Stuart Whitton Interview

Illustrator Stuart Whitton produces some really nice detailed pencil drawings. He has been exhibited in the UK and America and was recently commissioned by Creative Review to produce an illustration for an article on the recent influx of celebrities being employed in creative roles by big brands. We caught up with him to find out what makes him tick and the things around him that influence his drawings.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Stuart Whitton and I am a freelance illustrator and visual artist.

Why do you do what you do?

Drawing is something that I have done and thoroughly enjoyed ever since I can remember. The thought of doing it professionally and having the opportunity to exhibit internationally is one that lights a fire within me like nothing else.

What’s your background?

I studied BA Hons Graphic Design at the West Wales School of the Arts in my beloved home country, Wales, but realised in my final year that illustration was where my heart resided. Shortly after completing my degree I moved closer to London where a plethora of opportunities presented themselves, fortunately if you work hard there are plenty to take advantage of.

What’s your favourite colour? …Just kidding. Is pencil your preferred medium?

Pencil is definitely my weapon of choice, I am still learning and every piece so far has pushed me in alternative ways to achieve an end product that I am happy with. I think I prefer it because it is a medium that you can express a great deal of emotion with and do so statically- there are no complications with regards to areas dripping or having to wait for them to dry before continuing with the piece.

Are there any themes that are concurrent throughout your work?

I have a combination of single pieces and work that I consider a series within my portfolio. In fact the latest piece I have created forms a series of typographic illustrations but I would say that I usually think of singular pieces. If I really like the concept and can see that it is worth exploring further I begin contemplating creating a series. This could be why the series existent in my portfolio aren’t linked; they seem to happen quite organically.

What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?

I can recall quite vividly my father painting all of my favourite characters from books, television programmes and dinosaurs all over my bedroom wall when I was young. Sadly, these were painted over as I grew older but his illustrations really inspired me.

When are you happiest?

With a pencil in my hand and music in my ears.

What’s your favourite art work or artist?

I don’t think I could pin this down to one piece or person, there is such an array of image-makers in varying disciplines that really do exceptional work both past and present.

What are the things in life that inspire or influence you the most?

Form in all its aspects is probably my biggest influence, altering it to my perceptions is how I produce my work and how I know if a piece is worth completing.

Do you do any sketches before you start a drawing or do you just get stuck straight into it?

The process involves a series of notes, rough sketches and visual research until the general idea is calculated. I then collate all of the reference material required and assemble the elements on my Mac until the results are aesthetically pleasing. It is this image that is then printed out and used as the final reference for me to spend a number of hours drawing from until the piece is complete.

What’s your favourite or most inspirational place?

This is another difficult one; I don’t think I can make a definitive decision. I find a lot of inspiration from galleries, but yet sometimes it can hit me from observing general day-to-day things. I try to keep my eyes open and explore new things to give myself the best chance of getting inspired.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

It would probably have to be something my parents used to say to me, it was something along the lines of, ‘No matter what you do, there will always be someone better than you’. I believe that this has kept me humble and able to enjoy beautiful pieces of art with the attitude that I need to continually push myself to be better.