Roundtable: what illustrators have to say about working with art directors
From time to time, art and design directors at many publications have to commission illustrations from artists outside of their publication. The best illustrations result from great working relationships between art directors and illustrators — with compromise, collaboration and communication, art directors and illustrators can execute certain visions and strengthen their page designs.
Here’s what three illustrators — Andrew Degraff, Tony Rodriguez and Ellen Weinstein—have to say about their experiences working with art directors from media and news organizations.
What is the key to a good relationship between illustrators and art directors at media publications?
Andrew Degraff: I think it’s important to recognize that both illustrator and art director (AD) are working toward the same goal: great work. I’ve often had ADs ask me to try something different, or do a strange riff on a previous piece. I used to chafe a bit at that in my arrogant youth, but I now find it wonderfully refreshing. If the AD sees something in my work that I haven’t seen, that’s fantastic. Embracing and trusting each other’s vision is essential.
Tony Rodriguez: Mass emailing is something I’ve seen very often and it’s somewhat of an impersonal way of engaging art directors. If an illustrator can show their face and personality to an art director, it really goes a long way. Both illustrators and art directors should attend functions, lectures, events, and conferences to meet with their desired clients and illustrators face to face. In my opinion, an email for initial contact is ranked at maybe a 3, while a mailer is ranked at a 5, and real life interaction with human beings will always be at a 10. There’s no substitute for real in-person connections and conversations.
Ellen Weinstein: The key to good relationships between illustrators and art directors, I think, is the same as any relationship — trust and communication. I appreciate when an art director comes to me to solve a problem, and has trust and confidence in my ability to do so. Likewise, I appreciate a true collaborator who understands and values my work and communicates what is needed or not needed for a particular project.
From your experience working with publications, what would you say design and art directors could do to maintain a good relationship with outside illustrators?
Degraff: I think it’s different with every illustrator and AD. Personally, I love to have a gab about the piece, and often we can inspire each other a bit. Some relationships are relatively cold, and functional, which is fine too. Generally that has to do with workload more than anything else. Ideally I like to get a feel for the person, and develop a camaraderie because it can lead to better, clearer communication. Sometimes the gist of the conversation is more important than a “direct” direction, and allows the illustrator to address an issue in a more spontaneous way. As long as there’s mutual respect, things generally work out fine.
Rodriguez: In the realm of editorial, I’ve experienced numerous occasions where several of my questions go unanswered via email. This can be difficult for illustrators. In order for an artist to put forth their best efforts when working under tight deadlines within the editorial industry, art directors should be able to answer any and all questions in a timely manner. However, it can be tricky when working with clients who reside in different time zones. All in all, I personally enjoy a phone call over an email. If an art director phones me, it’s exciting. I’ve found that a variety of questions can be answered in just seconds in lieu of a long email thread.
Weinstein: Again, clear communication is always needed, and timely responses to sketches and questions, especially within the tight deadlines of editorial publications.
What kinds of challenges do you run into when you’re creating an illustration, and how do you work with the AD to fix them?
Degraff: Most of the time we can work it out together in sketches without any big problems. Sometimes the direction of the story does a 180 halfway through the process, and you both have to scramble to course correct, which is stressful, but fun. For my part, I try to stay really open to a directional push. The AD knows what else is going on in the magazine or paper, and so sometimes a great idea from the illustrator isn’t used because of its similarity to an image or tone somewhere else. Or conversely it’s too different for the feel of the issue. Personally I think any big issues are best handled with a phone call. I think we’re all guilty of typing instead of talking from time to time.
Rodriguez: There are moments when an art director has a specific vision and moments where you’re given almost full creative control over an image. Both of these scenarios are exciting. However, depending on my mood, either can be quite the challenge. There are times where I’m more in the mindset to push forward with an idea of mine while an art director has a specific vision. It’s in these moments that I try to treat an image with the best of both worlds. I still firmly believe that an art director doesn’t know what they love until they see it. They may know what they want. However, it’s my job to show them what they may not yet enjoy. All in all, a successful image is very much so based on taste and opinion. When there are two versions of taste and opinion involved, it’s up to both parties to try their best for the sake of compromise and successful imagery.
Weinstein: One of the greatest challenges is having an idea that both I and the art director like, but run into objections from editors who need things to be literal. It’s a pleasure to work with ADs who know how to sell an idea to an editor and fight for an idea or finished piece. Not that every relationship is adversarial — some editors are fully supportive.
Is there a particular piece of art you’re proud of, that you created for a newspaper or magazine in collaboration with an art director?
Degraff: I had a great time working with Kathryn Brazier for New Scientist in the U.K. We had worked together previously while she was at TimeOut NY. The story was about Bitcoin being the “Wild West” of the new e-currency craze, ranging from the problems and possibilities it faces from people “mining” it to protection from hacking. Kathryn sent me this great inspiration piece that she would be “riffing” off for color and tone inspiration, and wondered if I could as well. I loved the inspiration piece, and it really moved me to play with some digital tweaks, and distressing I hadn’t really played with. I was really happy with the results. Plus, being asked to mash up tech and Wild West is also just a childhood fantasy come true.
Rodriguez: I’m really proud of an image I created for Nash Country Weekly under the art direction of Chris Allen for Willie Nelson’s “Summer Time” record. My numerous experiences working with Chris Allen were sublime. When it comes to freelance, I normally work with an AD once and then it may be months or even years before I work with them again. With Chris, I signed on for twelve illustrations (one per week). After the first few, I started noticing a natural and somewhat friendly kind of email communication between him and I. It was a digital relationship but nonetheless a relationship. It felt less like an uncomfortable board meeting and more like two people trying their best to make something cool. It was a very casual and friendly experience. It was probably the most fun I ever had working with an art director. As a result, I made various pieces that I consider some of my best work. The Willie piece was probably my favorite as it was the first sketch I made for that project and I ended up having a lot of time to bring it to fruition.
Weinstein: There are a few that stand out for me. One piece of art I remain proud of was done for Village Voice Media on the subject of bullying students in school because they are gay. The piece was used on nine papers nationwide (very unusual), and I received many emails from readers who appreciated the image. That response directly from an audience is immensely rewarding, and that is when I know I did my job.
What advice do you have for future students who are pursuing a career in design and art direction?
Degraff: So much of what we get asked to visually problem solve as professionals are problems we never dreamed of solving. As students you can often self-select what aspect of the problem you want to take on, but in the professional world, you’re going to be asked to do much more of the creative heavy lifting. The deeper your arsenal of knowledge, techniques, and styles, the more elastic your problem solving gets. So, you have to take in as much as possible: painting, sculpture, design, film, fiction — and understand that any genre you don’t like, you probably just don’t understand or don’t quite feel comfortable in yet. The reality is they’re just muscles you haven’t learned to flex yet. In my experience, I’ve had some influential curveballs thrown my way that totally changed my outlook, but I had to do the work to investigate, wrestle with them, and implement their effect. For young artists of any sort it’s both easier and harder to change direction. Sometimes you have to take your hands off the steering wheel and hit the gas. Your brain, experiences, and influences will get you where you need to go, even if they’re not willing to tell you where that necessarily is. Just make sure you’re carrying a lot of tools with you.
Rodriguez: First and foremost, it’s important to be kind to your artists. One must consider the many different personalities they’ll be experiencing on a daily basis and that a friendly and professional email demeanor goes a long way. An artist must always be ready to toss out an idea. Becoming too married to a specific point of view is not a solid key to successful collaboration. It’s the illustrator’s job to adhere to the author’s story, the current event at hand and to paint a picture that brings the words to life.
Weinstein: The usual “work hard,” but also find your areas of passion and focus on that, whether it is a certain type of subject matter or way of making images. Always think of your audience and what you want to communicate. It is far more important than making things look cool.
These interviews have been edited for clarity.
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