If you have ever wondered how Olly creates his stunning art, this in-depth interview will give you all the answers. Olly talks about his strengths, process, and how he developed unique style.
You infuse photography with illustration. Do you have a favorite photographer you work with?
Most of the projects I collaborate on with photographers are one-offs, so I haven’t spent a substantial period of time building a relationship with any particular one. There is always a certain look that I’m searching for when looking at photographers work. A lot of the time it’s the eyes or hair of the model. These are very important aspects to me. Every photographer I work with brings something new and exciting to each piece.
What would you say is your strength as an illustrator?
Being able to visualize a final piece and working towards that through what can seem like chaos is definitely a strength. This is important when all the effects are created away from the computer, a process that I find works really well for me.
Can you share your process in creating an illustration?
Apart from the subject matter, almost all of the elements I use are created by hand, so the first steps are always playing around with pen/ink/paint/paper to create a set of original marks, these are then imported into Photoshop, prepared and then applied to the subject (usually a photo). About halfway through a piece, I will go through the same process, creating more elements by hand and importing them. It becomes a lot more apparent what needs to be created, at this stage. Each piece can have up to 200 hand drawn and painted elements.
How is your commercial work different than your personal work?
I’ve actually just come out of a five year hiatus from illustration work; part of this was due to me making a film as well as exploring other commercial ventures. Most of the work I did during that period was in the field of graphic design and animation, something that I’ve always done away from the ‘art’ that I produce.
Most of the work featured on my newly launched website is my own personal illustration and artwork. I’m definitely looking forward to pushing this style into some more commercial projects in the near future. Taking those five years off has made it very clear to me what I want to create as an artist. This clarity was something that I had started to lose and contributed to me taking such a long break from the world of illustration.
What is your tool of choice when illustrating? And how has it influenced your creative process?
This would definitely have to be Photoshop. It’s the one tool that I’ve always used. Years ago, I would create entire illustrations in Photoshop, but more recently I’ve moved away from doing this and create almost everything by hand. The final piece is still always brought together using Photoshop, though. The freedom it gives you in creating artwork is great; quite often a piece can move in a totally different direction whilst moving elements around the canvas. I love this ‘trial & error’ way of working.
What are some trends or visual styles you appreciate in contemporary illustration?
I love clever use of color & composition.
What are some of the most important considerations in creating an illustration today?
The most important thing is that you’re happy with what you produce. Any great illustration starts with an idea, but it’s being able to create a piece that conveys that idea through to the end. A few times I’ve created pieces that just weren’t right, this usually means starting fresh or going back and re-working certain areas.
What’s next in your career? Any new projects you can share?
Having taken such a long break from illustration, I’m really just enjoying creating new work at the moment. I’ve collaborated with some great photographers recently and they’re will be lots more of that to come in 2017. I’m also aiming towards releasing a set of limited edition prints at the end of 2017, and there’s also talk of an exhibition at some point in the future. So, lots of exciting things coming up.
Artwork credits:
Collaboration with Jake Hicks (top left photo)
Photography: Jake Hicks
Model: Julie Burville
Collaboration with Daryna Barykina (bottom right photo)
Photography: Daryna Barykina
Model: Daryna Barykina
Featured image: Skin Deep
You can see Olly’s art at these locations:
Website
Behance
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
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