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Featured Artist Interview - Sam Gilbey
BY
Sam Gilbey
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While growing up, most young boys turn to graphic novels, lost in the fantasy world held between the glossy pages of these hyper real story books. But for better or worse, most of these young boys eventually grow up to become men, and that boyish dream of being Superman eventually fades away.
In the illustrations of Sam Gilbey, super heroes come to life once again. Just by glancing at his work, you can tell that the man who pens these illustrations is still a young boy at heart. A die hard fan of comics like Spiderman and 2000AD and movies like Return of the Jedi, Sam's illustrations bring similar characters to life, allowing them to infiltrate our imaginations through commercial art and design.
We sat down and tapped Sam Gilbey's heart for a while, to find out exactly who he is. And yes we were right, the young boy inside of him still shines out bright, as bright as kryptonite.
TAXI>> Welcome Sam, we hear you have been drawing for as long as you can remember, turning to professional illustration in 2004. Was that year a turning point in your career and why ?
Sam Gilbey>>2004 was when I got my first freelance commission, so naturally that marked a turning point. But before that I'd been building up my style, entering various contests and trying to engage with the community where possible, such as contributing to Pixelsurgeon. So in a way it felt like a natural step - I'd worked really hard for a few years and was ready for it.
I was already working within web design too, and of course the illustration and design worlds overlap quite a lot these days. Still, there's nothing quite as exciting as opening that first cheque for a piece of freelance work. Luckily I got much busier with both design and illustration projects, and was able to leave my job to pursue other avenues as a freelancer in June 2005.
In December 2008 I joined Preloaded as Senior Art Director, and am really enjoying the variety of projects we're working on. Also, they really understand how important my personal projects are to me, and I have some flexible time built into my contract to allow me to pursue various things.
TAXI>> Immediately when one sees one of your illustrations, it is evident that your style possesses a strong similarity to that of action comics. What are your influences behind working in this very distinct style?
Sam Gilbey>> I suppose the simple, but also truthful answer, is that I grew up with comics. Like most kids, of course, but whereas with many it might start and finish with a bit of dressing up and jumping around, when you're a rtistically inclined you just want to draw that world you're imagining too.
Also, I think I must have been seven or eight, my uncle gave me a bunch of his old comics, many of which were the Marvel UK reprints of the early Spider-man comics, the pages full of wonderful artwork by John Romita. And when I was twelve or so I discovered the wonders of 2000AD.
So even though I've not physically done a comic (yet), my sense of composition and impact is inextricably linked with the hours I spent poring over those exciting stories. Also whenever I saw a movie (Superman III and Return of the Jedi were among the first movies I saw at the cinema), I would come home and draw my favourite scenes, sometimes for days afterwards. So actually I can't imagine how my style could have come out any other way in the end. Although I also did an A-Level in fine art and painted a lot, so in two words, I suppose you could describe my work as painted comics. If you wanted to pigeonhole it, that is!
Early on, even without knowing where I wanted to go exactly, I knew that my illustration style was going to be a celebration of popular culture in one way or another, and whether it's comics, movies, videogames, music or anything else; I want to channel the excitement I get from those things.
TAXI>> Is there a typical process you follow when you illustrate, or does it differ every time you begin a new illustration? Describe your usual illustration process to us.
Sam Gilbey>> Of course it varies from job to job, but in general I just step away from the computer, and the sketchpad, and simply run things through my mind. Depending on how specific or loose the brief is, this can take minutes or hours. And if it's a long term deadline then I may have a vague sense of the project in the back of my head for a few days, perhaps while I'm finishing something else.
I like the feeling of jugging different projects at the same time. Either way, at some point a flash of inspiration will come. Not necessarily the whole image - it could be a colour scheme, or maybe a general feel for a compositional flow - but once it happens then you're never far away from solving the mystery and quashing the fear of the blank canvas. It's part instinct and part experience of course, so part of the process is rejecting ideas as you go along, and honing it all down to something that's going to
A) work for your style,
B) work within the timescale you have, and
C) hopefully be some fun along the way. But as the idea starts to make sense, that's when the sketchpad comes out. I'll make a few 10 or 20 second sketches, if you could even call them that, it's more as if I'm just gesturally noting down what I'm seeing in my head - they're seriously ugly.
Then if that has potential, I'll do something more detailed, then more detailed again, repeating the process until I'm happy. It's like you're following a line which is making up a set of concentric circles. You're getting closer and closer to the elusive goal of perfection at the centre, although of course, you can never truly reach it. I don't think you're ever truly happy with what you do, else you'd give up and try something else.
TAXI>> You have a long list of clients, a list many other illustrators would be very envious of. How do you adapt or develop your ideas for commercial use as opposed to self-initiated projects? Is there any difference?
Sam Gilbey>> I think in the end if you're just waiting for commissions to come in, you're never going to get chance to shape your portfolio the way you want it. Ultimately self-initiated projects are about generating future work within the style and themes that you love the most.
So for me, it's videogames, comics and movies, and before I had any commissions I was producing pieces that celebrated those themes. Also though, with personal projects you do have that additional freedom to experiment, which an imminent deadline doesn't necessarily allow for.
In that sense the Hot Fuzz poster I did a couple of years ago has been very important for me. It took hours and hours over a period of a couple of months, but with the support of the director Edgar Wright, it's led onto some exciting commercial projects that just simply would never have happened otherwise.
TAXI>> What are some of the more challenging illustration projects you have undertaken in the past year?
Sam Gilbey>> 2008 was utterly insane for me, and in all honesty I have no idea if 2009, or any other year, will be able to live up to it. I'm just very glad it all happened. I suppose the big one was getting to work on No Heroics, a sitcom about a group of narcissistic super heroes who really aren't so heroic. I was asked to illustrate about 30 pieces for the background of the main set, The Fortress pub, which the characters frequent.
The creator Drew Pearce has a genuine love for the genre, and I was able to pay tribute to 2000AD via some fake comic covers, and also to people like Alan Moore and Steve Ditko, via some cleverly labelled beverages. I even got to design a backboard for a pinball machine.
On No Heroics I was working with Dick Lunn, who was art director on the movie Hot Fuzz, and later on in the year he asked if I'd be interested in producing something for a movie test shoot for Working Title. It turned out to be for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's forthcoming movie, Paul, and producing something for them really had been a dream of mine, ever since me and my friends fell in love with Spaced back in 1999/2000. At the moment I have no idea if it'll be used in the movie for real, but the signed photo I got back from the Simon, Nick, and the director Greg Mottola was more than enough reward.
I also designed a Halloween flyer for Edgar Wright, who was presenting a double-bill at the New Beverly cinema in LA. Finally, 4Talent magazine commissioned me to illustrate the biography of Mark Millar's career in comics as a writer. This is a guy who's written for both DC and Marvel, for basically all the best comic characters, from Superman, to the Fantastic 4, Spider-man and the X-Men.
I have to tell you it was hard to choose which ones to represent, but either way, finally getting paid to draw the characters I grew up with was unbelievably gratifying. As i say, 2009 has its work cut out if it wants to compete. Actually, it's only when you write all that down in one go that it starts to sink in - it probably all sounds really arrogant and boastful, but that's just what's been happening, and I've enjoyed every minute. I know how hard I've worked in order to make these kind of opportunities possible, but I also feel incredibly lucky.
TAXI>> What currently keeps you motivated in work? What inspires and triggers your creativity?
Sam Gilbey>> That's always a hard one to answer, but I think I'm very lucky in that I really can't remember a time when I wasn't inspired. Every song that sends a tingle up my spine, every exciting kung fu fight in a new movie, I just get this feeling of wanting to...er...bottle that sensation somehow, and try to channel it into my own work. Man that sounds so pretentious when it's written down, but that is how I feel!
So when you get messages from people saying they've got a kick from what you've done, then in some small way you know something is working, even if in some way you're not totally happy with your own work. All I know is, I have more ideas for projects I want to do than I ever have time to do, and I hope that will continue.
TAXI>> I understand that you were once a senior editor of Pixelsurgeon, a popular online design and arts magazine, why did you decide to stop maintaining it after a good seven years?
Sam Gilbey>> We had so much fun on Pixelsurgeon - it was another creative outlet and I really love to write when I get the chance - but ultimately we all got too busy to maintain it at the level we wanted. We were at a bit of a juncture as well; we had started to move away from the design-centric vehicle that Jason Arber, Richard May and Rina Cheung had originally envisioned (I joined in 2003 and was first music editor then a senior editor along with Jason), because our love of movies, games and music, and our reviews and interviews, although it had always been there, had given the site a bit of a niche.
We always saw Pixelsurgeon as our chance to try and do things that wouldn't have happened without it, so in fact that was how I first spoke with Edgar Wright, and ultimately that's led to several of the projects I've now been involved with on an illustration basis, both directly and indirectly. We all miss it (not just because of the free CDs and gig tickets!), and the good ship Pixelsurgeon was very kind to us all for several years, but Jason was quite right to burn it out rather than let it fade away.
TAXI>> What you like to do in your free personal time when you aren’t illustrating?
Sam Gilbey>> Wow - I wish I could say something exciting and cool like base-jumping or free-running, but in reality if I'm lucky enough to be able to spare a few hours, then I love to settle down with an Islay single malt and a movie, and my fiancé of course. She's always very supportive of my insane schedule, and even more insane ambitions, so spare time really is precious. We also have a wedding to plan! Gosh that reminds me...
TAXI>> I’m sure everyone would love to take a peek into your world. How about showing us your workspace?
TAXI>> Thanks for chatting with us Sam. To finish off tell us where you would like a TAXI to take you to right now?
Sam Gilbey>> Down the hall to my bed? No? Okay....how about to the Northern Lights? That would be an amazing sight to see.
© 2003 - 2009 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
In the illustrations of Sam Gilbey, super heroes come to life once again. Just by glancing at his work, you can tell that the man who pens these illustrations is still a young boy at heart. A die hard fan of comics like Spiderman and 2000AD and movies like Return of the Jedi, Sam's illustrations bring similar characters to life, allowing them to infiltrate our imaginations through commercial art and design.
We sat down and tapped Sam Gilbey's heart for a while, to find out exactly who he is. And yes we were right, the young boy inside of him still shines out bright, as bright as kryptonite.
TAXI>> Welcome Sam, we hear you have been drawing for as long as you can remember, turning to professional illustration in 2004. Was that year a turning point in your career and why ?
Sam Gilbey>>2004 was when I got my first freelance commission, so naturally that marked a turning point. But before that I'd been building up my style, entering various contests and trying to engage with the community where possible, such as contributing to Pixelsurgeon. So in a way it felt like a natural step - I'd worked really hard for a few years and was ready for it.
I was already working within web design too, and of course the illustration and design worlds overlap quite a lot these days. Still, there's nothing quite as exciting as opening that first cheque for a piece of freelance work. Luckily I got much busier with both design and illustration projects, and was able to leave my job to pursue other avenues as a freelancer in June 2005.
In December 2008 I joined Preloaded as Senior Art Director, and am really enjoying the variety of projects we're working on. Also, they really understand how important my personal projects are to me, and I have some flexible time built into my contract to allow me to pursue various things.
TAXI>> Immediately when one sees one of your illustrations, it is evident that your style possesses a strong similarity to that of action comics. What are your influences behind working in this very distinct style?
Sam Gilbey>> I suppose the simple, but also truthful answer, is that I grew up with comics. Like most kids, of course, but whereas with many it might start and finish with a bit of dressing up and jumping around, when you're a rtistically inclined you just want to draw that world you're imagining too.
Also, I think I must have been seven or eight, my uncle gave me a bunch of his old comics, many of which were the Marvel UK reprints of the early Spider-man comics, the pages full of wonderful artwork by John Romita. And when I was twelve or so I discovered the wonders of 2000AD.
So even though I've not physically done a comic (yet), my sense of composition and impact is inextricably linked with the hours I spent poring over those exciting stories. Also whenever I saw a movie (Superman III and Return of the Jedi were among the first movies I saw at the cinema), I would come home and draw my favourite scenes, sometimes for days afterwards. So actually I can't imagine how my style could have come out any other way in the end. Although I also did an A-Level in fine art and painted a lot, so in two words, I suppose you could describe my work as painted comics. If you wanted to pigeonhole it, that is!
Early on, even without knowing where I wanted to go exactly, I knew that my illustration style was going to be a celebration of popular culture in one way or another, and whether it's comics, movies, videogames, music or anything else; I want to channel the excitement I get from those things.
TAXI>> Is there a typical process you follow when you illustrate, or does it differ every time you begin a new illustration? Describe your usual illustration process to us.
Sam Gilbey>> Of course it varies from job to job, but in general I just step away from the computer, and the sketchpad, and simply run things through my mind. Depending on how specific or loose the brief is, this can take minutes or hours. And if it's a long term deadline then I may have a vague sense of the project in the back of my head for a few days, perhaps while I'm finishing something else.
I like the feeling of jugging different projects at the same time. Either way, at some point a flash of inspiration will come. Not necessarily the whole image - it could be a colour scheme, or maybe a general feel for a compositional flow - but once it happens then you're never far away from solving the mystery and quashing the fear of the blank canvas. It's part instinct and part experience of course, so part of the process is rejecting ideas as you go along, and honing it all down to something that's going to
A) work for your style,
B) work within the timescale you have, and
C) hopefully be some fun along the way. But as the idea starts to make sense, that's when the sketchpad comes out. I'll make a few 10 or 20 second sketches, if you could even call them that, it's more as if I'm just gesturally noting down what I'm seeing in my head - they're seriously ugly.
Then if that has potential, I'll do something more detailed, then more detailed again, repeating the process until I'm happy. It's like you're following a line which is making up a set of concentric circles. You're getting closer and closer to the elusive goal of perfection at the centre, although of course, you can never truly reach it. I don't think you're ever truly happy with what you do, else you'd give up and try something else.
TAXI>> You have a long list of clients, a list many other illustrators would be very envious of. How do you adapt or develop your ideas for commercial use as opposed to self-initiated projects? Is there any difference?
Sam Gilbey>> I think in the end if you're just waiting for commissions to come in, you're never going to get chance to shape your portfolio the way you want it. Ultimately self-initiated projects are about generating future work within the style and themes that you love the most.
So for me, it's videogames, comics and movies, and before I had any commissions I was producing pieces that celebrated those themes. Also though, with personal projects you do have that additional freedom to experiment, which an imminent deadline doesn't necessarily allow for.
In that sense the Hot Fuzz poster I did a couple of years ago has been very important for me. It took hours and hours over a period of a couple of months, but with the support of the director Edgar Wright, it's led onto some exciting commercial projects that just simply would never have happened otherwise.
TAXI>> What are some of the more challenging illustration projects you have undertaken in the past year?
Sam Gilbey>> 2008 was utterly insane for me, and in all honesty I have no idea if 2009, or any other year, will be able to live up to it. I'm just very glad it all happened. I suppose the big one was getting to work on No Heroics, a sitcom about a group of narcissistic super heroes who really aren't so heroic. I was asked to illustrate about 30 pieces for the background of the main set, The Fortress pub, which the characters frequent.
The creator Drew Pearce has a genuine love for the genre, and I was able to pay tribute to 2000AD via some fake comic covers, and also to people like Alan Moore and Steve Ditko, via some cleverly labelled beverages. I even got to design a backboard for a pinball machine.
On No Heroics I was working with Dick Lunn, who was art director on the movie Hot Fuzz, and later on in the year he asked if I'd be interested in producing something for a movie test shoot for Working Title. It turned out to be for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's forthcoming movie, Paul, and producing something for them really had been a dream of mine, ever since me and my friends fell in love with Spaced back in 1999/2000. At the moment I have no idea if it'll be used in the movie for real, but the signed photo I got back from the Simon, Nick, and the director Greg Mottola was more than enough reward.
I also designed a Halloween flyer for Edgar Wright, who was presenting a double-bill at the New Beverly cinema in LA. Finally, 4Talent magazine commissioned me to illustrate the biography of Mark Millar's career in comics as a writer. This is a guy who's written for both DC and Marvel, for basically all the best comic characters, from Superman, to the Fantastic 4, Spider-man and the X-Men.
I have to tell you it was hard to choose which ones to represent, but either way, finally getting paid to draw the characters I grew up with was unbelievably gratifying. As i say, 2009 has its work cut out if it wants to compete. Actually, it's only when you write all that down in one go that it starts to sink in - it probably all sounds really arrogant and boastful, but that's just what's been happening, and I've enjoyed every minute. I know how hard I've worked in order to make these kind of opportunities possible, but I also feel incredibly lucky.
TAXI>> What currently keeps you motivated in work? What inspires and triggers your creativity?
Sam Gilbey>> That's always a hard one to answer, but I think I'm very lucky in that I really can't remember a time when I wasn't inspired. Every song that sends a tingle up my spine, every exciting kung fu fight in a new movie, I just get this feeling of wanting to...er...bottle that sensation somehow, and try to channel it into my own work. Man that sounds so pretentious when it's written down, but that is how I feel!
So when you get messages from people saying they've got a kick from what you've done, then in some small way you know something is working, even if in some way you're not totally happy with your own work. All I know is, I have more ideas for projects I want to do than I ever have time to do, and I hope that will continue.
TAXI>> I understand that you were once a senior editor of Pixelsurgeon, a popular online design and arts magazine, why did you decide to stop maintaining it after a good seven years?
Sam Gilbey>> We had so much fun on Pixelsurgeon - it was another creative outlet and I really love to write when I get the chance - but ultimately we all got too busy to maintain it at the level we wanted. We were at a bit of a juncture as well; we had started to move away from the design-centric vehicle that Jason Arber, Richard May and Rina Cheung had originally envisioned (I joined in 2003 and was first music editor then a senior editor along with Jason), because our love of movies, games and music, and our reviews and interviews, although it had always been there, had given the site a bit of a niche.
We always saw Pixelsurgeon as our chance to try and do things that wouldn't have happened without it, so in fact that was how I first spoke with Edgar Wright, and ultimately that's led to several of the projects I've now been involved with on an illustration basis, both directly and indirectly. We all miss it (not just because of the free CDs and gig tickets!), and the good ship Pixelsurgeon was very kind to us all for several years, but Jason was quite right to burn it out rather than let it fade away.
TAXI>> What you like to do in your free personal time when you aren’t illustrating?
Sam Gilbey>> Wow - I wish I could say something exciting and cool like base-jumping or free-running, but in reality if I'm lucky enough to be able to spare a few hours, then I love to settle down with an Islay single malt and a movie, and my fiancé of course. She's always very supportive of my insane schedule, and even more insane ambitions, so spare time really is precious. We also have a wedding to plan! Gosh that reminds me...
TAXI>> I’m sure everyone would love to take a peek into your world. How about showing us your workspace?
TAXI>> Thanks for chatting with us Sam. To finish off tell us where you would like a TAXI to take you to right now?
Sam Gilbey>> Down the hall to my bed? No? Okay....how about to the Northern Lights? That would be an amazing sight to see.
© 2003 - 2009 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.