Interviews: 10 Questions With The HILARIOUS Joey Souza!

 Joey Souza
website: http://joeysouza.tumblr.com/
images copyright  Joey Souza

10 Questions with Joey Souza!

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

I do almost all of my art pieces with Micron pens and vellum bristol paper. I don’t always color my drawings, but when I do, I either color them with Prismacolor markers or scan them and color them in Photoshop.

For animation, I use Flash and draw everything directly into the computer using a tablet.

2.... can you describe your creative process when making art?

My creative process usually consists of me just starting to draw and seeing what it turns into. I don’t usually do rough drafts or sketches of anything unless I’m really liking the way the drawing is looking and don’t want to mess it up by adding something that doesn't look as good. Sometimes the drawings turn into final pieces and sometimes they just turn into ideas for parts of new pieces.

3.... what helps boost your creativity?

When I need to boost my creativity I usually engage in things other than drawing, like writing or playing music. I think sometimes your brain needs to be focused in a different way for the really creative ideas to come out. When all else fails, I will take a day or two off and try to not think about my artwork and when I’m ready to draw again the creative ideas are usually there. I do my best work when I’m having fun, not when I’m torturing myself with trying to come up with ideas.

4.... what helps you maintain focus and motivation when creating?

I like to watch TV shows while I draw because I enjoy being a little bit distracted while working. If I have too much focus on what I’m doing, I will obsess over technical details like line quality and shapes, rather than focusing on what I want the image to look like as a whole. Watching some funny cartoons helps to keep me in a mind set of “everything should be fun, and this is fun” and keeps me looser and more creative.

5.... what is the secret to creating a great piece of art?

I think the secret to creating a great piece of art is to just be you. We can all worry too much about how our art will be received by others and whether or not we have done all we can to achieve perfection. But if you just worry about working as hard as you can to create your vision then you will create great art.

6.... do you feel it’s important to follow your passion in your career?

Yes. If you are doing something and it is not making you feel happy or fulfilled then don’t do it! If you are lucky enough to live in a place where you can be whoever you want then you should take advantage of it, because there are a lot of people in the world who aren't as lucky.

7.... how and when do you get your best ideas?

I like to write a lot of jokes and scripts for animated shows I've thought up, and I think some great ideas for drawings come from those. Writing helps to come up with ideas for more detailed characters and scenes, and helps to give the drawings more substance and more going on.

8.... who are your favorite artists?

Since I was a little kid I have loved and been inspired by Ed Roth and The Simpsons. More recently, I have really been enjoying the work of Tom Bunk, Johnny Ryan, XNO, R. Crumb, Robert Williams, Sam Taylor, Kyle Platts, and the always delightful Marc M. of SickAnimation.com.

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

No, but if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask! I always try my hardest to answer any questions about Flash, Photoshop, screen printing, or art in general.

10.... if you could give other artists one piece of advice what would it be?

Be yourself and do original work. Even if you’re not the most technically skilled artist, you can still create something that is fresh and unique and that people will like (just look at South Park and a lot of Adult Swim shows.) Work hard at making your ideas the best they can be, and work hard at making them uniquely you.