| Wraith: Tell us a little
about yourself, James, who are you, what do you do? James: I'm a
thirty-one...oops, thirty-two year old (recent b-day) writer/illustrator. I've spent most
of my life here in Kentucky, though I was born in Cleveland, where I lived for my first
nine years, and spent my
Air Force years in Nebraska. I worked tech jobs for over ten years before I finally got
tired of it. I figured I could make money and be miserable, or a happy starving artist.
I've got kids, so it was a risky decision, but my little woman is the best and supports me
fully.
Wraith: That's great that you have
a supportive wife! How long have you been drawing/painting?
James: I've
been drawing since the fourth grade, when my family moved down to Kentucky. Our TV broke
and we were broke, too, and couldn't get it replaced for the whole summer, so I spent my
time reading and drawing. It was probably one of the best things to happen to me. I can't
even get my own children to unplug for an hour at a time. Me and two other kids made up
comic-book characters, and I did most of the drawing and writing. Even then, I was really
interested in stories. I feel some of the best work tells a story of some kind, it just
doesn't sit there on the page, so I'm not really a big fan of so-called "modern"
art. I enjoy the sort of fantastic-realism in H.R. Giger's work, and those inspired by
him. I like more mundane artists, like Bob Ross and Norman Rockwell. I'm a big fan of
Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, and the Baroque period of art. Rubens is my favorite from
that period, 'cause I like fat chicks.
Wraith: Rubens, that refreshing to
hear! In a world full of anorexic looking women and men who love them I know I apperciate
that you feel that way! But, back to the point *grin* .... Giger's a favorite of
mine as well. Have you ever had any formal art training?
James: Besides
a little art in high school, no. I'm pretty much self-taught. There are a lot of good
"how-to" books on the market that I'd recommend to any aspiring illustrator,
like Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, etc. I
learn by looking at other artist's work. I learned how to paint landscapes by watching Bob
Ross (that guy with the white-man's afro) on PBS. It's like, with writing, the more you
read the better you write. With illustration, the more art you study, the better you draw.
Wraith: I loved Bob Ross!! he was
so great, it's sad that he's not with us any long. A book I have always found helpful when
I'm blocked is "Drawing With The Right Side Of The Brain", excellent book! What
is your favorite medium to work with?
James: Pen and
Ink, mostly. I like the control it gives you. The only real painting I've done is with
acrylic, and I like it. Oils intimidate me, but I've promised myself that I'm going to
confront them one day. Pastels are too messy, too soft, and water colors aren't vibrant
enough.
Wraith: I've always liked oils,
they give you room to fix mistakes or change things because of the long drying time. The
drawings that I'm featuring here are all very good, how do you pick your genre when you
decide to do a painting or drawing?
James: My
writing and drawing are often interrelated. I try to make at least one illustration for
each story I write, or each story idea I get. Sometimes, I start with a simple story idea
and then, before I start to write it, I draw one of the scenes in my head, which helps
when I do sit down to write. A picture is worth...you know. Sometimes poems I write are
very visual and I'll draw a little illustration for some of the better ones. But
sometimes, I'll draw a picture first, without having any sort of concrete idea in my head,
and while I'm drawing I'll realize that this picture has a story behind it. Since most of
my written work is horror/sci-fi/fantasy, my art tends to follow those genres. My picture
"Two of Pentacle" is inspired by Tarot cards.
Wraith: What is it that you like
about these six in particular?
James: I love
the human body. It's always been a focus of my work. I also enjoy subtle motion, as
opposed to extreme motion which doesn't seem as natural to me although it does make for a
more dynamic picture. I like human anatomy in fantastic situations/settings.
Wraith: "Gray's Anatomy",
an artists best friend! The musculature fascinates me. Do you ever do any computer
generated work? If so, what programs do you use?
James: I
haven't experimented with computer work yet. I'm blown away by some of the stuff I've seen
others do, but I'm simultaneously skeptical about the process. How much of it is art, how
much is the technology? It's hard for me to view computer programs, like a camera, as just
another tool an artist can use to create, when some of the more advanced stuff does the
work for you. I'll have to try it myself, though, just to satisfy my own opinions. Maybe
I'll be surprised and get hooked on it.
Wraith: CGI work and computer is
definitely interesting and a challenge but it will never take the place of getting a
pencil in your hand and attacking a big, clean white sheet of paper. When I draw or paint,
it's never planned, something suddenly just has to come out. How do you become inspired?
James: So much
stuff inspires me, anymore. I'm starting to get paid, so that is inspiring, and I've got a
regular gig with deadlines. Deadlines can be very inspirational. We have so much media out
there, so much creativity going into them. I love comic books, CD ROM games, and movies.
All this visual input filters through my brain and poof...there's inspiration. It's
important to draw every day (just like, as a writer, to write every day). If I can't think
of something original, I'll find something to copy from, to sharpen my skills. All the old
painters would do the same thing, look at the work of the Masters and copy it to get a
feel of how they worked. I used to wait for inspiration, and there's nothing wrong with
that, but you never have to wait. By doing work on a regular basis, one idea tends to feed
on another, and gives birth to others. Creating tends to feed creativity. Constantly
practice, constantly improve, and inspiration will
always be there.
Wraith: Do you want to turn this
into an income someday, maybe cartooning, comics or graphic design?
James: That is
absolutely my intent. I love doing this, and would do it even if there weren't any money
in it, but bills don't get paid with artistic inspiration. Those bill collectors want the
green, and they won't accept a painting instead. Your work has to sell, it's got to be
marketable. I had to learn to draw skinny women, because the market is greater for it.
I've drawn dozens of sexy, naked, fat women for myself, but I'll never get to sell them
because of the popular conception that only thin is sexy. It's a shame, but it's reality.
If you want to make money, you've got to have a wide range of work. You have to work
equally well with charcoal as with watercolor, with oils as with pen&ink. You have to
be able to draw a tree as well as an alien with fourteen eyes. And you've got to recognize
the business and what goes with it: A lot of rejection. I used to take rejection hard,
like everyone, but now it's just a business hazard. If a
piece of work gets rejected, you just turn around and submit it somewhere else. If it's
good, someone will pick it up. If it isn't (and after twenty rejections, you finally have
to admit it) you move on to the next
project.
Wraith: Do you have a
web site where people might see more of your work?
James: I'm the
staff artist for Twilight Showcase (http://home.rica.net/gconn) and I've got the cover for the
current and next issues of The Haunted (http://www.redrival.com/haunted).
I don't have my own web site, but hopefully I'll keep getting my work shown on great
websites like House of Pain so people can see my work.
Wraith: Thank you very much for
taking the time to talk with me and share your work with my readers. I wish you all the
luck and hope that you realize your dreams someday soon!
If you like James' work, write and let him
know!
hartleyj@vci.net
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