1) How did you get started using comedy and comics to make sense of the world?
2) How much does music influence your ideas?
3) What do you think the purpose of illustration is/can be in today's society?
4) What is your typical process for producing a narrative for a piece of work?
5) What advice would you give to a spooked second year illustration student like myself, (in many ways similar to a lemming nearing the cliff edge) regarding the real world of illustration?
6) Those questions are all quite serious so I included three optional gag questions to end with and break the tension:
Shepherds Pie. Yay or nay?
What is the most terrifying aquatic beast?
Do you have a favourite member of the X Men?
Shepherds Pie. Yay or nay?
What is the most terrifying aquatic beast?
Do you have a favourite member of the X Men?
I tried to ask professional questions but without being overbearing or deadly formal, as I didn't think that was an appropriate stance to take with a practitioner with Ruby's portfolio and personality. She actually got back to me really quickly as well which I didn't expect because she's probably really busy. These are her answers:
How did you get started using comics and comedy to make sense of the world?
It was pretty organic! I started drawing when I was very unwell, and without any pressure from anyone else I was able to do exactly what I wanted/needed at the time. This meant that after a while drawing became a reflex whenever I experienced something, mental or physical. Even though I’ve moved on a fair bit career wise, I try and retain that way of working because I find it makes for the best drawings.
It was pretty organic! I started drawing when I was very unwell, and without any pressure from anyone else I was able to do exactly what I wanted/needed at the time. This meant that after a while drawing became a reflex whenever I experienced something, mental or physical. Even though I’ve moved on a fair bit career wise, I try and retain that way of working because I find it makes for the best drawings.
How much does music influence your ideas?
In the past couple of years music has become more and more important to me, and I don’t enjoy days where I haven’t listened and sung along to anything. In the immediate sense I find music more affecting than art, so I use it as inspiration to get in the mood to create. In terms of my actual ideas, I can’t pinpoint how much of an influence it has, but I know various bands/artists have crept into my comics. I should listen to the lyrics of songs more.
What do you think the purpose of illustration is/can be in today's society?
To communicate something/anything in a way that is accessible to whoever is looking at it.
What is your typical process for producing a narrative for a piece of work?
I have a thought, and I draw it or write it down as soon as possible, even if that’s just a note in my phone. I’m very scatter-brained so I know I won’t be able to hold that information in my head for very long! Then I may go back to it a few times and rough it out when I’m in the mood. All my my work remains very rough, so if I do go to ‘finalise’ it, that will still mean drawing in pen without drafting. If it goes wrong I’ll start again, and again and sometimes again, until I’m happy.
What advice would you give to a spooked second year illustration student like myself, (in many ways similar to a lemming nearing the cliff edge) regarding the real world of illustration?
Oof, the ‘real world of illustration’ – well I’ll say that it won’t matter how far you get, or how seriously people appear to be taking you and your work, the feeling of mild fraudulence about your abilities will remain. Knowing that absolutely everyone feels this way to one degree or another is useful and comforting to bear in mind! Ultimately making pictures and asking for money, like many creative outlets, is a rather silly thing! It’s a great thing, but silly. So continue to stare off that cliff edge and laugh your head off (figuratively)
Those questions are all quite serious so I included three optional gag questions to end with and break the tension: Shepherds Pie. Yay or nay?
I am vegetarian so unless it’s that weird Quorn shit then nay. Even if it is the weird quorn shit probably nay too, actually
What is the most terrifying aquatic beast?
They are all lovely and I wish I could breathe underwater
Do you have a favourite member of the X Men?
Yes, Magneto who I refer to as Cornetto much to everyone else’s irritation.
They are all lovely and I wish I could breathe underwater
Do you have a favourite member of the X Men?
Yes, Magneto who I refer to as Cornetto much to everyone else’s irritation.
The opportunity to get Ruby's perspective on things that bother me everyday has been really beneficial and interesting, as it reassures that all of us in this field have difficulty and its okay to struggle sometimes. I think that this discussion of the reason behind her work is the most important factor to me, as with all my work this year I've really tried to make a conscious effort to have strong ideas first, before entangling myself with aesthetics. Just got to sum this up into the creative report now, then sorted.
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