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Ask a Pro
Ask a Pro is a collection of illustration related questions answered by top art directors, designers, editors, artist representatives and other professionals in the commercial illustration industry.
If you have a suggestion for a question or know someone who might be a good candidate to answer a couple questions
Contributors
How do you like to see work from an illustrator?
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If you mean after I've begun working with them... at first digitally, in pencil or linework. I like to have the chance to work with the illustrator vs having him finish the work and say here you go. Or even ask for comments at that point. If its finished, you don't want to nitpick it. Then it feels like your telling them how to make art. I wouldn't want anyone to tell me how to paint a painting. I paint what i want, and if i'm happy that's all that matters. Fuck you if you don't like it.
So, starting with pencils helps me as the Art Director bring some of my vision to the illustration, and makes me feel a bit more comfortable commenting. And then being able to comment in stages and have a say when it comes to color helps a lot. If you, as the illustrator, are working with a good AD, he will not only make your work a bit of his own, and appease his client, but he will make it better. He will challenge you to think of things you never would have. Help you focus on an idea vs. just a cool piece of artwork. If you work with a bad AD, he'll fuck up your illustration and take you on such a hellish journey, that you'll wish you stayed home.
I like to get finished art digitally, and with some sort of color print to match. That's if the image will be reproduced digitally or will be in a publication.
If you mean how do i like to see work from an illustrator when looking for an illustrator, i would say online in the context of a well-designed site that is fun to navigate through.
Dustin Smith (more answers by this person)
Creative Director
DDB
http://www.ddb.com/
How do you decide on using illustration vs. photography?
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I guess i kinda touched on that. I'm more of a photography guy. I've been trying to branch out into using illustrators a bit more. I've worked with some good illustrators, and a lot of them that have been difficult to work with. I guess as the Art Director usually has a bit more control using a photographer. I can control casting, sets, props, background, style of photography, and in retouching, I can ultimately make it whatever i want. I can direct a Photo illustrator on how tom make it what i see in my head.
With an illustrator, you let go a bit more, and allow it to become his or her peice of artwork. You really have to trust the illustrator and let go of any pre-conceived notions that you have, or you end up driving him and yourself crazy trying to achieve what is in your head. I choose illustration when i know something is virtually impossible to achieve in a photograph, or if there is a specific mood or attitude that i know can only be achieved through illustration.
Dustin Smith (more answers by this person)
Creative Director
DDB
http://www.ddb.com/
How do you go about finding an illustrator?
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Most times, I talk to the Art Buyer about what I'm looking for and hope they can find me some illustrators that suit the project and the style that i am looking for. If I'm doing a search on my own, I'll think of a key word, or some sort of reference point, and google it. For example, a while back I was looking for someone to do some type for me. I wanted it to be hand illustrated, and I wanted the headline to hold together and make the shape of a wave of scent coming out of a bottle. The closest thing to what i wanted visually was type from old silkscreen rock posters of the 60's and 70's. So, I googled some of those keywords and found a lot of great poster sites that had illustrators listed next to the posters. I ended up using a friend of mine that is a comic book artist to do the finished art, but used those posters i found on line as reference for him.
Honestly, I don't think there is a real great way to search a huge databank of illustrators. And in the not so distant past, Illustration was not real hip in advertising. Photography, or manipulated photography was looked at as much more contemporary. Recently, it seems as though the solution of photography has become fairly obvious. Illustration is a bit more unexpected and fresh. As long as the illustration style itself is unexpected and fresh. But if an illustrator comes out with one great campaign that is recognized in the industry, you don't want to use him because then your work looks like the previous successful ad that got the illustrator noticed. That "fame" kills their style, and then he must evolve or re-invent himself while at the same time dealing with the "followers" in the industry that are trying to look like that original campaign, or feel that by getting that illustrator, they'll win awards, or somehow the ads will be great, even if the idea isn't.
I think it would be hard for an illustrator to remain successful as a result of this. Its not like photography. Illustration style is very specific. If you see one illustration by a certain person, you can recognize their work again. Its also hard to pick an illustrator as a result of this. You always want your work to look like nothing that has ever been seen. Usually, by the time you find an illustrator, they've already been played out. So, if you want your campaign to look completely original, you've got to find an illustrator who's undiscovered, or go with photography and create a visual that has never been seen. Or create a completely believeable photograph of something that doesn't exist, except in your imagination. Then you've given the viewer a real treat. "Wow, If a harp seal was wearing a human skin jacket, that's what it would look like."
Dustin Smith (more answers by this person)
Creative Director
DDB
http://www.ddb.com/