We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ian Dale a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

As an artist, I learn most in the process of making things. Ever since I was a kid, I have always been starting up various kinds of creative projects, or doing commissions for others, and I’ve learned a lot over time through the thousands of hours spent making stuff. I’m not great at practicing just for the sake of practice, but if I have some project I’m working towards, that helps me focus and I’ll get hours of practice along the way.

I’ve had periods of more formal learning, especially for the foundational art skills like painting, figure drawing, perspective, composition, etc. I majored in Fine Arts at university and have taken further art classes periodically. The foundational skills are an essential component regardless of what medium I’m using. But when it comes to the digital tools that I use, almost all of that comes from experimenting firsthand and occasionally looking up a tutorial online.

Though it has been a while since I’ve had formal classes, I try to be always soaking up new information. Most of my social media feeds are serving up art inspiration and mini-tutorials on a daily basis. Being exposed to some of the best artists in the world both online and in Southern California has set the bar really high and helps me keep striving. I’ve had some mentors and conversations that were only a brief moment in my life, but I continually refer back to and gradually implement what they passed on to me. I spend most of my time alone working at home, but a couple times a year I’ll try to attend an arts conference like Lightbox Expo or CTN Expo and learn from some of the artists and workshops there.

I also jump around a lot through different mediums and styles, whether out of curiosity or to meet some demand of a project. Sometimes I’m a little too willing to get involved in things that are new territory for me, rather than repeat what I know I can do reliably, but it can be a way to grow and eventually synthesize disparate influences. I’ve often looked to a quote from Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki – “work to learn, not to earn.” Obviously there needs to be a balance there, but as I’m evaluating possible projects to take on, I think in terms of what I can learn from it, or what it can add to my portfolio for the future. In addition to my illustration work, I have done graphic design and web sites for clients, and most of the skills that help me promote my own business came from my experience helping other businesses.

There are several things that could have sped up the process for me. As I mentioned I tend to hop around a lot. I have a few different illustration styles that I could potentially do at a professional level, plus other skills like graphic design and some animation experience. I’ve been working at it long enough that I think I am able to do multiple things well, but I’m sure I could have developed a lot quicker if I were to iterate on just one style and subject matter continuously.

I’m also very unstructured and independent, I probably could have learned faster if I had spent more time and money on classes and mentorship, or if I worked in a studio surrounded by other artists rather than only on my own. Learning is continual though and working in more of a studio environment is still something I’d like to do more of as I continue my career.

A big obstacle can be discouragement. When I started to get more serious about taking my art to a higher level, it was hard to be patient and upbeat about the amount of time it would take to get there. Artists talk about “pencil mileage” and share quotes like “We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better.” (attributed to Walt Stanchfield). It’s meant to be affirming, that we’re not defined by our current abilities. But it also can be overwhelming to put in the work when the goal seems so far off.

It helps to be able to be excited by your growth each step of the way. Once I reached the point where I was getting steady illustration jobs, I was able to put much more time into it and that really helped accelerate my development. The work I choose to drop out of my portfolio now might have been an exciting breakthrough a few years ago, and that’s how it should be!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a freelance illustrator and designer based in Southern California. Much of my work is with children’s publishers and faith-based non-profit organizations, as well as some established brands. I’ve illustrated and helped launch a few series of children’s books, developed visuals to accompany educational and personal development programs, and worked on an interactive kids Bible app that has been downloaded over 100 million times around the world. I have a diverse skillset and enjoy helping people and seeing new ideas develop into projects that make a difference.

I’ve been interested in visual art since childhood and have always been exploring and experimenting with different media, from DIY action figures to CGI animated short films. While at art school I discovered a new enjoyment of traditional media like oil painting and drawing from life. I have a lot of experiences but have made my way towards digital illustration which combines much of what I like about painting, animation, character design, and graphic design.

I typically work freelance remotely, alone or on small teams, and often my diverse background allows me to bring extra skills to the project. If I’m working with a children’s book author or publisher, for example, I can not only develop the characters and illustrations, but also do the book layout and typography, prepare it for print, and provide marketing and website elements. I can work in a few different art styles and tend to be pretty flexible and can understand and solve problems quickly.

One of my major works has been a series of Bible storybooks for families, beginning with The Advent Storybook. The author, Laura Richie, approached me with some Bible story retellings she had written for her own family to read in anticipation of Christmas. We ran a Kickstarter campaign for funding and providentially found a major publisher, David C Cook. Since 2018, The Advent Storybook has led to a whole series featuring 100 of my illustrations, including The Easter Storybook, The Go & Tell Storybook, and some companion resources.

Another specialty is my work with some major non-profit organizations serving a global audience. For about a decade I’ve been illustrating for The American Bible Society’s Trauma Healing Institute, who produce mental health and trauma recovery resources that are informed by Biblical principles. They have books for kids, teens and adults, often contextualized for specific situations like disaster relief, foster care, school violence, and refugees.

With smaller and startup endeavors I can be like a swiss-army-knife of creative tools, but when focused on my core illustration competencies I also work with larger companies and brands.

An unexpected big project last year was a collaboration with the Houston Astros on packaging for a special ice cream flavor sold at local H-E-B grocery stores. It was my first food packaging project, but they felt my children’s artwork was a good fit for the lively fans in the stands, including their friendly mascot, Orbit. Shortly after we finished, the Astros won the World Series! I love the surprise twists-and-turns that can come with freelancing as a creative.

I’m also working on getting more of my artwork available in different formats such as wall art. I have a new collection of fine art prints based on the illustrations in my Bible storybooks, now available at iandale.net/prints. I’d love to continue making my past work accessible in new ways and also initiate more of my own creative projects in years ahead.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have often wrestled with how I can use my gifts in ways that are most needed and helpful in the world. I know that my artistic gifts are something God has entrusted me with, not just for my own benefit but to use for God’s glory and for the good of others. The most motivating projects for me are usually those where I can combine artistic excellence with some kind of worthy purpose or meaningful idea. Some of my more unique work has emerged from those kinds of opportunities.

I have an entrepreneurial streak, and a big draw for me is to explore new territory or unknown possibilities through my art. Rather than compete with a lot of other artists for a slot on a big production, I’m usually looking at areas that may be overlooked and where my involvement can make a transformative difference on the project.

I work with all kinds of clients but I especially like finding opportunities to represent diverse characters, reach under-resourced audiences, or address an important issue. When I can team up with clients that have a great vision that can impact peoples’ lives, and I can leverage my abilities to empower it with quality artwork, that can be really meaningful for me.

My faith is also very important to me, though that wasn’t always the case. Coming to know God as he is revealed in the Bible has transformed my view of the world, giving me a stronger sense of purpose and a reservoir of hope and resilience. I believe the truths found in the Bible enable greater human flourishing wherever they’re found. A lot of my work with faith-based clients is geared towards making that treasure accessible to people of various ages and contexts around the world.

I’ve been influenced by some travels abroad, seeing kids growing up in very different circumstances. I try to stay aware of the some of the hardships people face around the world (and in our country too), and at times it can be overwhelming. It’s fulfilling to know that my art can reach people in places I’ll never be and bring a message of hope presented with beautiful imagery.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

As a student, one thing I didn’t understand was how to compare and evaluate the different kinds of art schools. There are so many ways to pursue education in the arts, with outcomes focused more on your skills and portfolio than a degree or a standardized track. At the college level, some schools are an art department within a larger university, and some are specifically “art schools” only. As I learned over time, there can be subtle distinctions in what each school focuses on and prioritizes, what kind of career they best prepare you for, and what tradeoffs come with each kind of approach.

Most of my peers went to traditional four-year universities, so pursuing art as my major within a broader campus made sense to me. It was where I had my most formal and communal years of art education and also made huge strides in my overall growth as a person. My program tended to emphasize and value the fine art and academic world, and learning to think critically and conceptually about your work in a postmodern framework. But students also sometimes felt they were on their own in terms of adapting that to a career path and learning the specific technical skills they’d need.

In the years since, I’ve also encountered many artists that went to a focused “art school,” many of which are subdivided into programs that are aligned with specific career tracks – illustration / fine art / entertainment design / graphic design / product design / character animation etc. The differences in skills, styles, values and philosophies between the illustration and fine art departments can be quite vast! If you know which track you want, these programs can seem like a more direct route to a selected career, though you may not have as many interdisciplinary or extracurricular experiences along the way.

These days there are even more alternative approaches to arts education, with endless online resources and tutorials, professional mentoring, and online courses with or without a degree. Many artists also learn their craft directly on the job.

My own path has been more exploratory and slowly unfolding, rather than those that go more directly towards a specific job. That path may be the one that fits me best or what I needed most. I trust that God’s in control of our lives and works through our histories. Still I often wonder what the alternative paths would have looked like.

It’s a lot of choices to face as a high school student. I sympathize with the many young people who may lack an understanding or a guide to all those nuances. Students could be well-served to seek perspective from working professionals in a relevant art field, attend art conferences, or tap into the tons of videos, podcasts and online mentoring materials now available. One specific resource to start with could be the artist interviews at Schoolism.com.      

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.iandale.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iandaleart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iandaleart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iandale
• Art print shop: http://www.iandale.net/prints
• Represented by Illustration Online LLC: https://www.illustrationonline.com

Image Credits
American Bible Society, David C Cook, H-E-B, INOT Productions, Kara Ayik