Chris Brett is a fantastic Illustrator from Vancouver. Inspired by Dr Seuss and Tim Burton. His work is quite unique, colorful and fun with a touch of dark humor!. Let's have a chat with him!.
TSD: Tell us where you are from and when you started as an illustrator
I'm from all over the place really, but at the moment I currently
reside in Vancouver BC. I got started in illustration when I was a
kid. Like most other kids I used to draw super heroes and villains,
futuristic cars, and monsters of all sorts. When I was about 15 I
started getting into graffiti, after a few years of that, i went to
collage for psychology and after about a year decided that all I wanted
to do was draw and paint, so I decided to make a run at the
illustration world.
TSD: Guide us through a regular day in your life, when do you get most creative?.
A regular day consists of me getting up in the morning, walking my
puppy Ruby, and heading out to my day job. I'm usually home by 3-4pm,
at which point ill take care of any household errand, chores, etc.. so
I can free up my evenings for some drawing and painting. I am most
creative at night it seems. The outside world is winding down and my
world is just starting to wake up. That being said, on the weekends I
tend to paint all day if I can. So I don't think creativity is resting
on what time of day it is, but more on what responsibilities have to
be taken care of before I can allow myself the mental space to be
creative and produce.
TSD: I see your illustrations are quite unique. Where your inspiration comes from?
Sometime I'm not really sure where my inspirations come from for an idea.
I have a lot of influences from Dr. Seuss to Tim Burton to 1930's Surrealist
painters to Cartoons. I think in the mish mash of everyday life where I
unconsciously take things in, it goes through the creative blender and spits
itself out as a new wacky idea or character for a painting. Other artists I've grown
up on also inspire me to tap into that child-like wackiness and freedom of
expressing myself in whatever way
feels good to me.
TSD: Tell us the evolution of your work over the years? do you think you have improved as an artist?
I have for sure improved as an artist over the years. Back when I was
painting graffiti I had never drawn from life, used acrylic or
brushes, or even explored different techniques. I was 21 the first
time I picked up a paint brush, and the stuff i did back then was
TERRIBLE... Over the years though, I just kept at it and experimented
alot with mediums and techniques. Things evolve naturally when your
pushing yourself to make a better painting each time you sit down with
a new idea, and I hope that never changes. If I ever reach a point
where I stop improving my skills and ideas, I will be really bored,
and then what's the point of painting.
TSD: Are you very critical when it comes to your own art?and how you deal with criticism yourself?
I am super critical of my artwork. I hate most of my paintings up
until the last hour of working on them. I'll be really happy with the
new piece, sit back and admire what I created, but that soon fades
into "how could this be better?", "What should i do better next time?"
"What did I learn during this painting?"
Its obviously easier dealing with my own criticism versus that of
someone else, depending on their intentions. If they are there to
generally help, offer advice and want you to succeed, then I am all
ears and will take whatever they have to say into consideration if it
strikes a cord with me. If people offer criticism that is trying to
bring me down or insult me, then I just brush those sad little people
off as these little blips of negative energy. If they have nothing to
contribute to better me or themselves as artists then I don't really
care.
TSD: Do you always listen to and take into consideration what the audience say about your work?
Yes and No, I create work that i want to see, and in return i hope
people have similar sensibilities and tastes as I do. Its perhaps
selfish in a sense, but I'm just a regular dude for the most part and I
feel that my work is able to reach my peers in a way that they can
appreciate.
TSD: What have you been working on recently? any up and coming exhibition / event we should keep our eyes on?
Lately I've been working on a new series of paintings that is a bit of
a different approach then most of my work to date. Its a new twist on
things and i hope to have a good body of work in this new style by
summers end. I've taken some time off from doing gallery shows lately
to focus more on private sales and expanding my body of work. I have a
couple group shows at the end of the summer, but at the moment its all
about creating.
TSD: Did you go to school for arts or are you self taught?
Yes, I went to Sheridan College in Ontario for an Applied Arts degree
in Interpretive Illustration.
TSD: Would you have any piece of advice for other illustrators out there?
Draw & Paint alot, then do it some more, then when you think you've
done enough, do alot more.
TSD: Where can we also find you online?
http://www.ChrisBrett.ca
http://www.facebook.com/artofchrisbrett
http://www.twitter.com/chrisbrett
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