Q&A of being an Illustrator with Alan Dunne
Alan Dunne is an award-winning illustrator living and working in Ireland . He enjoys working on narrative based projects.
He worked for 12 years as a designer for RTÉ television (Ireland’s national broadcaster). He changed career to become a full-time freelance illustrator in 2017. He now writes and illustrates short story comics and was twice shortlisted for the Jonathan Cape / Comica / Observer Graphic Short competition. He is a recipient of the Cecil Day-Lewis Literature Award by Kildare County Council and was awarded best-emerging talent at the IDI Institute of Designers in Ireland Design Awards, as well as being shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards.
Q: How has your upbringing/environment influenced or shaped your illustration?
A: My parents encouraged my interest in art at a young age. I was quite a hyperactive child and painting or drawing pictures would focus me. My mother painted a lot so there was always plenty of art materials around the house. My earliest memory of drawing a picture was of a frog with a top hat. I think it may have been inspired by Chuck Jones’ The Singing Frog
I loved reading picture books growing up. When I was about ten years old or so, I remember feeling incredibly frustrated that you were expected to graduate to more grown-up books without pictures. I had no patience for that, so instead, I read comics like the Beano and watched a lot of films and tv shows. The books I did read were ones populated with diagrams and illustrations such as books of trivia, amazing facts and so on. I loved these. I still keep a well-worn copy of the Usborne Guide to the Supernatural World. I used to pour over its gruesome illustrations. I also loved the Dracula series by Victor Ambrus. I remember winning an art competition at a local field day when I was 10 years old, having drawn a spooky looking beast.
There was another book of facts that I read constantly in the late 80s early 90s, but I can’t remember what it was called or who illustrated it but it featured a gnarly cartoon of Lé Pétomane on stage with a hand mirror, farting in the direction of a bottle of wine, shattering the glass. If anyone can recall the name of the book, please let me know!
Q: Explain how you work?
A: I think over the years my image making process has developed so gradually and I think that I become more sure of myself and I have become better at understanding my particular tastes as well as figuring out what process was best for me to adopt for each project. I am a believer in learning through doing. Once you make all of the mistakes you demystify the process, it paves the way for better work.
My illustration process has developed a lot in recent years. I think I came up with a nice approach for my illustration of the Stakeholders of the 1916 Rising. I researched the uniforms and the badges for the image, making sure that I understood the subject matter as much as possible. I sketched them using Copic markers and mechanical pencils. I was able to keep a looseness with the shape. Then I redrew this digitally, keeping a lot of the feeling of the sketch. For me, it was a nice way to translate my sketch to digital form. I also recently started working with a lightbox, I love it. It has really revolutionised the way I work. I get a second chance at a drawing and within two to three drafts the shape of the image feels as good as I can get it.
When it comes to writing comics, I still struggle to figure out a reliable process. So far it's all hard graft and pain. I show up at a desk, and try to eliminate distractions like the internet or TV. Then I write with pictures or text. It’s incredibly slow and tormenting.
My wife will often say to me that people really only care about the drawings. She’s right – I’ll immediately judge a comic on the images, and I forgive its lack of story because the paper stock is good or the aesthetics appeal to me. But I wouldn’t be satisfied with myself for settling with a badly told story that had pretty pictures.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: I like to surround myself with work I admire. I have picked up a lot of beautiful picture books and comics over the years. I have some pictures and prints of twentieth-century graphic artists like Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden, Bernard Cheese, and Roger Duvoisin.
I love history and I would often pick up vintage ephemera on eBay – usually for half nothing. I started collecting copies of the old engraving illustrated newspapers such as the Illustrated London News and The Graphic. I am fascinated by how the graphic arts has evolved over the centuries and I also collect comics from contemporary European artists. When I go traveling I like to suss out the local indie comics scene and pick up a few graphic novels at festivals. In the last few years I have come across gems such as Totem by Mikael Ross, Faune by Aristophane Boulon, Jim’s Lion by Alexis Deacon, My Boy by Olivier Schrauwen, Turing by Robert Deutsch and Thornhill by Pam Smy.
Q: What do you think makes a good illustrator?
A: A good illustrator needs to think objectively about their work as an art director, to have an appreciation of good graphic design. They need to consume everything visual; cinema, design, history, art, and nature. They need to have a strong conviction for a particular taste. Also, they must know how to use colour and to be able to draw!
Q: What are your challenges?
A: The life of an illustrator – it can be a solitary one. With that comes the constant need for reassurance and support from others who are doing the same sort of thing.
By being in groups like Illustrators Ireland and AOI, I have come to know a lot of illustrators very well, and they are genuinely really lovely people. They are incredibly generous with their advice and support for each other. It's a vocation in the truest sense of the word. When you find people who keep the torch burning for something that you are also passionate about, it is important to support one another and go for a few drinks now and then.
My wife Gráinne and I have a little boy, his name is Tadhg. So now the challenge is to remain disciplined enough and to keep all the plates spinning while having to face the responsibilities of being a dad. My personal work is very important to me, in particular, my comics, but I’ll find a way. If anyone out there can suggest any performance-enhancing drugs?
Q: What would be your dream (illustration) job/commission?
A: A dream illustration commission for me would have to be from Françoise Mouly to be asked to do the cover of the New Yorker!
Q: What 3 things do you wish you would have known before setting up as an illustrator?
That I knew how to be able to say ‘no’ to projects more.
That I learned about licensing, pricing and contracts sooner (for this I would recommend joining the AOI and getting the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines.)
That I wasn’t so fearful about making the leap into this career sooner– it’s the greatest job in the world for heaven’s sake!
The above Q&A is an updated version of and interview that appeared first in the Illustrators Ireland series Ask an (IGI) Illustrator - no 23: Alan Dunne
This article originally appeared on Illustrators Ireland
