Drawn in Black » Abstract

Interview with Jonathan Bergeron aka Johnny Crap

Lee — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:54:03 +0000

"Balloon" by Johnny Crap

What’s your name?

Jonathan Bergeron

Where did you grow up?

Beloeil, a suburb of Montreal in Quebec.

Where do you live now?

Montreal.

How old are you?

ugh, 38

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

I am a self taught artist, who studied graffiti, punk/harcore album covers & skateboard deck art on his own time.

"BMX Viking" by Johnny Crap

How do you make a living?

It’s a 50/50 split between “Fine” art & band shirt designs.

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember but I really fell into art when I started doing graffiti in the early 90′s. Around 95 I picked up the brushes when my mother gave me her set of oil paint.

I am now lucky enough to say that art is what I do, my personal escape & on top of it it’s my “Job”.

"Jackalope" - Johnny Crap

What does “art” mean to you?

That’s a tough one. Not sure how to answer that.

What role does drawing play in your work? Is it a means to an end, or an end in and of itself?

I love drawing, I even sometime prefer looking at drawings from other artists more than their paintings. I find that it gives you a better insight to their true personality.
& there is no end.

What would you consider your “style” of art to be, if you have one?

I would fall into the Pop-Surrealist category…

"Shreddin Zombie" - Johnny Crap

What’s your weapon of choice? What medium and drawing tool do you prefer to use?

For drawings, I always love pencil but most of my inking is done with a simple Pentel Pocket Brush pen. Rives paper is also a favourite.

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

Todd Scorr, Robert Williams, Rick Griffin, Jim Phillips are old faves, and right now I really like Craola, Martin Wittfooth, Travis Louie & Viktor Safonkin’s artwork. I have a terrible memory of names, I could probably think of hundreds but can’t remember anything that isn’t an image. Haha.

What are you currently working on?

A couple of commissions, including a Mona Lisa/Calavera mash up for another artist as well as a couple of themed paintings for group shows at Gallery 1988.

"Sideshow Pigeon" - Johnny Crap

What would you tell aspiring artists?

To keep at it. Try to find their own thing & to push it. It’s not easy, lots of ups & down, especially if that’s all you do, but at the end it’s worth it because you do it for yourself by yourself.

What websites can we find you on?

You can purchase my work through Yves Laroche Gallery
I have a blog that has older stuff, johnnycrap.com & I maintain a TUMBLR site until my real site is ready: johnnycrap.tumblr.com

"Oldschool Line art" - Johnny Crap

“Making work makes me want to make more work” – Interview with Henry St.Leger (aka Sainty WHAT)

Lee — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:07:44 +0000

"Chameleon Tree King" by Henry St.Leger

What’s your name?

Henry St.Leger

Where did you grow up?

A town called Bridport in Dorset

Where do you live now?

Bristol

How old are you?

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

I have a degree in illustration with animation from UWE in Bristol.

Self Portrait by Henry St.Leger

How do you make a living?

I am a freelance Illustrator, Animator, Character designer and Storyboard artist.

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I used to sit there with a pile of paper my parents had got me and my brother and draw constantly.

It’s hugely important in my life and I still draw in my down time. I think I’d still make images even if it wasn’t what I did for a living. I was not very good at very much else at school and nothing brings me more pleasure.

What does “art” mean to you?

I think art can cover so much. I think it has to be something that makes you feel something. So much of it is a gut feeling that happens when you first see a piece or hear some music or watch a film or animation. You know almost instantly. For me Art is something that inspires and pushes my own work or makes me look at something differently.

What role does drawing play in your work? Is it a means to an end, or an end in and of itself?

I work in illustration or even just drawing for the pleasure of doing so, it’s what I want to do and I don’t particually care if it sells or if people even like it (although both are always nice).

Making work makes me want to make more work and develop and evolve as an artist.

What would you consider your “style” of art to be, if you have one?

I would consider my art to have an illustrative style. For years I thought I was a fine artist but then on my foundation course someone pointed out that I was an illustrator. I sat there and looked through my sketchbooks and realised how obvious it was.

"Tree Whale King" by Henry St.Leger

What’s your weapon of choice? What medium and drawing tool do you prefer to use?

By far my favorite pen is the Pentel Brush Pen. I spent a while looking for a good brush pen and this is the best by far. It doesn’t dry out and keeps its shape beautifully. You can achieve such fine lines and massive fat ones with one pen.

I also use a Pilot G-Tec-C4 for super fine work. I hold a pen at a strange angle and so a lot of fine liners end up breaking or become stubby. This is a super fine roller ball that holds up.

Some of my work is done digitally on Photoshop. I learnt to use it so much in the industry i work in and you can do so much with it. However there are things i can do on it that i can’t do hand drawn and vice versa.

What approach do you take for your work? Do you plan it out or does it emerge spontaneously? How long do you usually work on a piece?

It can vary really. I usually doodle in a sketchbook and when I draw something I like I develop it further and then sometimes that develops into a more final piece outside my sketchbook on a lager scale.

Sometimes I draw an image straight off and it doesn’t need any more work to it. Often these more spontaneous drawings are what I consider my best.

I often make a pencil plan first and then go over in the pen if I am planning composition a little more. For example with the large skull piece called ‘Nest’ i did i made a rough pencil line showing the shape of a skull on the page and then went straight on with pen to make the detail that makes up the piece.

I work pretty quickly. I have quite a short attention span when it comes to my work. I need to get the image on the page. The ‘Nest’ image i mentioned before was probably my largest piece. It’s about two meters squared. It took me two long evenings to complete.

"Nest" by Henry St.Leger

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

Ralph Steadman was a huge influence to my work and also comic book artists like Jack Kirby have made their mark.

At the moment I’m really into Charles Burns. His graphic novel Black Hole is a lesson in black and white illustration. I have a massive signed screen print of one of the panels from it above my desk at home. I’m trying to get some of his style to rub off on me.

I’ve been making screen printed gig posters through a company called Jacknife who are based in Bristol. The world of gig posters has a huge amount of very talented artists and designers that have inspired some new approaches and ways of working. One artist that particually caught my eye recently is Aaron Horkey. His attention to detail is mind blowing.

Whilst I was growing up my brother, Sam St.Leger, was a huge influence. We now have very different styles but i still get inspiration from his work.

I am also lucky to be amongst some hugely talented illustrators and artists who I can bounce ideas off of and I think we influence each other.

What are you currently working on?

My day job at the moment is at Aardman Animations doing some photoshop work and a bit of animation.

In my spare time I’m currently designing a gig poster for the band Chew Lips.

Also me and my brother have been discussing an animation project for a few years now. I am determined to get it going this year.

Do you have any upcoming events?

I’ve got a joing show called ‘Deep into the Woods’ with a load of very talented individuals in May at a gallery above Start the Bus in Bristol.

The show is including work from:

Stuart Kolakovic
Log Roper
Jon Boam
Matthew the Horse
Seb Burnett
Dave Bain
Rosie Miles
Amy Brown
Paul Roberts

What would you tell aspiring artists?

I don’t know really. Just keep at it I suppose. If you really want to do it keep pushing. I’m freelance and it is pretty hard work sometimes but when it pulls off it can be so rewarding.

"Big canvas" by Henry St.Leger

"Big canvas" (detail) by Henry St.Leger

Eduardo Recife: Interview and Drawings

Lee — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:41:33 +0000

"True Love Waits" by Eduardo Recife

Eduardo Recife seems to me that rare talents who’s work is both distinctly his own and in tune with the times. This Brazilian illustrator has an impressive list of gigs under his belt, including a cover for a New York Times article and ads for Upper Playground – check out his professional portfolio for more. He’s developed a fun “mash-up” typography and was even voted as one of the Top 10 Fonts of 2008 on MyFonts.

His personal site is misprinted type, itself a collage like many of his art pieces. On version 4 now, you can see still the previous versions. As he puts it, it’s his “personal playground” and also features many of his great drawings.

Eduardo was kind enough to partake in our interview. Here’s what he had to say:

What’s your name?

Eduardo Recife

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

Brazil

How old are you?

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

I graduated in Graphic Design (even though I consider myself self-taught).

"Question Everything" by Eduardo Recife

How do you make a living?

Illustration, art and type.

What does “art” mean to you?

It means something that touches you somehow.

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid. But I started doing it professionally 11 years ago. I guess its something that was born with me, sometimes I just have an urge to produce.

"Judge Not" by Eduardo Recife

What role does drawing play in your work? Is it a means to an end, or an end in and of itself?

I usually draw things that are in my head. A large portion of my work was about things I was searching for answers, things that bothered me, or made me full of joy.

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

I think tht Eric Boucheron from antitext.com was probably the guy that influenced me the most when I just started working with collage. I still think that the stuff he did 10 years ago was fantastic! Nowadays Im very much into abstract art.

"Heal" by Eduardo Recife

What would you consider your “style” of art to be, if you have one?

I’m not really into categories.

What’s your weapon of choice? What medium and drawing tool do you prefer to use?

I really love everything; Collage, drawings, painting… But drawing is probably something Im more obsessed with. I draw all the time.

"Are You Together" by Eduardo Recife

Thanks Eduardo for taking the time to interview and sharing your fantastic work with us! Hope to see more from you in the future

Selecting Between One Million Possibilities: Drawings and Interview with Andreas Martini

Lee — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:23:10 +0000

"Monstrum" (Detail) by Andreas Martini

Looking at some of the drawing art of German Andreas Martini, it might be a bit surprising to find out that he was schooled as an architect, and even more surprising that, as he states on his website, “andreas works in the field of 3d-design and cg.he simply loves to work and play with the machine.” Indeed his 3-d art and animation is compelling in its own right and worth your time.

When it comes to Martini’s drawings, they are no less compelling. Consider that the images above and below are but details of the larger image, and that each square (I presume) is a full sheet of paper. His abstract collages are varied and entertaining to study, and if there’s one complaint I’d have, is that there isn’t more work available.

"Monstrum" (Detail) by Andreas Martini

He graciously agreed to take part of the Drawn in Black Artist Interview, so here goes:

What’s your name?

Andreas Martini

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

Germany

How old are you?

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

I had 9 years Latin in school. After that I went to university to study architecture, but instead of designing paper houses we took our chances to reprogram ego-shooters and build wooden sculptures. I graduated as an engineer of architecture and design with the focus on new media.How do you make a living?3d visualizer, animation filmmaker

What does “art” mean to you?

To select between one million possibilities.

Live Drawing at Agency Achter by Andreas Martini

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

Maybe forever. But since people told me I could draw, I developed an attitude, which is sometimes good, but mostly disturbing. Art is important like food. It comes and leaves.

What role does drawing play in your work? Is it a means to an end, or an end in and of itself?

The less I speak about the importance of drawing,the more I feel, that I do justice to it.

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage, Robert Breer, Bruce Conner, Lutz Dammbeck, GuyDebord, Marcel Duchamp, Germaine Dulac, Fluxus, Hollis Frampton, Sheila Graber,Raymond Salvatore Harmon, Co Hoedeman, Ken Jacobs, David Lynch, Norman McLaren,Jonas Mekas, Yoko Ono, Man Ray, Hans Richter, Frank Stauffacher, Andy Warhol,Zeitguised, Matthew Barney, Henry Darger, Johnny Hardstaff, David O’Reilly, Bitter Films, Thomas Hicks, Dürer, Toccafondo…

Way too many to be helpful for my productivity.

Thanks again to Andreas for taking the to talk a bit about himself and to share his artwork here on Drawn in Black.

Editorial Illustration by Andreas Martini

Philadelphia Artist: Paul Stanek

Lee — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:01:02 +0000

Axodendriticore by Paul Stanek

Fillmore by Paul Stanek

As part of this local talent spotlight series, animator Paul Stanek got in touch with me and shared with me some of his amazing work. Although primarily an animator, Paul also composes large black and white drawings as shown above. Large-scale trippy drawings are always a personal favorite of mine, and the two above are no exception.

Paul came to Philadelphia after growing up in New York and living in Los Angeles for six years, where he attended the California Institue of the Arts and worked on his Master’s in Experimental Animation. During that time Paul and a friend of his decided to make cell animations using t-shirts, and the U-Shirt Project was born:

Paul: “We really liked the idea of shooting each frame (shirt) on different people so when the animation was played back it would unify all these people in to one entity, with the animation in the middle being the glue. The projects and the accompanying U-shirt Party were a smash hit, and we ended up being approached by Viacom to use a similar concept to make a few 30 second spots for Black History Month to be used on their t.v. channels (nickelodeon, vh-1, etc.).”

You can see some of the video clips and additional information on the U-Shirt website.

Thankfully Paul also shared with me a couple time-lapse videos in which he paints directly on a pair of beautiful nude ladies, as seen below. Take a look for yourself here and here.

Untitled (Painting on Nude Female) by Paul Stanek

Ever the Renaissance Man, you can also find Paul creating music under the Johnny Longmind pseudonym, and he’s recently been signed with a small London label by the name of End Daze Recordings. You can find some of his music (which is actually pretty damn good) on his MySpace page.

Philadelphia Artist: Tom Mulholland

Lee — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:09:42 +0000

Transformers by Tom Mulholland

So I decided to do something a little bit different this time around. One of my other projects currently in the works is a t-shirt company: Backyard Threads. The concept is still a bit fuzzy, but basically the idea is to give the consumer the opportunity to support their local community by purchasing a (awesomely designed, of course) t-shirts screen printed and / or designed locally. This lead me to the idea of tapping into the local artist community for this project just to get a feel for what kind of artistic talent is passing me by on the streets everyday – on the streets of Philadelphia is, the wonderful city I now call home. One Craigslist posting and a few emails later, I’d like to introduce: Tom Mulholland.

Cadaver Studies by Tom Mulholland

Tom is a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, and judging by some of this artwork, he should have an interesting career ahead of him. Beyond drawings he’s made some great sculptures as well. I think his artist statement is something I can definitely relate to:

As my academic background and transcripts may indicate, my interests are very widespread. Not surprisingly, my work has grown to reflect my affinity for multiple genres and I have developed an utter distaste for art that pretends to be understood in only the most esoteric contexts. I envision myself as being of and for the commoner, whose exposure to intelligent and aesthetic art has been relegated to school trips and the occasional sited work. This is not because there is not a sufficient body of works readily available to be viewed, but because most artists are less interested in devoting their lives to general humanity as they are to dedicating their work to a specifically interested populace. No, it is an artists function to reciprocate, to reflect on humanity, and to express their vision in the context of that same humanity and all of its wonderful endeavors.

"Barn Interior" by Scott Tulay

Lee — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:04:58 +0000

Barn Interior by Scott Tulay

Looking at the work of Scott Tulay it should come as no surprise that he is both artist and architect. The drawing above was the won the 2008 Wiley Award for Excellence in Hand Delineation from the 34th KRob Architectural Drawing Competition (try saying that 10 ten times in a row). There’s something very compelling about his drawings as they, in my mind, are somewhere between abstract and realistics – an interesting area for exploration; but Mr. Tulay says it much better than I could (from his website):

One of my interests in architecture is the dissolution of the edge between building and landscape. My drawing studies are an extension of that interest, as I explore the nebulous relationship between assemblies of walls, beams or groupings of trees and the landscape beyond. This series of charcoal, pastel and ink drawings explores varying degrees of human intervention with the landscape. Each drawing begins as an empty landscape with a perspective towards the sky. The sky, which is completely devoid of rectilinear man-made geometries, is then layered with various degrees of human presence, whether with a simple phone pole or a complex structure. The light struggles to penetrate these spaces as their forms are fragmented by dark shadows. Sometimes the white of the paper is light; other times it is an object, creating spatial ambiguity.

"The Feeb" by Mike May

Lee — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:51:37 +0000

The characters developed by veteran concept artist and character designer Mike May are anything but ordinary – each inhabits a unique world, suggested not so much by the environment they’re rendered in but by the dress, demeanor, and look of the characters themselves. Mike is a also a superb caricaturist. There’re a ton of drawings and illustrations on his portfolio site and additional, more recent, work on his blog, so if you need some inspiration, go check it out.

Drawing #008 by Mathis Rekowski

Lee — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:18:39 +0000

Although Illustrator Mathis Rekowski has some wonderfully trippy drawings like the one featured here, he’s got even more illustrations seem to me at once retro and cutting edge. Certainly someone to watch out for. You can purchase the image above at Mathis’ new store, or follow him on his blog

Self Portrait (No. 23 / B5 Series) and Others by Matt W. Moore

Lee — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:45:31 +0000

Self Portrait (No. 12 / B5 Series) by Matt W Moore

Although it would seem that Matt W. Moore is currently better known for his color work – he just had a feature article about him in Computer Arts Magazine in which he discusses his Vectorfunk style – I love this guy’s black and white art. He explores different shapes and uses clear and crisp lines. I am particularly impressed with his mandalas (drawing these myself) and how well they are executed for the fact that they are hand-drawn (as opposed to using Illustrator as his the case for many of his color works).

Matt just released B5 (from which these images are taken), a collection of black and white prints available for purchase, to complement Alphafont 3.0, a font type exploration done in color. This guy kicks ass so check out his website MWM Graphics, his blog, or follow him on Twitter.

No. 19 (B5 Series) by Matt W Moore

No. 20 (B5 Series) by Matt W Moore

No. 23 (B5 Series) by Matt W Moore