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Spraygraphic Interview with Illustrator Rik Lee
By Spraygraphic | December 30, 2009
Spraygraphic Interview with Rik Lee
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
RL: Alright, I’m a freelance illustrator who lives and draws in Melbourne. I have a degree in graphic design, however when I finished my course I concentrated on illustration as that was my real passion. I’ve been working as an illustrator for quite a few years now. The money’s no good but the job itself is awesome. I spend my days listening to music, drawing, procrastinating and trying not to fall off my BMX.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
RL: Melbourne, Australia.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
RL: Pencil, water colour, texta, pastels, photoshop… I use a bunch of different mediums in my work but the trusty grey lead pencil is my favourite. It’s what I feel most confident with and is generally the primary medium featured in my work.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
RL: This varies depending on whether I’m creating a piece of work to specific guidelines set out in a brief or whether I’m creating a piece of work for myself. Generally I begin with one or two ‘hero’ images that tend to become the focal point of the illustration. From here I draw more elements that I use to build the image into a complete composition. In most cases I’ll draw the whole piece in pencil and then I’ll add colour and secondary mediums. Ultimately I like to let the creative process guide the construction of the image, as opposed to having a really clear concept figured out before I begin. As an illustration develops new ideas and narratives appear offering new directions to explore. It’s fun to just draw and draw and see what I end up with.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
RL: I’d like to say I go for a walk or flip through some art books but generally I just sit at my desk staring at a half-finished drawing getting more and more frustrated. If I get really stuck I find it’s best to take a break, go for a ride or watch some re-runs of Seinfeld. If I don’t have the luxury of time and there’s a deadline bearing down on me then I just drink more coffee and hope for the best.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
RL: Oh man, I find so many things inspiring; human relationships and conflict, romanticism, teen angst, lust, violence, fate, death… all that good stuff…I’m fascinated by people and body language. Mannerisms, facial expressions, fashion… An individuals character and idiosyncrasies. I love icons and images that reflect and categorize particular eras, genres and subcultures. I enjoy the symbolism of certain objects and the narratives you can achieve through combining and / or juxtaposing these objects. Sometimes the thematic influences in my work are quite obvious, like with a lot of the 50’s / 60’s inspired stuff i’ve been doing recently incorporating classic cars, pin-up style girls, diners and drive-ins etc. In other cases the correlation of objects is less clear, but for me all the objects have there place and reason for belonging in the artwork.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
RL: Recently my work has appeared in magazines such as Nylon, Wooden Toy Quarterly and The Sunday Telegraph. On T-shirts for Clandestine Industries and T-Bar and on a variety of websites and blogs online. I had my solo show ‘One Last Late Night’ here in Melbourne last August and I’ve been involved in a bunch of group shows since in Melbourne, Sydney, San Francisco and New York.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
RL: I have loads of new and exciting projects lined up for this year. These include shop fit-outs, editorial illustrations, publications, T-shirt prints, group exhibitions and hopefully another solo show (or two).
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
RL: I love collaborating with artists whose work I respect and admire. Anything that allows me to travel and draw is awesome too.
SG: What is your favorite color?
RL: I don’t even know? I use loads of bright yellow and pink in my work. Which is weird because I’d never wear these colours.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
RL: I’ve no idea. There’s so many amazing artists out there.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
RL: I just finished reading ‘After Dark’ by Haruki Murakami. Good book but certainly not my favourite of his. I love Murakami, I’ve read all of his books and most of them 2-3 times. Which is kind of silly really, I need to branch out… I read the atlas a lot too. Well, I guess I don’t really read it so much as flick through it and dream of where I want travel to next.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
RL: Wherever my friends are. The beach around the corner from where I used to live. The kitchen, because that’s where the food is. I also have a strange love for hotels and airports.
Topics: Artist Interviews, Graphic Design, Ilustration, International-Art |
