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Chet Phillips’ slightly off-kilter view of the world comes alive through his illustrations. His traditional tools were replaced by a computer, first reflected in the natural media software work Painter in 1992. After that, there was no retreating from the digital world. Chet's unique approach to creating "digital woodcuts" has garnered him numerous awards and an impressive client list that includes American Airlines, Pepsico, Honda, The New York Times and Warner Brothers, to name a few. In addition, he has recently begun to explore the world of online print sales. Remember, no electrons are ever harmed in the process of Chet’s work. We’re really happy to share this exclusive interview with this talented artist.
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I
T'S ART : You say in your Bio that you dived into the digital world in 1992. Can you speak about the first steps you took with digital tools?
Chet Phillips : At the time, it seemed like a huge and risky gamble to move from traditional tools to digital creation. Digital art was not as prolific or mainstream back then as it is today. A friend had just returned from the San Francisco MacWorld Expo and showed me a brochure for a newly released natural media program named Painter that was packaged, of all things, in a paint can. I had recently tried creating some digital art with a company's high-end program years earlier, and found it limiting and frustrating. But Painter looked and felt so natural to me that I decided to take the risk. I invested in my first Mac (an Apple IIci) and a copy of Painter, Version 1. I immediately fell in love with the possibilities and freedom that working digitally afforded me.
Fortunately, at the time one of my steady clients was a high-tech company that welcomed digital artwork files. Others were a bit timid — one in particular insisted that the artwork be printed out so they could drum-scan it rather than trust it in a layout program. Overall, the transition was a smooth one for my illustration business. I've felt very fortunate to be on the leading edge of using Painter. It has changed my career for the better, a hundred times over.
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"I was grounded in traditional tools and worked as an illustrator for years before the advent of the computer. So I don't find myself depending a lot on new layer advances or on expanding filter and effects libraries"
IA : Since 1992, lots of things have changed in the software/computer industry. Do you think your (digital) art has evolved with the software? How?
CP : Sketching is the only area of my traditional creative world that hasn't changed. I still love the feel and process of pencil on paper as I work out the details of an idea.
IA : When we browse your portfolio, we can see how animals have influenced your production. Why have you chosen to depict these creatures in your art?
CP : I've always had an affinity for animals as a subject matter. The variety of character, color, symbolism and shape has always been a source of inspiration. In particular, texture is a primary method in my woodcut/scratch board approach to emulate animal fur. An anthropomorphic approach to animals also speaks to my enjoyment of exploring fun, children's-themed artwork.
IA : You've worked for well-known brands. Explain how your working process can be affected if you work for a client versus your own projects.
CP : It's always a challenge to interpret another person's or company's vision, but that truly defines the job description of illustrator. When I'm able to work with an art director who has the same creative theories and ideals, that can constitute some of the most satisfying experiences. Then again, creating something purely from your own thoughts and imagination can be even more satisfying. I received my college degree in Fine Arts, so I began with a mindset of creating without external direction.
IA : Can you speak about your trading card series? What were your initial ideas regarding the first trading card series?
CP : I've always loved the world of trading cards. As a child I collected a few sports cards. But I found I had much more interest in non-sports-related collectibles, specifically the tremendous work of Norm Saunders with his Mars Attacks and Batman series.
They are beautiful bits of colorful illustrations that you could hold in your hand, display or trade. This interest, along with my fascination with Victorian times and WWI (I have an extensive collection of WWI-themed lead soldiers) led organically to a project that used turn-of-the-century cigarette cards as an inspiration. My intent was to combine the somber, strait-laced attitude of Victorian culture with a lighthearted, goofy approach. What better subject to do this with than
monkeys and apes!
So my first set, titled "World War Monkey," was comprised of 14 portraits, with a short whimsical biography of the simian military leader on the back of each card. I strove to give each card a distressed and aged look by using textures and muted colors — as though they had languished in a grandparent's attic for decades.
