I asked him to send me a little info on his process. He had this to say:

When I do my illustrations I try to make them with as little tracing and references as possible, if I scan in some sketches they are very basic..almost stickfigures.

All outlines are made as “solid cell´s” with the pentool (no brushes) on this image, it´s a techniqe that takes alot more time than using brushes, but I somehow I think it feels more genuine. I dedicate one layer for all the outlines, that way I can easily adjust the lines without messing up something else. All the fillings, patterns and gradients are made on separate layers. The tools used on this image is, “pen tool” and “gradient mesh” which is used to blend and fade the colours.For the “peony” (the background pattern) I´ve used the usual gradient tool and it´s set to “radial”.

Gustav is a freelance artist from Sweden who has always been interested in traditional Japanese tattooing and their stories and symbols, such as Samurai´s, dragons, demons, and flowers. You can see more of his work at his website www.germann.se.

With the stroke selected click on the little arrow on the right in the Appearance Palette and select Add New Stroke. Make this new stroke 3pt and a slightly lighter shade of the blue or cyan you chose initially. Keep adding strokes in this fashion until you get to 1pt stroke and you should have something like the sample here. When this is done you can save this as a style and easily apply it to any other strokes you want.

An identity is the greatest asset to a company because it’s who they are, and what they represent. It’s the only graphic that will be used in 100% of the company’s products and services. You don’t put the logo on the product, you put the products on the logo. For this reason you have to realize that no matter what the identity is for, whether it be an online agency or manufacturer of diapers, your creation will possibly be used in an infinite variety of dimensions. What if the client’s business wants to have their own corporate pens? How about on a huge billboard on the side of a highway? If the logo was created in a raster program you’d need to take these questions into consideration because either way, the logo is going to turn into pixel mess.

Why even trouble yourself with such questions when you can create the logo in vector format. It deals with all of those questions without you even have to ask them. The format controls the quality for you and the client, so when the time does come that the business wants to put their name on buttons of their shirts then they can do so without their logo being transformed into a blob. Just save that sucker as an .eps or .ai and it can be opened to whatever size your heart desires. I shouldn’t even call it Quality Control, because there is nothing you need to control.

Then again if you want to make more money you could charge the client for every different dimension of .psd they’ll need.

It was purely by chance that I came across Jim’s work at Deviant Art, or perhaps it was purely by chance that he came across my own Deviant Art gallery, because if he hadn’t i never would have found him. However it worked, I was glad it did, as I thoroughly enjoyed going through his gallery of artwork. It was immediately clear to me that Jim had extensive traditional training in the fine arts, as many of his works are oil paintings which are great examples of figurative and still life studies. I was not surprised when Jim told me he holds a BFA in Illustration from the Ringling School of Art and Design (RSID). His understanding of the figure, light, surface and composition is clearly evident in all of his works.

As much as I loved his tradional paintings (and his digital paintings) as a contributor here at Vectortown I was focusing on his vector illustration of which he does primarily in Adobe Illustrator. There are a few pieces in particular I would like very much to showcase here, as they stand out amongst the rest in my mind.

This first piece is titled “High Noon” is a wonderful illustration which shows Jim’s command of composition and color, as well as a very confident expression in his lines. This fluid and simplistic (seemingly simplistic) semi-cell shaded illustration shows how important camera angle can be in creating tesnion in a composition.

A great example of simplicity and effective use of line is this piece entitled “Lapse in Time”. I really liked this one for its composition and use of neutral colors. The lips just jump out in contrast to the tone of the image and draw my eye. It appears in the illustration that Jim has used a simple modified brush stroke to do his lines and he carries it out effectively.

This last illustration is a very nice rendering of a Mustang Fastback, entitled, “69 Fastback”. Great color and once again the use of simple shapes is handled expertly.

You can find more of Jim’s work at his deviant art gallery or his website, Visual Elixer.

In this menu you can assign new shortcuts to the Tools or Menu Commands. When you click on an item a box appears (as shown in the figure above and then you simply enter the key combination by pressing those keys (an example might be something like alt+shift+6). If you happen to use a key combination that is already in use by Illustrator it will warn you and at that point it will give you a choice to Undo, Clear or Go To (this takes you to the conflicting command so that you may modify it)

Using keyboard shortcuts really helps reduce the overall time used in a project and the general annoyance with always having to go to menus with the mouse.

The solution? Well it is very simple in Adobe Illustrator, to select all the objects you want, just select one of them with the attribute (Fill Color of black for example) you want, choose from the Select Menu: Select > Same, and then from the drop down options choose an attribute from the list (Blending Mode, Fill & Stroke, Fill Color, Opacity etc). This will then select all the objects with the same attribute like a Fill color of black. Be sure when using this method to select an attribute that is unique to the types of objects you want to change.

Cell-shaded, solid-shaped designs made a surprising push through the design community due to one reason: ease. Of course, it’s undoubtedly easy to make an appealing, stylistic design merely by bringing a photograph into your copy of Illustrator and tracing it over with the pen tool. Much easier than say having a photo reference and allowing the personal creativity of the human hand create a unique piece of art. This is why many have flocked to Vector Art as opposed to Digital Painting, or even Traditional Art. It’s an accessible style. Why don’t we see millions of Picasso-esque pieces of artwork sprouting up in the design communities? Is creativity getting hurt at the hands of Vector Art? In my opinion: No, it isn’t. The reason being because in every community there are pioneers, who push the art to the limit, who inspire their peers to move forward. Cristiano Siqueira and John Schwegel are excellent examples, using the Solid Cell Form with their own creative flare to produce true, cutting-edge art.

In the digital world there’s always a push to get as close to realism as feasibly possible. This is particularly true in Vector Art with the Gradient Mesh tool. It makes Illustrator superior to Photoshop in wanting to achieve a desired effect. In Photoshop it’s up to the hand of the artist to replicate, for example, the contours of a human face. However, in Illustrator, the artist has much more manipulative power over the art. It’s power is similar to that of the programs which deal with art on a higher dimension. Then again, there is personal prefernce, it’s a battle of style vs. realism.

In the end it’s art, it’s subjective and free to interpretation. What I would like to see in the near future is progress towards higher creativity; I’d like to see art that provokes more than just aesthetic pleasure. Art is a powerful tool.

- James Cabrera

How did you first start getting into illustration?

I’ve been doodling ever since I was a kid. I actually used tracing paper back then ‘coz my dad was an architect and he had spare tracing papers lying around. When I ran out of tracing paper, that’s when most of the learning began.

The Wacom tablet appears to be one of your tools of the trade. What do you see as the advantages to drawing into Adobe Illustrator as opposed to other graphic software that other Wacom users may utilize?

I could make very crisp and easily resizable drawings in AI. Managing colors and layers are relatively easier tasks done in AI too. Oh, and the biggest thing would be the AI filesizes are way smaller.

Can you tell us, briefly, a little bit about Adobe Streamline or Live Trace?

They’re like cheats. I use them rarely. Very rarely. Like the aligning-of-planets kind of rare. I think those were rather desperate times.

It appears that several of your works are derived in the vector form, but it is to my understanding that you “finish” many of them in Adobe Photoshop. Approximately how much influence does the vector form play in your illustrations?

On the contrary, I’ve had many works finished with vectors. My comics was even done 2/3 in AI. The remaining 1/3 of the process involved pencilling in paper. But as you’ve mentioned, a good deal of my work were also finished in Photoshop. It’s generally just me trying to find which tool would be better for each piece. If I wanted to make it look traditional, I’d use mostly painter or photoshop. If I’m going for cel shaded, I’d use mostly AI. Or if I wanted, I could use both or something. Whichever works. :)

Many of your works contain lively, engaging figures, how important do you feel it is to incorporate action into art?

I think it’s one of the first things to consider. The pieces has to convey motion in one way or the other and in a manner that would get across clearly.

Can you tell us a little bit about your involvement with such sites as Half Project and Web Agent and how, if at all, the exposure affects the art you create now?

Half Project was just for fun back then, but they also pretty much gave me a boost. Taught me how to work with a team, obey deadlines, and be an all-around good guy. Okay, maybe not the last one. I got involved with it in 2001, I think. As I remember, Rex found me in a bowling alley staring at the ceiling and told me that they could use my help as an illustrator. And that was a good timing too, coz that’s the time when I didn’t have much subjects in college.

With Web Agent, it began as a commission for their site. I did some client projects for them after that, but I’m much more affiliated with someone else now. I can’t say for now. I’ve probably said too much. The walls have ears…

Where do you get the inspiration for many of your works?

My inspiration comes from pretty much everywhere. Image boards, memories, video games, beer, past crushes, future crushes, crashes, trash…

Does your Filipino background play any role in your art or the inspiration for your art?

Yes, I think it does play a part in my stuff. I can’t exactly pinpoint how. It’s probably nuanced in everything I’ve done.

If Stan Lee had asked you to illustrate a super hero, what kind of super powers would he/she have?

Not really that much of a big fan of super powers, but I’d say… er…. Super cooking powers? The ability to make a gourmet meal with stuff from the convenience store… Maybe the ability to summon noodles from thin air. :)

Please feel free to leave any comments!

It’s finally here! Vectortown interviews John Schwegel, we hope you enjoy the read. Please feel free to post comments!

How Long have you been working as an illustrator and designer? Can you tell us a bit about what you do day to day?

I graduated from The Hussian School of Art in 1996 where I majored in illustration. Soon after I started working at a newspaper, designing ads. Then, I began working as a production artist for an advertising agency. I’m still at the same agency doing web/interactive design work. Every once in a while they let me do some illustration work. I’m pretty much a 9 to 5er most days…(wake up screaming, shower, eat, go to work, eat, work some more, go home and eat again, play with the dog and ferrets, feed the fishes, draw something, watch some cartoons, kill a few zombies, go to bed, sleep, get kicked in the face by dreaming dog, etc…the usual stuff). So, I’ve been designing for about 10 years and drawing pretty much all of my life. I started doing freelance illustration work about three or four years ago. I try to work on personal pieces whenever I find some free time, which is pretty rare these days. I used to be a bit of an insomniac, so I would get a lot of work done in the wee hours of the night. Unfortunately, I’m loving sleep these days, so I’ve been doing less personal work.

So Adobe Illustrator is your weapon of choice. What made you choose this software?

I’m insane. Most people I talk to hate Illustrator with a passion. I think you need to be slightly insane to use it as much as I do. For me, it just fit my traditional drawing style better. I’ve always enjoyed drawing more than painting, and illustrator seems to be more drawing oriented. I love the total control I have over every little detail and I can adjust lines, colors and shapes easily. It’s also cool that I can resize my work to any size without loosing any quality. Oh…and I’m insane.

Can you give us an idea of what your work area is like? Do you have your own studio where you work on your personal work?

I have an office at home that is usually pretty messy. Although, it is much cleaner these days now that I live with my girlfriend. Before I met her I was a complete slob. She helped me realize I’d be able to find things much easier if I cleaned up every once in a while and organized things. So, now most of my mess is restricted to my computer’s hard drive. I have a G4 mac with an outdated scanner and a fairly new HP photosmart printer. There is a wacom tablet on my desk which I rarely use. One of these days I’ll get around to experimenting with it. Until then, I’ll keep using my trusty optical mighymouse. I usually have my iTunes playing while working and a nice view of the pond my GF and I just put in our back yard. I have a lot of Invader Zim and Nightmare Before Christmas crap surrounding me and a few of my framed prints. There are a bunch of sci-fi and fantasy art books laying around for when I need a bit of inspiration. There are a ton of traditional art supplies and a drafting table gathering dust.

You have an obvious love for humor and monsters in your art, what is it about these subjects that interests you?

It’s probably because of my love for cartoons and sci-fi. To me, they are the only things worth watching on TV, except for nature shows, which are also cool, especially if they’re about frogs, turtles or monkeys. Anything realistic or dramatic just puts me to sleep. I have to live with reality every day, so why would I want to spend my free time drawing realistic things. Usually when I draw I just draw for myself, even if it’s a freelance job. I just like to draw things that make me smile, or say “hey, that looks pretty cool”. If other people like it too, it’s a bonus and it means that they have good taste like me. Most people tend to think I live in my own little fantasy world, which is somewhat true. I try to see the humor in everything and try not to take life to seriously. And monsters are cool.

Do you have any hints or tips you could give to aspiring illustrators that may help them getting started in the field?

I think practice and experimenting are the most important things. And a good knowledge of traditional art is also a big help. I would recommend a good college or a trade school, to help get your foot in the door, if possible. Illustration is a tough field to break in to, at least from my point of view. I’m still trying. So, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan. I’ve been lucky enough to work in a somewhat related field at my day job. I’m pretty much a slacker when it comes to promoting my work, which is something I need to improve on. There are a ton of trade shows and conventions out there that are good for networking. One of these days, I’ll start attending them and pimping my work. I have been pretty good at getting my work seen online. I pretty much post my work wherever I can (if it’s free). I also post to a lot of art/illustration/design forums. These are great places to get feedback on your work and talk to others in the field. And every once in a while I’ll get a job from someone who has seen my work on one of the sites. Caffeine is your friend.

How long on the average does it take you to complete an illustration? (Can you give us an idea of the process?)

I’ll usually start off with a few quick sketches, anywhere from a half hour to a couple of hours. Then, tighten things up a bit once I’ve drawn a layout I like, another half hour or so. Sometimes, I’ll just use the sketches as a rough guide sitting next to me and redraw everything in Illustrator. If it’s a more detailed design, I’ll scan in my sketches and draw on top of them in Illustrator. This process could be anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days depending on how detailed the design is and how picky I’m being. My personal work usually takes me longer because I’m not in a hurry to meet a deadline or anything, and I try to get things just right, often experimenting with different colors, shading, and styles along the way. For freelance work, I usually have a specific look in mind before starting, so things go a bit faster.

Then there are the other times when I just start messin around in Illustrator with nothing in mind. I love to draw eyes, so I’ll just draw some eye shapes and see what evolves from them. These are usually my favorite pieces, because I have no plan and I’m usually pleasantly surprised by the results. So, basically it takes about 3 to 24 hours, give or take an hour or 12, to be exact. OK…I have no concept of time when I’m working.

Does all your work end up Digital or do you have some finished natural media peices?

Most of my work lately is all digital. I used to do a lot of traditional work with acrylics, inks and colored pencils, which I love. Unfortunately, I haven’t really had time to work with them recently. I also tend to be very messy and I’ve been trying to keep the office clean. Hopefully I’ll get back into it soon. I just need to find a spot where I can be a slob and splatter paint everywhere. I recently painted a terra cotta frog planter with acrylics which turned out pretty cool. I also try to paint a few pumpkins every Halloween. Does that count?

What is it about vector graphics that interests you so much, or is it that you hate using Photoshop ;) ?

I think I answered most of that in the 2nd question. I just like the control. I do not hate PS. I use it to color scanned sketches and ink drawings every once in a while. I’ve just never really wrapped my mind around the whole digital painting thing. Although, it’s something I’d like to experiment with once I figure out that crazy dust-covered tablet thing on my desk.

If you were suddenly given the ability to fly, what would be the first thing you do or first place you would go?

Who said I can’t fly?

Thanks John for a great interview, I know I can’t wait to see more work from you :) For the readers please drop by John’s Site and take a look at more of his wonderful illustrations!