child?

Spider-man, because I could relate a lot to him. He had problems that regular people had, but he still always did his best under the circumstances.

Do you have a particular style, or does it vary a lot?

I have a naturally occurring style, so anyone who knows my work can tell what I've done. But it is not something that I focus on or do intentionally. My range in terms of the type of drawings and paintings I do is pretty large, but something about the way I do things seems to tie everything together.

What is hardest to draw?

Nothing is hard if you are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

What type of music do you listen to while you work?

Lately a lot of inspirational and gospel music, if I am listening to anything at all.
I find that it puts me into a positive frame of mind.

Do you have a favorite work of art?

Hmmm...not yet, I'm still learning and putting all the pieces together. Usually it's the latest thing I did. I found that if I hold on to one particular drawing to much, I'll try to emulate it in all my works (which I don't want to do).

In general, I try not to get to attached to any one piece of work. I really like a lot of what I do though and I keep just about everything (unless I sell it or do it for a client). I rarely throw drawings away (only if it's really bad).

What do you do when a client simply says "I don't like it"?

If that happens, I have to figure out why. The best way of course is to ask. If that doesn't work though, or if they are unable to articulate the reason. I'll look at what the client does like and ask myself 'why?', once I have an idea of what they might be looking for, I'll send some samples of what I think they will like, done by either by myself or another artist. If they like that, then I know how to proceed.

What new techniques have you been experimenting with lately?

I paint primarily digitally so I'm trying to get back to the traditional stuff like oil painting.

What part of your work do you do on paper and what part digitally?

Usually I'll do a sketch then paint over it using the computer. Sometimes I'll do everything digitally or everything traditionally. It all depends on what its for and what I think is the most appropriate

What research do you do for your illustrations?

Usually I'll go to the library or check online (google images, flickr.com and wikipedia.org). Sometimes I'll go to the book store if I need something more specific or current.

Do you have colleagues with whom you share techniques, tricks, ideas, etc.?

Yeah, whenever I see someone using a cool technique or method, I'll ask them how they do it. Also, if they want to know how I did something I'll always let them know.

Do you have any specific goals as an illustrator?

My goal as an illustrator is to fully reach my potential as an artist. I'm also committed to advancing the craft through innovative use of tools and developing new methods for doing artwork.

That is what motivates me the most.

What illustration web sites do you frequent?

I go to cgsociety.org, conceptart.org deviantart.com and I like to check out artists blogs a lot too.

What are you working on now?

Right now I'm working on a comic book/video game project. It is an original IP and I'm really excited about it. I'm also working on some development stuff for some cool movie pitches at work.

What advice do you have for someone who likes to draw and would like to make a living from it?

Just keep drawing, stay persistent and keep following your dream. The road isn't always easy, but if you have enough passion for what you want to do, that should help carry you through the difficult spots.

Don't give up!

If you want to follow my work, you can check out my blog at gavinball.blogspot.com

Take care!

-Gavin

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