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Spraygraphic Interview with Artist: Sergio Ruzzier
By Spraygraphic | February 29, 2008
Spraygraphic Interview with Sergio Ruzzier
SG: Please tell us about yourself.
SR: I was born and grew up in Milan, Italy. There I did some comics for Linus magazine and then I created the character Bruno for Lupo Alberto Magazine. In 1995 I moved to New York City, where I began to do illustrations for magazines and newspapers, such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Progressive, and many others. Later I started to write and illustrate children’s books, working with different publishers: Frances Foster/FSG, Laura Geringer/HarperCollins, Henry Holt, Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, and others. I also did a few picture books not necessarily for children. The most recent is “Gli Uccelli - The Birds” published in Italy by Despina. I had three solo shows in Milan (at Nuages and l’Affiche galleries) and I regularly contribute to Blab! magazine.
I teach illustration at Parsons and a picture book class at SVA.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
SR: Brooklyn, NY.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
SR: Usually pen & ink and Schmincke watercolors on Arches rough paper.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
SR: I usually do very few sketches, one or two are often enough. I am lazy. Once I have a clear idea of the composition, I do a detailed preparatory pencil drawing on plain paper. If I’m not happy with some elements (proportions, size, placement…) I sometimes scan that drawing and change stuff with Photoshop. Then, I trace that drawing onto the watercolor paper, ink it, erase the pencil, and finally color it.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
SR: Well, I usually get depressed, or restless… I don’t have any particular trick to overcome that. I just waste a lot of time thinking. If there is a deadline, then for some reason I always find the solution at the last minute.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
SR: The inspiration can come from everywhere: a sentence I read in a book, or something I see while taking a walk, or a detail in a painting. But often it’s the same old ideas that I keep elaborating in different ways.
SG: Can you tell us a little about your children’s book career. When did you start that kind of work?
SR: When I came to NY I already knew that I wanted to do picture books. So I took my drawings and ideas to children’s book editors and art directors, but initially I was always rejected: they would say my work was too “adult”, “sophisticated”, and “European” (never understood what that means!). Even “disturbing”. There was probably some truth to that. Anyway, I kind of gave up for a while, focusing instead on my editorial work. Later, I met a few editors who believed in my work, and gave me a chance. That’s how I started. Now this is what I mainly do, writing and illustrating children’s books, and I really like it.
SG: In what ways has your books’ art and subject material changed over the years? Do you experiment with different art styles depending on the subject or characters?
SR: I don’t think the nature of my work has changed much over the years. Of course you have to adapt a little to your audience, some themes are very delicate… For example, I would love to do a picture book about death, but you have to find the right way to handle such a subject matter (in order to convince editor, publisher, salespeople, reviewers, booksellers, librarians…)
My art style is always the same, I think. I’m not very good at experimenting. And besides, I feel that if you have a personal style, one that has naturally evolved through the years, well, that’s your way of doing things, and you cannot really force it. It’s like your handwriting. Of course this is how I feel about my own work, but there are some artists (not many) who can handle beautifully different styles and techniques. One great example is Saul Steinberg.
SG: How did you become a freelance artist for publications such as, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc…
SR: The first time I came to NY, just on a brief vacation, I went to visit Paul Davis, the illustrator and graphic designer. He was wonderful, very welcoming and generous. He sent me to Chris Curry, art director at The New Yorker, who right away gave me an assignment: a portrait of Dante Alighieri in Hell. I was in Heaven.
That drawing was later selected for the American Illustration annual. A few months later I moved to NY, and I began the usual rounds of art directors’ offices with my portfolio. Other artists and illustrators (Steven Guarnaccia, Lane Smith, Jonathon Rosen, Peter Sis, and others) also helped me a lot giving me encouraging words and names of people to contact.
SG: What kind of deadlines do you work with when producing this kind of work?
SR: Editorial work? It goes from a few hours to a couple of weeks.
SG: Do the companies come back to you and say “change this” or “change that?”
SR: It happens, it’s part of the job.
SG: How much are you willing to change? Is there some kind of negotiation process you go through?
SR: It depends on the project. I mean, there is always some kind of back and forth. In particular when I’m working on my books I do respect very much my editors’ opinions, but sometimes I’m so attached to my original idea, it is painful to have to modify it.
SG: Can you please tell us a little about your School Visit program.
SR: I go to a school, usually elementary, and after a slide presentation of one of my books, I talk about how that book was made, showing sketches, dummies, and final art. Depending on the age of the children, we might end up talking about the book publishing process (what’s an editor, an art director, and so on), or about the actual story and characters.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
SR: On books, magazines, newspapers, art galleries, concert and movie programs, t-shirts, plasticware, etc.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
SG: My next picture book “Amandina”, published by Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, will come out in September 2008. I’m working on two other book ideas.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
SR: I’d like to find a very wealthy patron who would just support me while I do whatever I want…
SG: What is your favorite color?
SR: In my drawings? I like the contrast between a dusty blue and an orangey earth tone. I also like dirty greens. And dark red accents.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
SR: Can I mention more than one? Simone Martini, Hieronymus Bosch, Edward Lear, Edvard Munch, Alfred Kubin, Lyonel Feininger, George Herriman, Edward Gorey, Roland Topor, William Steig.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
SR: Joseph Brodsky’s “Watermark”.
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
SR: No, not really, just a couple when I was a teenager. One that I liked was me as a bird. It must be in Milan somewhere.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
SR: I like to spend time in bookstores like the Strand and Books of Wonder, both in Manhattan. I like flea markets. For drinks, I often go to Barbès in Brooklyn, where they have a cocktail named after me: “Il Sergio”. It’s my greatest accomplishment.
SG: Any final words of advice?
SR: In a young artist’s portfolio it’s nice to see that there is already a consistency, a style that is personal and unique. I don’t like people who rip off another artist’s style. The beauty of what we do is creating new things. Otherwise, what’s the point?
ART: 1) Valigia, 2) Amandina, 3) Culla, 4) Eight, 5) Tre Omini, 6) Uccelli, 7) Room, 
Church, 9) Uccelli, 10) Sergio Ruzzier
Additional Links:
Nuages gallery:
http://www.nuages.net/index.html
Parsons:
http://www.myspace.com/parsonsillustration
Topics: Artist Interviews, Children art, International-Art, Literature |
