* Much love to the city I love so much today. I hope all those that still mourn will feel a warm embrace from our city and our world today *
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With the third installment of Work/Life 3, Uppercase publisher & editor, Janine Vangool, interviewed 100 illustrators via an online questionnaire. A broad span of questions inquired about the ins and outs, ups and downs of illustration.
Here is a sampling of the questions that helped formulate our personal bios:
What is your life story in one paragraph? How and why did you become an illustrator or artist? How would you describe your illustration style? What is your creative process when working on an assignment? What is your favourite thing to draw? What is the best thing and the worst thing about being an illustrator? Has being an illustrator affected your personal life?(ie the choice of where/how you live?) How do you maintain a balance between your work and your life? (or not?) Where do you work? Do you have a studio at home or somewhere else? How is your workspace enhance or hinder creativity? What would be your dream illustration assignment? What is your benchmark for success as an illustrator? Please list up to ten clients or companies that you'd love to work with.
From my answers, the below biography was written. I am really pleased with the inclusion of my family history, how it influences my work habits today, as well as what I try to achieve in my illustrations.
Lindsey Balbierz knows the value of hard work and a good education, attributing this appreciation to her mother who raised Lindsey and her two elder sisters as a single parent. “My mom put all three of us girls through private school and college while she was putting herself through graduate school. I think that is where I learned my work ethic and learned to always set goals.”
Leaving her Cleveland childhood behind, Lindsey set her sights on New York City and attended Parsons’ illustration program. Now, as a freelancer working from her apartment, a daily schedule lends routine to what can be an unpredictable profession. “My fiance and I used to share our second bedroom as our office. I since have moved to the front of our apartment where I can spread out and work amongst my books, sketchbooks, scanner, paints, pencils and inspiration board. I really like to be by myself when I draw so that I can get into my drawing zone. I like to make my studio like a cocoon.”
Lindsey loves getting lost in her work, paying attention to the small details. “I naturally gravitate towards capturing details. I tend to dive into making my pieces really intricate with little narratives going on at different places in the image, creating hidden stories that people have to discover.” This ability to observe and concentrate is exemplified in a recent self-directed project in which Lindsey drew a portrait of a car every day for a month and posted them to her Tumblr. The result is a quirky collection of cars— and documentation of an up-and-coming illustrator with a lot of drive.
Thanks for letting me share the interview process with you. Tomorrow, I finally (!) will share the illustration process from assignment to digital proofs. Hope to see you back here Thursday!