Jorge Mascarenhas Interview with Jon Stich
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What is illustration?
In my view, any piece of narrative artwork falls under the category of illustration.
How did you get started in your professional career?
After graduating from California College of the Arts, I worked at a small bookstore in Oakland, where I had the opportunity to display some of my art. Mostly portrait drawings of authors, and a larger painting I hung over a fireplace at the back of the shop. A sales rep from Chronicle Books came in and gave me some references, and as a result I landed my first gig- a spot illustration in the SF Chronicle’s Sunday paper.
Which illustrators inspired you to pursue this career?
Too many to name, but Norman Rockwell, Bernie Fuchs, Jenny Saville, John Singer Sargent are a good start.
What keeps you inspired?
Inspiration ebbs and flows just like the workload, but I try to stay informed on world and local events, and view my work as a response to what’s happening.
Do you think art fundamentals are still relevant in the new age of AI?
They’ve never been more important than now.
Do you think AI will obliterate illustration?
It will follow trends and obliterate work that cannot stand out, but it can’t be groundbreaking and take risks, so no.
What advice you wish you had gotten as a young illustrator?
Do not compare your place in the illustration world to others, and it’s really not a race.
What is more important concept or technique?
They need to coexist, I wouldn’t put one over the other.
Which project or event changed the course of your career?
Probably a job I got in 2007 I think, making artwork for the Cartoon Network (a Squidbillies DVD). It was the most complicated contract I had to read through, and the first time my work would be on the cover of a product.
What do you do when encountering a creative block?
Practice portraits or be frustrated for a day and then get over it the next day. No real go-to solution.
If you could go back and do something differently in your career, what would that be?
I’d try to attend more in-person events within the illustration and art world.
What advice do you give to future illustrators?
Focus on what you can control- your craft and work ethic. Everybody has their ups and downs, regardless of the length of their career. In order to endure, you need to be persistent, hard headed, and confident. There’s also no shame in pivoting from a “dream job” if it means financial and mental stability. You need to be open to all of the directions a career can go.
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https://www.jonstich.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jonstich
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© no artwork displayed can be used without permission of the artist, Jon Stich.
