What made you want to get into art. I know some people "fight" it until they give into it, while others there never was a question. But in each person, there is a trigger that says, "Hey, I want to do that. I can do that." This starts the ball rolling. What was it for you?

A little of both. Through high school I was determined to be a veterinarian, but in college never got the grades to support a bid to get into vet school. Then I leaped into graphic design and only one year shy of getting my degree decided that I didn't really like it. Luckily, I had illustration on the back burners as a minor. In the last two semesters I found my focus in fantasy illustration.

What was the preferred medium when you first started out? Pencil? Ink?

Yes and yes. I got my first set of technical pens when I was in high school and loved the clean look of them. In college, I tested brushes and crowquills....but insisted on making the line quality look like what I was doing more successfully with the rapidographs. Now I longer use ink. I can get clean lines by scanning my pencils and save a bit of time in the process.

How did you progress from one to the next? Like, did you first start off drawing in pencil like most, then to pen and ink, then to color? Or did you go differently? Why were these changes made? Anything specific (teacher's influence, catalog, reading about it from another artist)?

I started with pencil like everyone else and then got proficient with ink. Working professionally, ink was the preferred method of tackling interior illustrations. Interior art pays pathetically, so I had to find my way with color work. I started with acrylics, but found it lacking for the rich colors and smooth transitions that I wanted. Then came oils.

This goes along with the last question: How do you progress from start to finish on an idea now? I am looking for a description of process from art direction to finished product.

Now, I take a clean pencil and scan it into a Photoshop document. From there I worked in layers to get a nice grayscale render to map out the values of the final underpainting. I color that monochromatically with a reddish hue and print it onto watercolor paper with water resistant archival inks. I mount the print onto masonite with acrylic medium and seal the surface with the same medium. Then I paint the surface with oils to finish.

Also what I am looking for here is if you have come full circle (i.e. progressed from one medium to the next only to come back and use the first tools again, or if you have sythesized all into one voice) and what specifically you use for paper, paint, brushes, computer program(s), etc. Note, please, that I am not trying to become a "rkpost-clone" or cause others to be the same. The reason for this is also to see what combination of things makes a specific effect. Here, again, if you found pitfalls, it would be great to express them. I am not only thinking of myself but also of others like me who look for this type of information.

I aim to have a final finished tactile painting when I am done. I started painting old school with a drawing on tracing paper, rubbing down to the illo board, an acrylic underpainting, and finishing up in oils. The method I use now works for me and I haven't found anything else that works as well for me. I do from time to time use a few tricks like adding textures and rubbing in details, for example, to enhance the final piece. I did use that a lot in the beginning and had dropped it for a while. Now I am back to using it from time to time. Working digitally, I have traditionally used Photoshop, but recently acquired Painter. Just trying to work out the nuances of that one.

What was your education like? I know this could get personal, and go as far as you feel the need to. I am not looing for an unabridged biography. But I am mainly looking for your art interests/classes you took both in grammer/high school and beyond. What were the schools and teachers like?

I had dropped a formal art education in high school, but kept up with it at home. I drew constantly. After the whole design thing at Northern Illinois University, I picked up their illustration program. Luckily, the professors where very supportive of those wacky fellows that like to draw big nasty looking critters and half naked women. One in particular was doing it on a freelance basis, Mark Nelson. He no longer teaches there, but has been an influence to many successful fantasy and comic illustrators in the market. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with and emphasis in Illustration.

What kind of education would you suggest to aspiring artists? I know that schools are all different, as are the prospective art students. In what programs should a school be strong to make one want to attend them for illustrative purposes? I have been told time and time again, to look at what opportunites the school can offer you in deciding which to attend. what are some of these opportunities do you feel should be sought after?

Don't really know for sure. It seems that everybody that I talk to has had different experiences with school. Some teachers are less supportive than others, especially when it comes to fantasy and science fiction. I would encourage anyone interested to continue to draw what they like on their own and also open themselves up to trying new things offered by teachers. You never know what may come out of it. Also, there is a lot be said for drawing a lot. When I was working freelance and producing bulk, it is very easy to see the progression of my style and proficiency.

Ok, career questions. I have already "broken" into the scene. I have a portfolio that boasts of White Wolf, Steve Jackson Games and Chaosium.

Great client list!

I found it relatively easy, due mainly on timing and contacts. How hard is it really to become an illustrator?

Timing and luck has a big part of it....I owe most of my career to it. If you are willing to work for peanuts, being an illustrator is not very hard. There are hundreds of RPG companies willing to pay next to nothing for art for print. The sad state of the industry is that very talented people come right out of school willing to work for next to nothing to get "exposure". I have been doing this for eight years and the rates to pay illustrators have not gone up to match the cost of living, in fact, in many instances they have gone down. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.

Now, how hard is it to make a living at it?

I touched on that little in the previous question. If you stick with it, have some talent, have a little luck, and work quickly enough, you may go pretty far and even support yourself and a family.

In special effects, they say to "Go West!" if you want to work in the industry, basically because that is where the movies are made. What about illustration? Do you have to move to get the jobs? I know it is easier if you live in, say, New York to get the commercial art jobs (for example), but is that really true?

Not necessarily, but it may help. I live in the Seattle area and it is laden with gaming and software companies....a great stable of clients. Heck, you can probably live whereever you want, but consider travelling to a convetion once or twice a year like GenCon or the San Diego Comicon and you may find yourself with enough work to keep you busy for eons. I found that having a website helps too.....easy for anybody in the world to find you.

What have you done logistically to do the illustration you do?

I suppose, moving out here would qualify. I worked for TSR in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (a 50 mile drive from my Illinois house) until they were purchased by Wizards of the Coast. Hence the move out west. It turned out to be really advantagious since I departed WotC two years ago.

How would you suggest someone go about getting a job as an illustrator?

A web site, a porfolio, the postal service, and a few cons.

What kind of portfolio preparation should they take?

It is nice to have a great range of work that applies to the kind of work you are looking for. Stay away from overkill....don't be shy about cutting down on work that you are not very satisfied with. Constantly update what you present. Show what you are comfortable with doing while showing a range. You don't want to have a colored pencil piece that may be stunning if you hate working in the medium.

What kind of copies should they get of their originals?

I would suggest digital prints (from a decent printer) that are uniform in size. Something that is true to color or value.

On what kind of paper?

Whatever looks good and doesn't interfere with the illustration.

Should they solicit themselves at gaming conventions (Origins, Gencon, etc)? How should they do this?

Never hurts! Just go to the tables and ask for the art director. You can also use the shotgun effect......put up porfolio quality originals in the art show and put up some contact info or business cards.

How important is networking with other artists?

It can help to see what is out there and a recommendation from a fellow artist never hurts. That is how I got my current gig with Microsoft, knowing people.

Which artists do you stay in close contact with?

My neighbor is Todd Lockwood....easy to stay in contact. I talk to Brom more often than anyone else. There are several local artists that I know and work on gigs with and see every so often at cons and worksites.

Did any help you get into the scene?

Mark Nelson got me started. He took me up to TSR personally and introduced me to everyone. I found work on my own around the same time, but that introduction help me get a foot in a big door.

What are some of the things that should be included in a portfolio? Be as specific as possible, as a lot of schools do not teach portfolio preparation in this way. What should the subjects be doing? All Landscapes? Portraits?

Very good question. Know who you are approaching and alter the content to match individual companies. You don't want a badass cyborg eating babies for a company that produces children's books and you don't want chidren skipping through a meadow with a big purple monkey for a post apocalyptical game company. Keep your subjects varied too. Show em that you can handle characters or even big nasty soul eaters. Also show backgrounds and architectural elements......bring things together to tell a story. Demonstrate a proficency with a few different medias.....whether it be pen and ink or even digital.

What is the etiquette for contacting art directors? This is important. Some things like read the guidelines should be addressed, but is there anything else? Any last minute advise?

Everybody is different and thier comfort levels vary also. Back in the day, I would give them something that they could keep and review later....a take home portfolio. If you meet somebody at a con, they see a lot of portfolios and are mentally fekked by the end of it all. You can also mail them stuff to review, and even do a follow up call. Sometimes it actually works.