Interview with:Tigz Rice [tigz]
ILLUSTRATION
 | What is your specialty in illustration? Over the last year or so, my work has been very focused on digital imagery with strong links to animation. I love working with photography and actively go out searching for interesting textures to apply to my work in Photoshop.
I have quite a dark mind and love creating evil pieces. I have just completed an adult picture book inspired by Alice in Wonderland, which tells the story of a ex-cocaine abuser and her experiences of addiction. You can read more about it at http://tigzrt.blogspot.com |
| What are your regular clients like? What do they expect from you? I've done quite a large selection of things over the years including window displays for Lush, tattoo designs, greetings cards and flash games design amongst others. Sometimes I can have a few hours for a deadline and sometimes its a few weeks but I always rise to the challenge and get things done on time if not before! Although the work itself may vary, I'm normally expected to produce some sort of roughs or work in progress at a set point in time and then check with the art director before going ahead. |
| 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 have just finished my final year of illustration at Westminster, so yes I have had formal training in drawing and painting, however as I decided to specialise in digital design most of the software packages I have had to learn myself or have picked up tips and tricks off work experience. I have also been known to sit in the back of other animation/film/photography student's classes if there was something in particular I wanted to learn! |
| How did you get your first full assignment? What did it involve? My first full assignment was to create a piece of concept art for a Tesco's customer service point in my first year. I was given a hand drawn rough of the object and then had to recreate the image in Illustrator with perspectives and a detailed background. As it happened the art director who hired me for the job happened to be working backstage at an amateur dramatics show i was performing in and we got talking in the interval! |
| What past or present day illustrators do you admire most? Dave McKean could be described as my all time idol. I remember my very first lecture at university, my turor held up his Goldfish picture book at the front of the class and I was instantly captivated. His work is visually stunning! I am also a fan of Camille Rose Garcia, FSC who did the artwork for Nightmares and Fairytales, and my illustrator friend Jo Jo Cheung, who does the most amazing floral and bird designs. |
| How similar are your current drawings to those you did as a child? Funnily enough I came across my old college sketchbooks and realised that a lot of the stuff I did then is not mush different from what I am doing now (only the stuff now is 4 years better!) But as a child I always loved collage and making a mes so I guess nothing has changed really! |
| What was your favorite comic book as a child? I didn't really read comics as a child although I had a favourite book called Winifred's New Bed, which I think is now out of print? I also had multiple copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! |
| Do you have a particular style, or does it vary a lot? MY work is always dark and moody and generally very adult. I like art with a kick! As for style, I use a lot of heavy textures and like the grunge look. |
| What is hardest to draw? Hands! no question about it, I hate drawing hands! |
| What type of music do you listen to while you work? Depends on my mood, although I find I work most efficiently listening to techno or dance music. My ipod has a wide selesction of classical, metal and cheesy pop! |
| Do you have a favorite work of art? At the moment it is my Wonderland picture book as it was probably the most ambitious piece of work I have done yet. The book involved auditioning a cast of 10 models and then making costumes, organising photoshoots and then creating the final imagery, which was an eight week nightmare! I am extremely proud of all the hard work that went into it though. |
| What do you do when a client simply says "I don't like it"? If a client doesn't like something, I generally ask what aspects of the image are not right so I can learn from mistakes and move forwards. Its a good way to get to know a client also, and in future projects it can help save time. |
| What new techniques have you been experimenting with lately? At the moment I am experimenting more in 3D design and am trying to get to grasps with Maya and Motion. I eventually want to get into visual effects and motion graphics. |
| What part of your work do you do on paper and what part digitally? These days less and less of my work is done on paper although I always have a good sketchbook of roughs before i go on to do anything on the computer. Now that uni is over I would quite like to do some textured paintings and get back into the handmade element for a while. |
| What research do you do for your illustrations? I go on a lot of research trips all over the place and generally carry my camera with me at all times. Probably the most influential places over the last few years have been the Natural History Museum, the V and A museum and the British Museum, because of their cultural values. I love going to Kew Gardens as well but you have to go at the right time of year. |
| Do you have colleagues with whom you share techniques, tricks, ideas, etc.? My illustrator friends and I all have blogs which we comment on regularly and give each other critiques. These are really helpful actually and my family and partner are also getting very good at telling me whats good and what's not!! I can usually be found at uni in one of the technicians' offices learning geeky facts about design packages and software shortcuts or printer settings and paper qualities - sad I know but its a great way to learn things! |
| Do you have any specific goals as an illustrator? I would like to have one of my adult picture books published and I would also like to work on the visual effects of an award winning British film. Not asking for much, am i?! |
| What illustration web sites do you frequent? |
| What are you working on now? At the moment I am updating my website and creating a new one for my graduate show in London on June 11th 2009 at P3. I also have quite a few private shows going on in the London area over the next couple of months so most of my time is spent ordering postcards and merchandise, printing off artwork and sending out artwork to customers at my online Etsy shop. I also have a secret project lined up with girliepants.com which should be revealed soon! |
| What advice do you have for someone who likes to draw and would like to make a living from it? Just keep doing what you love and believe in yourself. Cheesy but theres nothing really you can do you just have to be in the right place at the right time!! Talk to strangers, find out who they are and always carry business cards. |
| 
435 visits Whohub
Tigz Rice
London
|
95745 interviews created
![[tigz] Tigz Rice](http://www.whohub.com/_pics/12802.jpg?1337676029)
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS