We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kyle Ellingson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kyle, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
At the high points, when jobs are rolling in, being an illustrator is an adrenaline rush. I love the adventure of not knowing where work will come from next, what topics I will be learning about or visual problems I’ll be trying to solve in a given week. At its worst, when jobs are slow or I don’t live up to my own standards on a project, illustrating is a stress-test on my self-esteem and sense of security. Even then, I find that these harder times usually become an arena for self-examination and improvement, as well as a great opportunity to get moody and make some personal work. I also have the benefit of work experience in other professions to contextualize the ups and downs of illustrating. I worked wage jobs for a decade before I started freelancing—as a bookseller, a writing tutor, a golf course maintenance worker—and I never experienced at those jobs the same depth of excitement or individuality that I enjoy as an illustrator.
Kyle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I grew up in Minnesota, in a suburb of Minneapolis. A few of my family members were working artists and I had the benefit of observing the ups and downs of that lifestyle firsthand. I loved to draw and was encouraged from a young age to take art classes and experiment with different media. I took a break from artmaking in college to study literature and philosophy, and I spent my twenties working in bookstores and writing fiction. My love of reading is what led me to an interest in illustration—I became interested in the artwork used in book covers and magazines, and I started to imagine a career making art in that mode.
In the hopes of dusting off my drawing skills and honing a commercial art style, I attended the MFA in Illustration Practice program at MICA in Baltimore. There I created a thesis project titled DREAMS, a collection of 100 large-scale surreal drawings. I used this body of work as a starting point to pitch my services to potential illustration clients. After graduation I relocated to Brooklyn to begin freelancing full-time. Currently my portfolio features work for a range of editorial, publishing, and advertising clients, but my practice focuses mainly on conceptual illustration for publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, New Scientist, and Billboard Magazine.
My illustration style blends surrealism with vintage comics and architecture. With each piece my process begins with ink on paper—I then scan into Photoshop to add color and texture. In my client work I tend to solve visual problems by placing a surreal twist on everyday symbols and subject matter. I bring a range of tones to my work, from the absurd and otherworldly to the philosophical and serious. I feel what sets my style apart in the field is my emphasis on expressive storytelling, my ability to arrange conflicting characters in dynamic compositions. In all my projects I’m proudest when I’m able to make images that speak from my heart while bringing my clients’ narratives fully to life.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the big perks (and possible downsides) of a 9-5 job is the structure it brings to your week. My life before freelancing was relatively well-organized. On a Monday, I mostly knew what to expect on Friday. I could make plans and I knew when to rest. Freelancing, on the other hand, is full of surprises and sharp turns—the hours, the pay, and the quality of your ideas are all difficult to predict. The big lesson I’m trying to learn lately is all about the importance of a well-structured personal life, some self-imposed daily schedule that might offset the loss of a traditional work week. I made a small improvement this month: a set writing and walking time each morning, regardless of whether freelance work is rolling in or slowing up.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I think the best thing society can do for artists is to look at art, purchase art, and discuss art more often, from as wide a range of individuals as possible. Art is a language, a source of information, and a complex form of entertainment. Artists invest a colossal amount of thought and emotion into their work, but it remains lifeless without a thoughtful viewer coming along to unpack and witness that work. I think we need to push harder against our habits as consumers. People who love movies need to extend that love to photography, painting, and other static media. People who love novels need to try applying the language of story and character to sculpture, painting, and dance. People who love comedy and satire need to open themselves up to the humor hidden in other art forms. I think sometimes people don’t feel qualified to view art, and the experience becomes uncomfortable for them. But I think that to support artists is really a means of supporting ourselves, a way of thinking more broadly and continuing to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kyleellingson.com/
- Instagram: ellingson_art