Interview: 10 Questions with Justin Gerard

Justin Gerard
blogspot: www.quickhidehere.blogspot.com
images copyright Justin Gerard

10 Questions With Justin Gerard

1.... who is your favorite artist?

Really tough question.  Living or dead?
Living I'd say I look forward to seeing the new work of Paul Bonner (link) and Petar Meseldzija (link) probably the most of anyone.  Scott Gustafson (link) and Donato Giancola (link) are awesome too.  I would also say that Peter DeSeve (link) and Carter Goodrich (link) were what got me here and are guys whose work I still absolutely love. There are just too many...

For the dead guys I am a huge Rembrandt (link) fan.  I also have drawn a lot from the works of Draper (link), Bouguereau (link), Mucha (link) and Dore (link).



2.... do you offer workshops for artists?

Yes.  Mostly live appearances, but online ones will be coming soon! Watch for it on my blog at quickhidehere.blogspot.com!



3.... what do you like to listen to while you work?

It varies based on what I am doing.  If I am drawing or doing heavily creative work, I listen to instrumental music.  Atmorock, soundtracks etc. Because they tend to help with concentration.  But if I am just painting/rendering that stuff may put me to sleep, so I turn on more lyrically driven stuff.  Recently it's been 90's altrock.

Mostly though, I listen to audiobooks.  I love a good audiobook.



4.... what medium and tools do you use to create your art?

It is almost always mixed.  Every piece has some traditional and some digital.  For the traditional work it is usually watercolor and pencil, and every now and then acrylic or oil.  For the digital aspects it is always Photoshop on a Wacom Intuos tablet.



5.... during an average week how many hours a day / week do you work on creating art?

10 on average, usually about 6 days a week.  Some weeks more, some weeks less.  It is both my hobby and profession, so I tend to spend a lot of the week doing it.

6.... are you working your dream job?

Absolutely.



7.... do you feel its important for others to pursue their dream jobs?

This will sound strange but no.  I think they should do what they love (well.. unless they are evil people whose dreams are to blow up the ocean or something, in which case, they shouldn't do what they love)  I think most "good" people (who don't want to blow up the ocean) should do what they love, and if someone comes along and offers to pay them for it, then that is awesome.  If someone doesn't, then who cares?  Take a normal job and keep doing what you love on the side, even if it means doing it for nothing.  Some of the most amazing work comes out of people who are just doing something because they love it, and not necessarily because it will make them rich and famous someday.  There is just as much heart and passion in that as in getting paid for it.



8.... where can people see your work (online, conventions or exhibits)?

I exhibit at many major conventions.  DragonCon, Illuxcon and Spectrum Live are ones that I will be at this year and plan to exhibit at in the future.  Online I keep a little blog called quickhidehere.blogspot.com and also contribute to Muddycolors.blogspot.com which if you haven't heard of and are interested in illustration, you should absolutely check out.  Some of the brightest talents working now post there regularly and I have learned so much from it.

9.... was there a certain moment that you knew you wanted to be an artist?

Yes, it was when I was very young, and I made a picture of a crocodile saving a tiny fish from a terrible whale.  I had created this thing, this world with crayons. It felt like real magic.  These strange colored sticks made sense of the world.  I have been addicted to drawing ever since.



10.... is there anything else you would like to add or say to other artists?

Do what you love. Don't do what you think the paying community at large will want.  That is boring.  I am more interested in what a person actually has to say rather than what they think I want to hear.

Also, read, write and travel.  These are the 3 most important things you can do to keep your art interesting.
Also, draw every single day.



Justin Gerard
blogspot: www.quickhidehere.blogspot.com
images copyright Justin Gerard