@mbrdmn

Instagram: @mbrdmn Twitter: @markboardmanart Pinterest: @mbrdmn Tumblr: mbrdmn.tumblr.com Behance: www.behance.net/mbrdmn  

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

I’m an illustrator from South UK currently living and working in Bristol. Having gone to University College Falmouth on the very end of the coast it’s nice to live somewhere that’s a happy medium between rural England and London. I’ve always wanted to work as an illustrator since I was a kid and I’ve wanted to live here since I first visited the city.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

The current trend for digital illustration with an element of texture is really appealing to me. I used to paint traditionally so it’s nice to bring a degree of that style into my current workflow. I’m a fan of simplicity and removing busy-ness where possible.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

When it comes to personal work I find digital the most rewarding as it allows to me get my ideas down quickly and iterate on them without any loss but I prefer looking at impressionist oil paintings from artists like Anders Zorn and John Singer Sargent.

4. What is your artistic process like?

I tend to carve negative space into large blocks of colour in a manner that allows me to keep the texture of the strokes as I work while refining the edges to be precise and sharp. Over that, I’ll layer different areas of colour and texture in kind of a similar manner to the process of glazing in oil painting.

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

For inspiration, I follow the work of a number of photographers and fellow artists. Generally, though I’m interested in the regular day-to-day scenes that I encounter, whether that’s watching the street from a cafe or walking in the countryside.

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

For me, art is just my profession. If it changes the way I view the world it’s just to consider whether it’s something that would be interesting to incorporate into a piece or filing an idea away mentally for use on a client project.

7. Where did you study?

I studied illustration at University College Falmouth.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I’m pretty happy with the trajectory my life is taking. I don’t have any overriding goal that I’m chasing except to continue to improve my work and hopefully work with more clients.

9. What about in ten?

Maybe by ten I’ll be working as a dogcatcher in New York?

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I really don’t want to end up working as a dogcatcher in New York.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

Just a good burger, and though I like that you can get chorizo and manchego burgers I still prefer a simple, honest burg.

12. Favourite book?

Most recently it’s 10% Happier by Dan Harris. Before that was The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon and before that the Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.

13. Favourite genre of music?

Stoner metal, good for really zoning into an illustration piece. I’m currently listening to Heathen by Thou.

14. What are your hobbies?

I like baking bread and making furniture for the house. After working on the computer for most of the week it’s nice to make something tangible with your own hands. I also think that the patience that woodworking requires is good for me as I quite often struggle to focus on one task.

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

A dogcatcher in New York?