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DREW MILLWARD INTERVIEW. 1
ILLUSTRATOR AND ALL ROUND NICE GUY DREW MILLWARD CREATES HIS WORK THE OLD FASHIONED WAY. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM OVER A PINT AND HAD A CHAT ABOUT HIS CREATIVE PROCESS, AND HOW HE OVERCOMES CREATIVE BLOCK.
How did you get started in the illustration field?
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“It was a really roundabout kind of way, I studied fine art at university and really produced nothing of any worth what so ever, and after that I just got a job in an office as a manager. Between me sort of working and even drawing anything, myself and a friend Luke Drozd had set up a record label. So we started putting out records and were putting on gigs and stuff, and just out of necessity started doing some posters to advertise the gigs. Literally nobody else was making posters for gigs, they were all just word documents with band names on. So I though, we can both draw, so we just kind of took turns doing posters and would kind of play off each other, and that’s it, it was just out of necessity.”
Can you share with the readers a bit about your creative process? “Yeah. I have an idea, and then I execute that idea using pencils and pens, and more often than not now through digital media. It’s really weird, I think sort of throughout university and any kind of education you are always told to keep a sketchbook of ideas and things, and I never have done. I think that’s just due to the fact that I’m always working so, I kind of do every piece of work out of sketchbook. It’s an experiment, some things stick some things just get discounted straight away. But I think if you’re making so much work, you don’t need to “YEAH. I HAVE AN IDEA, AND THEN I EXECUTE keep a sketchbook because it just remains kind of fresh. THAT IDEA USING Like I say not everything PENCILS AND PENS” works, I’ll make a poster, I’ll make a tee-shirt design, I’ll make something and I’ll just think, that’s sh*t, I really hate it. But there might be one element from that that you’ll take to somewhere else, and it will just become a staple throughout what you do.”
Your characters are really unique, where did you find inspiration for them? “You know what, I have no idea. When I moved to university my parents moved to Scotland, and we have moved house so many times so I don’t really have a lot of things from my childhood. I went up, maybe 18 months ago, I found box of books and shit that my mum had found when they were moving at some point. They had unearthed it in the outhouse. She was like ‘I found these books, do you want any of them’ as I was going through, I was like ‘They’re amazing’. Suddenly things started clicking into place as to why I do what I do, countless books on ghosts and vampires, loads of stuff on dinosaurs and things. The illustrations in them were so engrained it was never something I consciously did, I would just draw. Did you ever play that game when you were a kid, where someone would draw a shape and you would have to make something out of it? That’s what I do for a living it turns out, that’s pretty much it. I start with shapes and if a shape is pleasing ill work out how to make something from it. There’s nothing more to it than that.”
Are there any specific things you do to stay creative?
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“Drink. Continue to drink and just don’t grow up. It is awful and it’s unavoidable that you have to do tax returns, you have to deal with banks you have to pay bills. There are things that you can’t avoid doing, but when it comes to actually making work forget about that, because as soon as that starts playing on you’re mind you never do anything. You just end up like a rabbit in headlights just going ‘Its fucking overwhelming, and I don’t know what to do’. But everything just needs to be playful, just do what you want to do. You do get ground down after a while because there’s demands from clients, or certain jobs will come
along, and perhaps there not as fun as other jobs, but you have to take them because you know there’s bills to pay. But in terms of being a student then you don’t have any of that to think about. The only distraction you have is going and getting sh*tfaced on a Tuesday night, which I whole heartedly endorse don’t get me wrong, but there needs to be balance.”
Do you ever get creative block? If so how do you overcome this? “Yeah. I have no idea how I overcome it, but I do get it a lot. I think drinking has a lot to do with it. Drinking because it’s a pastime that I really enjoy, but getting away from it just put everything down and just forget about it. And it’s not always possible, because you have got deadlines, deadlines occur. But, more often than not clients are fairly understanding if you say you need a couple of extra days to do something, they’ll probably throw you that. Don’t look at other illustrators, that’s a f*cking terrible idea, because if you look at other contemporary illustrators the only thing that that does is make you think that you’re not good enough. You end up in that paranoid state of just thinking ‘I can’t, I’m not good enough’. I think the only thing to do is “PUT EVERYTHING to look elsewhere, DOWN AND JUST read a book, cast that net wider of FORGET ABOUT IT” influences, go to a museum. But whatever you do don’t look at another illustrators work, because it’s like being kicked the balls, because you’ll stumble across something and think ‘I wish I’d have thought of that’.”
FOR MORE OF DREW’S AMAZING WORK CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE HTTP://DREWMILLWARD.COM
Staying Creative What this publication is really about is giving you ways to stay creative. To do this, we asked a variety of creative people what they do to stay creative. Of the answers we got, we drew up a schedule which will help to ensure that you can practice these methods all the time.
Use the icons on the calendar to quickly see what sort of task is ready for you that day:
The schedule functions on a 5 a day basis. We figured the system works in a similar way to eating the right amount of fruit and veg. If you get all your creative nutrition, your mind should be more open and healthy. We’ve chosen a variety of activities to help as broad a range of visually creative people as we could. Naturally the concept of doing something 5 times a day isn’t a set of rules or anything, you can chose to follow however much of the schedule you want. Most of us don’t have the time to devote hours of our days to random tasks they read in a free magazine, so we thought to make our tasks as short as we could. If you don’t have the time to do them 5 times a day, you could try doing only one or two, or possibly devoting a free day to fully doing one of them. It’s up to you. We’ve included a calendar which you can take out of the booklet and attach to your wall if you want to record what it is you’ve been doing. The calendar also makes it easy to schedule the tasks around your life and schedule.
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Week 1 Monday - Set 5 Goals
Set yourself 5 goals for the next month. Look back on them at the end to see how it has gone.
Tuesday - Make 5 Changes to Your Workspace
By reorganizing your workspace you will find it easier to produce clearer work.
Wednesday - Look At 5 Optical Illusions
Tricking your eyes allows your mind to think in new ways, going against your preconceptions.
Thursday - Make 5 Images Out of a Pin Screen
These toys create a 3-d image which is also 2-d when viewed from the front. Loads of fun.
Friday - Look For 5 Shapes in the Clouds and Draw Them
Developing shapes them into images means that your brain performs a little work out.
Saturday - Doodle 5 People You Know
Quickly sketching out expressions is a great way to think illustratively. See how your mates look.
Sunday - Just Chill
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Send us a photo of each completed task you have done, and we will post it on our blog. 5magazineleeds@gmail.com
Week 2 Monday - Doodle Your Breakfast for the Next 5 Days
The sketches should provide a sort of creative warm up for your mind
Tuesday - Free Write for 50 Seconds
Write whatever comes to mind. Ignore all grammar, punctuation and that nonsense.
Wednesday - Communicate 5 Things About Where You Live
This can be in the broadest sense of the term. Use whatever tools needed to talk in a new way.
Thursday - Draw 5 Random Word in the Dictionary
Use 5 completely random words in the dictionary. Even if they are completely abstract ideas.
Friday - Find 5 New Creative Blogs/Websites
Much of our creative thoughts derive from what we’ve seen before and around us.
Saturday - Find 5 New Ways of Making a Mark
Drawing doesn’t just have to be restricted to using a pen and paper, be daring with what you use.
www.5-magazine.tumblr.com https://twitter.com/5_magazinew
Sunday - Just Chill
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Week 3 MONDAY - Write Down Your Dreams for the Next 5 Days
Keeping a dream diary is a way many people try to help them better understand their minds.
TUESDAY - Draw 5 Build-
Trying to understand perspective allows you to employ it in a variety of ways whatever you do.
WEDNESDAY - Find 5
People in the past created intricate and symbolic images from a simple set of dots in the night sky.
THURSDAY - Make Up 5
Try to put into words abstract feelings which you have never described in a single word.
FRIDAY - Listen to 5 New
Music is a source of inspiration to us all, regardless of what profession we do. The more of it the better.
SATURDAY - Watch
Websites such as reddit and wimp provide all sorts of interesting content uploaded as videos.
ings
Images in the Night Sky
New Words
Songs
5 New Videos on the Internet
SUNDAY - Just Chill
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Send us a photo of each completed task you have done, and we will post it on our blog. 5magazineleeds@gmail.com
Week 4 Monday - Go To 5 Exhibitions This Week
Seeing cutting edge work outside of a daily setting can be truly inspiring. Spread your sources.
Tuesday - Draw 5 Things With Your Eyes Closed
This allows you to express ideas without being held back by what you think you are drawing
Wednesday - Take 5 Photographs
You don’t need an SLR or anything like that to take it, just focus on catching a few interesting images.
Thursday - Lip Sync the Television for 5 Minutes
This exercise is really fun and allows you to come up with interesting lines and plot developments.
Friday - Talk to 5 New People
Many of the ideas we get are a result of direct conversations with the people around us.
Saturday - Read 5 Poems
Poetry can be seen as the ‘fine art’ of literature. Free flowing script allows for better expression.
Sunday - Just Chill
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STEPH BAXTER Steph Baxter also known as ‘Steph says hello’ is a freelance illustrator living & working in Leeds, She graduated from Leeds College of Art & Design in 2009 and since then has worked with a wide range of clients from Pac Macmillan to Sainsburys. She works both traditionally with pen, paper & ink, as well as digitally to create her illustrations. I spoke to her to find out what keeps her creative, inspired and her advice for all the designers out there.
“I completley immerse myself in art which is not hard because I love it!”
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IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DO DAILY TO STAY CREATIVE AND IF SO WHAT? I completely immerse myself in art, which is not hard because I love it. I’m hooked on Pinterest at the moment. It’s SO great for inspiration & finding new artists to love. Also I think it’s important to say and do what makes you feel comfortable as a creative. When I first graduated I felt like I needed to be “out there” at art shows, exhibitions etc, but as I’m possibly the most socially awkward person you’ll ever meet! Hiding behind my computer works best for me. I make my best work at home, with a cup of tea, half watching Green Wing repeats on 4oD on my own in my PJ’s. I’m not ashamed!
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A DESIGNER? I never did! That sounds bad I know. I just knew I always wanted to do something creative and I kind of found myself designing and illustrating and it felt right. As I went through my teens I went through a phase of wanting to do every creative job (photographer, fashion designer [that one was particularly ridiculous], gardener, copywriter, art director). I never wanted to be one of those people in a suit on the train on their way to an office job. They have cold dead eyes and that makes me sad.
I’m not really sure, thats quite hard to answer.. I think a desire to make people happy and smile is a driving force. Life can be pretty shit sometimes so it’s nice to have something brightly coloured and positive to cheer you up don’t you think?
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS TIME? What I’d like: Illustrating all day every day for kick ass clients in a house / studio in St. Ives, with enough cats to comfortably call myself a cat lady. Maybe own a wee shop selling design led gifts. Be totally rich enough to shop at Waitrose. In reality probably: I’ll be 10 years older and we’ll still be in a recession.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG CREATIVE’S TO BECOME A BETTER DESIGNER IN THEIR PRACTICE? 1. Don’t fall into the trap of relying entirely on your computer. Always carry a pencil & paper with you. 2. Buy “The Illustrators Guide to Law & Business Practice” by Simon Stern & “How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul” by Adrian Shaughnessy. Also go to the Good Fucking Design Advice shop, buy the poster & memorise it. 3. Be yourself & BE AWESOME! You’re selling yourself to clients, after all.
DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A DESIGNER IN 5 WORDS.
WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE CLIENT TO WORK FOR AND WHY?
Fun, surprisingly professional, hard working, perfectionist, brightly coloured.
Pan Macmillan & Workman were both awesome. Honestly everything you want from clients. Easy to talk to, enough time to comfortably complete the brief, paid on time, enthusiastic & Pan Macmillan even sent me Christmas card, how cute is that?!
WHAT IS YOU LEAST FAVORITE TYPE OF DESIGN? I think we’ve passed through the period of design that I really hated. I don’t know even know if it had a name.. It was “cool” to use Courier typeface all the time and use loads of /// and massive oversized ampersands and big yellow circles. Just no.
WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU LEARNT THROUGH DESIGNING AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES IN YOUR SPARE TIME? My hobbies are my work, which is handy! Drawing, looking at cats (definitely a hobby) going to the seaside, amusement arcades, sitting in cafes, making friends with any cat I meet.
HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR TEA? Milk, no sugar. With a biscuit.
Early on I took on a massive project that was for no pay, only royalties (which have turned out to be literally pence) It seems totally obvious but DON’T fall for the “It’ll be great promotion for you” chestnut. It took up so much of my time, so much so I ended up having to turn down a paid project. Some no pay work can be good (charities for example, or non-profit organisations) The question you have to ask yourself is if someone approaches you asking to work for free is: Are they getting paid? If the answer is yes then why the hell aren’t you?!
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT AS A DESIGNER? I want to say working with Pan Macmillan (totally name dropping there, sorry) but if I’m honest it was learning how to make repeating patterns in Photoshop. This was last week, no lie.
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To see more of steph’s work visit: www.stephsayshello.co.uk
upcoming and current art events in leeds title
location
Polychromies: Leeds Art Gallery Surface, light and colour
21st Nov - 1st May
the space of time:1913
leeds art gallery
22nd Nov - 17th Mar
Contested Ground
Leeds Art Gallery
1st Jan - 31st Mar
Dawn Chorus
Leeds Art Gallery
1st Jan - 31st Mar
Fate and Fickle Fortune Abbey House Museum
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date
26th jan - 31st dec
VLADIMIR MARKOV
leeds art gallery
30TH JAN - 14TH APRIL
Natural beauty
leeds city museum
Northern Life & Landscape
Temple Newsam House & Farm
12th Feb - 10th Nov
Keir Smith
Leeds Art Gallery
21st Mar - 23rd Dec
Happy Birthday Mondrian
Leeds College of Art
7st Mar - 11th Mar
Robert Filliou
Leeds Art Gallery
21st Mar - 23rd Dec
Dressed for Battle
Lotherton Hall
22nd Mar - 31st Dec
Duty Calls
Lotherton Hall
22nd mar - 31st dec
1st feb - 10th nov
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Matthew the Horse
www.matthewthehorse.co.uk
Matthew The Horse, otherwise known as Matthew Hodson is an innovative, inspirational and intriguing designer, based in Leeds. His memorable and signature work is bright, eye catching and beautifully aesthetic in its own unique way.
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The Interview WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM? Trying to make myself laugh. Looking for meaning in simple things. Reflecting on good times..
ARE THERE ANY UNUSUAL METHODS YOU USE TO GET YOUR IMAGINATION FLOWING? Stop trying to get my imagination flowing.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WAY OF GENERATING IDEAS IS?
Taking with interesting people. Drawing. Writing. Making.
IF YOU HAD TO LIST 5 THINGS YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS THAT AID YOUR CREATIVE SIDE WHAT WOULD THEY BE? Lie down. Eat a banana. Try and tell a joke. Don’t be a designer. Have a bubble bath.
IF YOU’RE STUCK ON AN IDEA HOW DO YOU GET YOURSELF UNSTUCK? Recognise that being stuck is part of the process and keep drawing.
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more upcoming and current events
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title
location
date
Creative Challenge
M&S Company Archive
7th Jan - 13th Mar
Leeds Observation wheel
Harewood Street
16th Feb - 21st Apr
An Arrangement In White
XO Gallery
21st Feb - 13th Mar
Doctor Faustus
West Yorkshire Playhouse 23rd Feb - 16th Mar
Luxury Anitques And Fine Art Fair
Harewood House And Gardens
1st Mar - 3rd Mar
1. Leeds Art Gallery 2.Leeds Corn Exchange 3.Leeds City Museum
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4.Leeds College of Art 7. Harewood Street 5.Abbey House Museum 8.Temple Newsam 6. West Yorkshire Playhouse 9. Lotherton Hall
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1 Leeds City Centre
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3
7
6
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Good Food Friday
Leeds Corn Exchange
29th Mar
What is Good Art?
Leeds Art Gallery
12th Mar
Refugee Boy
West Yorkshire Playhouse 9th Mar - 30th Mar
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