Hey Restless Colour Readers, check out this months feature profile on Adelaide concept artist and illustrator, Anthony McKeown.
My name is Anthony McKeown and I am an artist living in the Northern Suburbs of Adelaide South Australia. Like most artists, my first attempts at drawing involved fan art of my favourite TV shows like Dragonball Z and Gundam Wing. At the time, it was never really a strong hobby and I almost entirely lost interest in it throughout high school. It wasn't until in 2007 upon finishing first year of studying graphic design at university that I decided graphic design as a career wasn't for me. Rather than quitting University and wasting an entire year of study, I decided to change my major to illustration. Beginning in 2008, going into a class amongst cool and talented people made me realise how hard I needed to work. Although I struggled with illustration at first, it was more rewarding and enjoyable than anything I’d studied before. The class was a fun atmosphere and everyone was encouraging and helped each other out.
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| Blackbeard |
What draws me into illustration (pun intended) is the creative process. I enjoy coming up with a concept and trying new ways to convey a story and to really push myself. I find a finished illustration to be very rewarding as it is something that I have created myself. If it wasn't for illustration I would be lost and would have no bloody idea what I would be doing in my free time.
Mediums
I like to work in HB Pencil and Photoshop. Usually my drawings will start with a pencil sketch (either loose or detailed), where I work out the composition and lighting on paper first. Working on paper allows for much more control and to see the drawing for what it really is. If I start the drawing in Photoshop, I’m more inclined to try and 'save' a drawing rather than just starting a fresh one.
After the initial pencil sketch, I will scan it into the computer and begin rendering it up in colour using Photoshop. Photoshop allows for experimentation of colour and lighting, and essentially you can change the mood of your entire drawing by just playing with the colour balance and hue/saturation controls. There is less risk involved than if you're working with acrylic or oil paints.
Although saying that, I do love working with oils - even though it is so damn messy to work with!
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| Blackbeard Character Design |
Inspiration
I draw my inspiration from a range of different creative mediums including film and music. I find the Sergio Leone western films such as the Dollars Trilogy and Once Upon a Time in the West to be some of the strongest influences in regards to my character and story development. The films are driven entirely on character development, with simple plots. I like to bring this idea into my work. It's not the scale of an epic story which is important, but the characters and the challenges they face. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef both have amazing characteristics, and are kings when it comes to playing the 'anti-hero'.
I also find music inspiring. Listening to work by Tchaikovsky can be a really good source of inspiration with the range of different instruments and the emotion and mood in each of the pieces. It enhances the imagination! Other than that, I just listen to Kiss, Phil Collins or MJ.
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| "His name is Manco" |
Achievements
My greatest achievement in my work is the amount of improvement I’ve made in just three years. Being able to complete an illustration without being embarrassed or disappointed is a really good feeling. While it is not healthy to be entirely satisfied with your work, I have learnt that it is important to be satisfied in the context of where you are in your learning development. Developing confidence in being able to explore different styles and techniques is something that I have achieved recently. Going into a picture and not caring about ruining the piece is very difficult, but I’ve learnt that if you can draw it once, you can draw it again. I now don't mind showing my work to my friends, or submitting on online forums such as conceptart.org. I think the greatest achievement an artist can have is being proud of your own work ethic, and feeling satisfied that you have created something that is special to you, while at the same time, having a passion to get better.
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| Untitled |
Influences
The artists which have personally influenced me in my work are Robin Eely and Simon Scales. I had Robin as a tutor in first year of studying illustration. As I was relatively new to drawing and painting, I took his advice on many things in regards to the process of developing a painting. Even now I still use the same colour palette that I was introduced to when first painting in 2008. Simon Scales who works as a children’s book illustrator and concept artist first introduced me to digital techniques when I attended his four week concept art workshop in early 2009. Many of these layer and concept development techniques i still use in most of my work.
What the future holds
Hopefully I will continue to develop my technical skills and score a position as a concept artist/illustrator in a games or animation studio. At the moment I’m doing a four month internship at a studio in Adelaide
In the future I hope to finish writing a script for an animated series my brother and I have been writing for the last year.
If work and money wasn't a concern in the future, I'd love to attend the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan
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| The Prisoner |
Advice
Keep all your sketchbooks, and number them. I've kept all my sketchbooks from 2008 and when I’m feeling really crappy about my work, I pull them all out of my shed and have a look at them. It’s encouraging to see how much you have improved over the course of 6 months or a year. On a day to day basis it is hard to see the improvement, but over the course of a year, while you may not be happy with your progress, there is bound to be some improvement somewhere.
Another piece of advice - Don't use moleskins. They are expensive rubbish.
Email: amck89@gmail.com
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