Image © Doug Gordon

Doug Gordon was born and raised in the rugged wilds of suburban Ohio. Though the son of an artist mother, as a youth he never advanced beyond the rank of occasional doodler. Graduating from Oberlin College with a degree in Psychology he struck out west and completed several tours of duty as a residential counsellor at a psychiatric facility for children, an experience that unsurprisingly had a profound impact on him and would later play a significant role in his work as an artist.

Image © Doug Gordon

Finding himself unemployed after 8 years of social work he somehow swindled, cajoled, and wheedled his way into an animation studio where he would work as a Flash animation symbol wrangler. Over the past 10 years he has dedicated himself to animation, illustration and for the past couple years, airbrushing. In his spare time he also enjoys writing about himself in the third person. Yeah.

You can see more of Doug’s work on his site: www.strangosity.com, which is definately worth a look.

Image © Doug Gordon

Scott says: “I’m often questioned over my patience to create such large, detailed drawings. My response is patience only exists when something is being tolerated. I do not tolerate drawing, I love to immerse myself within it”.

Scott has exhibited work alongside other talented artists including Goldie and Jamie.

You can see more of his work here: www.scottnellis.com

Blank walls break my heart, so along with painting I’ve thrown myself into publishing Papirmasse, a broadsheet-style art subscription that delivers cheap prints by post.

Since 2006 I have lived in Montreal; a city I fall in love with over and over again.

You can see more of Kirsten’s work here: www.hellokirsten.com and www.papirmasse.com

All images © Heiko Windisch

Hi Heiko, how are you today?
Hello! I’m fine! I’ve been working on a triptych for an upcoming show that’s dealing with biblical and non-biblical beasts. Apart from that, I’m doing preparation work for a big scale drawing that I’ll actually start working on in a few weeks.

When did you first start making art?
I was a quiet kid, so whenever I wasn’t outside playing I was doodling and drawing away indoors. Later in school I was drawing in class whenever I was bored. I felt most at ease in art class, because it all came naturally to me. I’m very happy to be able to draw to make a living.

Your work features Pandas in space, skeletons riding giraffes and other strange creatures. How do you come up with your ideas?
I’m trying to build my own mythology, with my own vocabulary while constantly trying to expand my range. It wouldn’t really interest me to get too realistic or mundane, that’s why I always try to give my work a sort of otherworldly twist.

How do you go about creating your work?
Most of my work starts as pencil-on-paper. It then depends on the type of project where I’ll take it from there. Most often I’ll ink the pencil sketch, scan it and colour it in in Photoshop or Illustrator, sometimes I scan the pencil sketch. I’ve been working in vectors more and more lately, if only because it gives me greater possibilities and generally works well with the way I draw and go about creating pictures. Often times I get an idea without a set medium in mind, and it’s only later in the process I begin to push it in a certain direction.

You’ve already had your work feature on threadless tees, I can see your work as toys, jewellery, children’s books and more. Any plans to move into other fields?
One long-term goal would be creating a brand for my work and sell merchandise of it, or to have my own studio/store somewhere. Or to do the same with other artists who would like to do the same. I’ve got a big to-do list.

To see more of Heiko’s work check out heikowindisch.tumblr.com facebook.com/heikowindisch, heikowindisch.com/blog, society6.com/heikowindisch

Dangerous Ink talks to the amazing Charlie Immer to find out more about his candy-coated pain…

Hi Charlie, what’s new with you?

I’m currently working around the clock on my upcoming solo show at the Last Rites Gallery in NYC. The show is called PEELED and it opens June 5th. Lots of skeletons and goo.

When and why did you first start making art?
I’ve been making imagery since I was in preschool and I will admit that what I did then is very similar to what I do now. Medical Illustrations and Cartoons (Silly Symphony) are where I draw a lot of inspiration then and now.

How do you describe your work to those who haven’t seen it before?
Violence minus the pain coated in candy.

So what sort of reaction does your work usually receive?
People usually react positively and they smile. I am very glad when they smile or laugh especially at the more graphic paintings.

How do you go about creating your work?
I use a technique similar to the painters of old. Glazing Oil paints and building up opacity gradually – pushing and pulling the darks and lights. My paintings can take a week and a half to a month to finish.

What’s next for you?
After my show in June I will take a very small break and then I have a few groups show in the fall. Then I have a solo show at Roq La Rue in August of 2011.

Get a piece of Charlie here virtuartgallery.com/home/charlie-immer and see more of his work here charlieimmer.com

All images © Charlie Immer 2010

English Illustrator Iain MacArthur has two very distinctive styles, one surreal and fantastical and the other photo-realistic; we talk to him to find out which is closest to his heart

Hi Iain, what are you up to at the moment?
Aloha, I’ve been rather busy with commission pieces and also some new stuff that I’m uploading onto my website. Been working on 2 projects this week. One for on a shirt commission for a dude in the Caribbean and the other one for Nike on a footlocker tee project for the summer. Whilst juggling that I’m also working on some more big scale surreal portraits.

All images © Iain MacArthur 2010

When and why did you first start making art?
I was a drawing maniac when I was a little whippersnapper, doing little doodles on the side of my schoolbooks in class. Though I always got told off for it, I couldn’t help it, it was a habit something for me to do when I was bored. I found it hard paying attention in a class that wasn’t interesting to me. I got into art passionately when I was in college. That’s when I wanted to do illustration and painting as a career. Artists like Max Ernst, Alfonse Mucha, and Bruno 9li where one of many artists that inspire me to do become an artist.

What inspires you?
I get inspiration from elements surrounding me, things that catch my eye like furniture patterns and geometrical patterns. I also like to look at birds or animals for inspiration; most of my work has animal reference.

You have two quite different styles, one quite surreal and fantastical and the other more photo-realistic, which do you prefer creating?
I do love drawing photo-realistic portraits in my spare time, just like making things look perfect when drawing faces or figures. Usually it takes me the whole day to finish drawing a portrait but when I’m finished I’m never satisfied from the way it looks. I’m my own worst critic. I guess some artists are like that with their pieces.

Though drawing realistic portraits are fun to do I also like integrating intricate patterns into the pieces to make it stand out more. Make it look like something is coming out of them like there inner self or it could be there emotion of happiness.

How do you go about creating your work?
When creating a piece it depends I mostly use pencil and pigment pens to construct my subjects. It’s a long process. When I do color images I use Photoshop and color it on there with a drawing tablet. I listen to music, which helps a lot when I’m drawing. It gets me motivated and focused on what I’m drawing. I like working on a big scale, at the moment I’m working on A2 or A3 but I’m pushing myself to go bigger.

What have you been listening to?
Anything with a good beat and rhythm gets me going in. At the moment I mostly listen to daft punk, beastie boys, battles and vampire weekend. I’m really getting into vampire weekend’s new album.

What’s next for you?
Hmm… possibly making big scale portrait pieces and getting them in exhibitions if I can. I would love to do that this year! And also want to do more commission work for magazines or poster designs, at the moment I’m doing shirt commissions which is good but want to broaden on doing different types of commissions, if I’m lucky (fingers crossed).

See more of Iain’s work at www.iainmacarthur.carbonmade.com

Want some? See Behance, Flickr, Twitter, Myspace and Facebook

All images © Peachbeach 2010

Girl and Snail • All images © Barnaby Ward 2010

Hi Barnaby, how are you today?
Pretty good thanks. I have a few projects going on at the moment. I’m primarily focused on concept design for an upcoming CGI kid’s movie, which just started production. I’m also developing some new comics projects after being on a bit of a comics hiatus.

Lets go back to the beginning, when did you first start making art?
I’ve been drawing my whole life. It’s hard to determine what started it or what keeps it going. It’s all very impulsive, and I don’t have much control over it.

Humprey

I love your print of the girl with the octopus, Humphrey (above) – For some reason it makes me think of the film “Oldboy” – each of your images seem to tell a story, what comes first to you an image or a storyline?
I’m curious about the connection you made to Oldboy! That was an amazing but very bleak movie.

I think it’s the scene where the main character eats the octopus live and is checking out the girl who served him, maybe your piece is the image in his head at the time?
With the girls and animals pieces, I’m not trying to tell a specific story so much as create a sense of empathy. I wanted to create an obvious emotional connection between the girl and the animal, which I’m hoping shows that there’s a relationship there, and a sense of history. There’s not much more to it than that. But I think the combination of these elements allows the viewer to project their own ideas onto the piece. There’s enough suggestion that I’m hoping it stimulates people’s imaginations.

With other more detailed drawings, I’ll start with a general idea and a story will develop as I’m working on it. A lot of time will go into these pieces, so it’s very easy to let my thoughts get carried away while working. In these instances, yes, there’s a very deliberate story behind the piece, but it doesn’t normally make much sense!

Here are some examples:

How do you go about creating your work?
I’ve developed a pretty efficient digital workflow. The entire process from start to finish is done using a pen tablet. I’m not much of a purist when it comes to tools or process as I’m more interested results. Aside from a bit of a learning curve, it wasn’t very difficult for me to give up drawing on paper. I’ve never been very good at spontaneous drawing, so the level of control I get working digitally is very appealing to me. I use Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos tablet.

While I don’t post very often, I’ll use my twitter account to talk about drawings as I’m working on them, with work-in-progress shots. Here’s the last set I posted. (I never did finish the drawing though!)

You’ve already published a book, Sixteen Miles to Merricks, what’s next for you?
The movie concept work will probably take up most of my time for the next few months, but in between I’m hoping to further develop my book ‘Finite’. I haven’t drawn any comics in over 2 years now, so I’m itching to get the story out of my system. It takes place 3 days before the end of the world and follows a young man in an evacuated city trying to make the most of his remaining time.

Sketches from the book Finite

For more of Barnaby’s work check out  www.somefield.com, for twitter updates see twitter.com/barnaby_ward and to get your own limited edition, signed and numbered prints visit www.picturesonwalls.com

Released and brought to you by the amazing people at Imaginism Studios Inc. and ArtistSketchbooks.com this downloadable and portable book of select works and never before seen sketches can now be yours to hold in the palm of your hands.

Also soon to come, some top secret awesomeness!!…I’m not allowed to announce what it is just yet, but stay tuned!”

You can see more of his work on his site www.thechung.com or buy limited edition prints from the Dangerous Ink Gallery.

One of the great series of images on his site are colour swatch landscapes such as these. If you get some time it’s definitely worth a look, and these great images are also available as free wallpapers. Nice.

Image © iunewind