Interview: Fantasy Illustrator Jeff Ward

Sci-fi and fantasy illustrator Jeff Ward takes his craft very seriously. This up-and-coming artist implies that the key to fulfillment involves flexibility in workload and a professional attitude, but clearly Ward illustrates what he loves.

TM: When you finally decided to pursue art as a career, what did other people think? Did this matter? Did it affect you? How?

JW: remember my mom telling me that she ran into my high school history teacher and told him what my career plans were, and he had this sort of shocked look on his face. My grandmother would have rather me be a writer, and I guess many other people are at most lukewarm about it. It's definitely not what you are supposed to do, is it? It's out side of the cultural norm, to some extent. Or it was. Now, thanks to the expansion of the internet, more and more people are working for themselves. But the word artist is still something of a dirty word to some. Sometimes I have just said "I own my own business", "I'm a painter", "I'm an illustrator" (here avoiding the artist stigma, but then again it's amazing how many people don't know what an illustrator is!).

TM: You've moved around a lot in your life, sometimes in pursuit of your career. Does this add anything to your art?

JW: Well, to some extent the move to Denver for art school was an excuse to experience the beautiful state that is Colorado. I think the landscapes out there had a positive influence on my landscape paintings. Dinosaur National Monument was painted while I lived there, for instance, and was way more advanced the previous landscapes I had painted.

TM: What types of art do you enjoy doing most? Commissioned? Just for fun? Major contracts?

JW: It varies. Some commissioned work doesn't pay as much as others, but it might be more interesting to work on from a subject standpoint, for instance. All of my illustration work and most of the private commissions are painted digitally, but I also paint still life, landscape, and wildlife paintings that I sell either from my blog (http://www.thepaintingplace.blogspot.com) or ebay. Those are fun to do because unlike commissioned art, I just paint whatever I feel like painting and then offer it up for sale. But I love commissioned work because the clients are usually great to work with. Also, there is a framework set up right off the bat, and being creative within those limitations is always interesting.

TM: Where did you get your love for sci-fi and fantasy artwork? How did it develop?

JW: I was four when Star Wars came out- that's the short answer. That and the subsequent other two movies in the trilogy were a big, big influence. Other early influences were various Spielberg and Lucas films, and movies in general. Comic books, animation, and cartoon strips were another big source of inspiration. I used to draw a lot of Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Batman, Superman, Smurfs, Flintstones, and Scooby Doo. My Mom still has all of those drawings. The Muppets were another source of inspiration. I used to make clothes for my Grover and Kermit hand puppets, as well as stuffed animals. I would also make Spiderman and Superman outfits and dress up as a superhero and pretend to fly around or climb the walls. And I remember going to see a play based on The Hobbit when I was a kid and that had an impact. Immediately after getting home from the theatre, I was dressing up as a hobbit. It wasn't until years later that I read that book and The Lord of the Rings.

Getting back to Star Wars, it wasn't until later, possibly after reading The Lord of the Rings, that I realized what really grabbed me about it- the mythic, epic storytelling. Where I once painted mainly science fiction and space scenes, I now seem to be drawn much more to fantasy, myth, and folklore.

TM: What/who are your major influences?

JW: Some of my initial influences in the fantasy/science fiction genres were Michael Whelan, Keith Parkinson, and Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie. Matte painters Michael Pangrazio and Chris Evans were also influential. I didn't get into Frazetta until later. I've since discovered many more artists in the genre who are just amazing. I'm discovering new artists all the time, in fact. There is a lot of great inspiration and competition out there! And the last few years have found me studying the Old Masters more and more. Some favorites are Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, Velasquez, and from later on in art history- the nineteenth century- Waterhouse, Bouguereau, and the Hudson River School landscape artists.

TM: What's your greatest accomplishment as an artist?

JW: I don't think there is one yet. I'm just trying to improve my artwork. It's a steady climb up a tall mountain.

TM: "Starving artist." Fallacy or truth?

JW: Fallacy (ramen is cheap eating). Seriously, it's not easy. There are a lot of other ways to make more money, but I can't imagine not doing this. The main thing is to not put all of your eggs in one basket- diversify with different markets and approaches, and try to maintain cash flow.

TM: Are you a gamer? What types of games?

JW: I like gaming, but I'm not much of a gamer. That may sound like a contradiction, but what I mean is I like the idea of games. I like the fact that people can lose themselves in roleplaying, whether it's computer games or pen and paper. I play Diablo II, but I'm not that great at it. Whatever it takes to be a good gamer, I don't seem to have it. But I enjoy playing it just the same.

TM: You draw animals (horses, unicorns) very well. Have you done a lot of real life study?

JW: Thanks. I haven't drawn many animals from life. Mainly when I do it's just quick sketches of my cats or the squirrel in the tree out back. But I do occassional studies from photos and from the book How to Draw Animals by Jack Hamm.

TM: Do you use human models for fantasy portraits? What's your technique?

JW: When painting fantasy characters, I'll search through my reference files- both digital (thanks Google!) and pages ripped from magazines- for appropriate images. They might be quite different from the character I'm painting, but the general anatomy is the same, and so I'll use it as a general guide. Also sometimes I'll choose an image because the lighting is similar to what I'm painting. There probably have been some times when I didn't use reference and should have, though. Figure work is something that I'm constantly trying to improve. I still feel like it's my weakest link. I started out painting landscapes and spacescapes, and just didn't learn to properly draw and paint the figure initially. So I've had to go back to studying and practice drawing in order to bring my skill level up in that area. Drawing should have been mastered first.

TM: Where else might we find your art?

JW: I was just contacted by the fantasy and sci-fi digital art magazine ImagineFX and they are featuring my artwork in the next issue. It's probably THE top magazine of its kind, so I am excited and honored that they wish to include my art. The magazine's website is http://www.imaginefx.com/. Also, I'm always posting new art to DeviantArt at http://stungeon.deviantart.com/.