Interview: Holly DeWolf

Website: http://www.hollydewolf.com/

It’s been a really long time, but we’re really happy to have a new interview up! This time we talk to illustrator/ author Holly DeWolf, who among other things is the author of the great new book ‘Breaking into Freelance illustration‘. We talk to her about her long career as an illustrator, her new path as an author, and her general opinion on the illustration industry.

1. Hi Holly! Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

Hi all. I’m an illustrator, writer and mentor. I attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University) for 5 expensive but very creative years. I feel I am both educated & self taught in the field of illustration. I create handmade experiences paint. I work mainly with gouache. I’m very narrative based-writing applies to a lot of what I do. My work is  a mix of colour, dots and lines. Its a pretty whimsical versatile style that and can be applied to many markets from editorial, children’s publishing to greeting cards. My plans for the future are more books, teaching and continuing with my art.

2. Writing a book is pretty tiring, especially if you already have your hands full with daily illustration work. What compelled you to write ‘Breaking into Freelance illustration‘?

I had the idea about 5 years ago but shelved it. When I moved back to Nova Scotia I revisited the idea and thought “why not!…all the cool kids are doing it!”  I soon realized that my dream publisher (F+W Publications) did not have much in the way of  books about illustration in their library. I saw a need and filled it! I was also at a crucial point in my creative career where I needed to shake things up. So getting wordy seemed like a nice fit. I wanted a new opportunity so I decided not to wait for it to come to me-I decided to make the opportunity myself.

Over the years many creatives have felt comfortable coming to me for advice. I always know when school is up because I get bombarded with emails and phone calls from recent grads who need advice. It’s odd, since I’ve always been somewhat under the radar before my book came out. Perhaps it has something to do with my intense interest with all things creative business and its importance plus I am quite willing to talk about it. I was being asked the same questions over and over about promotion to how to work at home. There is a lot of confusion and frustration out there. At the same time I am always intersted in creatives who are on the verge of greatness. I think that is such an exciting place to be in ones career.

3. There are many ‘how to draw’ books on the market, and there are many ‘best of’ books showcasing the work of graphic designers and illustrators. How is your book different from these?

I believe every book serves a function and has its own ‘voice’. Many ‘best of’ books help to showcase talent, promote creativity, help to inspire and focus on award winning work. I think I wanted my book to be more than just pictures. Often what is not taught in schools ends up in a book like mine. I wanted to show the ups and downs to working at home to pricing and promotion. I invited illustrators to discuss how they feel about their career, the good things and the challenges, juggling a studio at home, their creative process, their experiences and what they want for the future of illustration. A little creative dialogue can go a long way.

4. The book’s title suggests that it is meant for people who are interested in becoming illustrators. Do you think it’s also helpful for existing illustrators? And why should someone who’s interested in being an illustrator read your book?

I think in anyones career in illustration its always a good boost to read a book like mine. It can help you put your career in perspective. It can provide a glimspe at your own progress to see if you are on the right path or not. For me, it made me look at all the little things it took for me to get to this point. When I sent in the book proposal one of the quotes I used was from The Talking heads song, Once in a Lifetime, “And you may ask yourself-well…how did I get here?” Often is a mix of really tiny steps to huge moments. It’s all relative.

Inspiring illustrators can take a glimspe at the little details that is often left out in school and also left out in many books based on illustration. The concept here was to throw out a huge amount of information that comes up in a typical illustration career. Students often leave creative institutions feeling alone because there is that business missing link plus they have just left a educational community and now are on their own. It can be daunting. Talent is one thing however if you are lost at where to start then this book will help!

5. You’ve been a professional illustrator yourself for a good long time. Have you noticed any significant changes in the industry from the time you started up till today?

I think one of the big things is a sense of community. We dont need to be in the isolating creative bubble anymore. There are so many creative outlets to get involved with to keep that ‘lonely at your desk feeling’ at bay. The internet has provided a much needed sense of community that I believe is making the illustration industry stronger. The way we are promoting ourselves has changed. The way we are creating our work has also changed. We are not all designed to paint or use other traditional materials. I feel illustration is great again for many reasons: community, open dialogue, websites promoting it and the illustrators such as myself promoting creative business. Our little corner of the world may be small but the this tight knit illustration community is making it a strong one!

6. There are probably more illustrators now than ever who hold actual degrees in illustration rather than fine art or graphic design. Do you think this is a good thing, or a bad thing?

I think it depends on what you want to do with that degree. In certain creative circles a degree may help. However, a degree will not always get you work. Not all of are designed to study in a creative institiution. I put in 5 years because for me I wanted that experience and saw it as part of the process that fit at the time. Either way, this career requires lifelong learning whether you get it from school or on your own. The amount of effort can often be the same. The most important thing-put in the time, create, make connections and get your talented butt out there. There is always room for more talent and innovative thinkers.

After I left school I filled in the business blanks after realizing I had much to learn still. Digging into creative business sparked an interest in me and now I could talk about this stuff all day. In my opinion business does not need to be boring when you are in a creative industry such as illustration. The reason for that is simply that we can break the business rules. We are creative problem solvers and that’s our job.

7. What advice do you have for people who want to get into illustration?

Know what you want to do and be willing to ask for what you want. Have a web presence. Know the business & most importantly know how to run a creative business that works for you. Its quite easy to get lost all the details to running a creative business so try to focus on what is really important to you right now. Know how to talk about what you do. Raise to the occasion of being put on the spot. Not everyone understands what we do so a little wordy education can go a long way. Also, try not to fall into the comparison habit. Its nice to look at other illustrators work for inspiration but never let it make you feel you don’t measure up. This habit can stop your progress. We all bring something unique to the creative table so to speak.

8. Where do you see illustration and illustrators in 10 years time?

I hope to see illustrators more like a business. I see illustration changing like it has always done but still playing a very important role in the creative industry. Hopefully creative institutions will help with the needs of students and focus on the business side of things. I also hope to see traditional ways of working still practised outside of digital illustration. Knowing the basics such as drawing and coming up with concepts on paper is still a vital skill to have.

9. Are there any illustrators or artists you admire more than others? Why?

There are so many illustrators that I love and many are spotlighted in my book. I do admire the following as well:

• Lane Smith- I have loved his work for quite some time. He uses a nice mix of materials to create his whimsical style of work that I think is refreshing. His sense of humour shows through in much of what he does. He is what I would consider a well rounded creative. http://www.lanesmithbooks.com
• Alberto Cerriteño- His work is a delightful mix with so many details that is worth hanging on his web site for a little while just to take it all in. www.albertocerriteno.com
• Brandon Steen- He has such great style with loads of details. I especially love his ‘Bullies’ section that is dedicated to all things English Bull Terriers! Such fun is site is! http://www.brandonsteenart.com
• Ray Fenwick- His work is a combination of text, illustration and art. The nice thing is he from my home town! http://www.coandco.ca/ray
• Shane Glines- He is all about the retro. He can represent the human form like nobodies business-he makes it look effortless really. And for more things Retro, you can check out his site http://www.flickr.com/groups/theretrokid for more goodies!! http://www.shaneglines.net

10. It seems that illustrators, particularly new illustrators, are increasingly under pressure to be able to multi-task as an illustrator-designer (and web designer, animator, typsetter etc). What are your thoughts on this?

I think when it comes to your talent & creativity, its wide open. Often we are great at many things so it hard to not want to dabble and play. If you love that and can juggle more than one market, I say go for it. Sometimes the market comes to us and we can jump aboard or not. Sometimes we need to look at what the market is asking from us and our work. Could the market see something we don’t? Also, money is a factor. Many of us need to take on two roles-the job plus the creative career.

Sometimes we come to points in our career where we need to shake things up or we could feel the need to reinvent ourselves. These changes can be refreshing as well as opening up new markets for you to try. Like I said before, there are no rules. We can set up creative blue prints that allows us to try new things while remaining flexible enough to still play.

“Imagination is the true magic carpet ride.”- Norman Vincent Peale