Progression Talk

 I believe that a progression talk is very similar to an interview, in where one answers questions and explains them in enough detail to make them seem really interesting. 

1. How did you become an illustrator? 

I became an illustrator when I was 16 years old. But I was always drawing out my own worlds before then, so maybe when I was 12/13 when I had experienced various worlds of trauma and didn’t know how to heal my mind from feeling so dark and lost after them, I guess I fell into it. I also came across vintage illustration over the first lockdown here in England, I wanted a new face for my art and saw some illustrations on the Beatles in a really vintage style, I must’ve seemed like a child seeing American candy for the first time. 

2. Does your sexuality and gender identity help your work?

I mean in some aspects it does help. Especially being an open gay trans man in the 21st century, you’re still getting hate for being so different but yes me and my friend April both discussed this awhile back, I said jokingly I couldn’t do straight relationships properly in my stories as i haven’t been attracted to a girl before. I mean being transgender itself comes with its highs and lows too, like on Saturday gone my chest binder came in the mail and I sat and screamed with joy while trying to eat my eggs on toast, the lowest point of being trans for me was when I was verbally attacked in school for being me and it’s still scarred me. Being gay is the same as I have highs like when people understand my jokes, but the lows are people thinking it’s okay to take you to shreds or bring you down. 

3. What does your future look like? 

Let’s be very honest here, no one really knows their future looks like but we can dream it. I often see myself illustrating my own comic and for musicians like the punk bands of the past. I also see myself living with a dog and loads of markers and eating lots of cheese. 

4. Favourite character of yours?

Rain. Not to sound like a self centred human being here, but Rain has grown to become my favourite as he is based off me and I really love how much he tries to make the most of his life and move on from the trauma in his own past. I also really love my villain character Lassie as you have sympathy for her but also hate her, and I want to take her further like showing her powers more. 

5. Hobbies outside of illustration?

I really love listening and playing music; I like to sing and play guitar on my own but maybe one day I’ll have a band or something but at the moment I like to sing songs from the heart covered in metaphors and honesty. I also love to play video games, my favourite one at the moment is smash bros as I just get a relaxation for punching something of the stage and winning. I also love to go out on walks, I sometimes take photos on these walks and imagine creating stories with settings based on these and it’s amazing that my head is like this. 

6. Advice for new illustrators?

Find what makes you tick and draw it. Also draw things that you might normally find cool and imagine them on something else, like for instance a hat your mum has try imagining that on your own head or maybe a character you’ve created on there head. Also don’t burn yourself out, I have on many occasions burnt myself out and yes it’s painful for me to recover from it as my head is often brimmed with ideas and when I burn out it’s near impossible to do anything.