My name is Andrew Kolb and I'm an illustrator out of Ontario, Canada. I suppose the quickest way to describe what I do is to say I'm an illustrator and teacher!
How did you get started in illustration? What is a turning point in your professional career?
I suppose I've been drawing since I can remember but in terms of professional work, that came a few years after starting design school. I studied graphic design and was always putting my illustration into the work. This continued on as I was interning and employed as a full-fledged designer; in most jobs I was always the designer who could illustrate. Eventually my freelance work built up to the point that I could turn away design work, focus on illustration, and grow as an image-maker. After a few years of employment as a designer and freelancing as an illustrator, I left the full time gig to focus on illustration. Oh also I started teaching part time as well.
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As far as turning points go, there were a few. I did a bit of fan art for the first season of The Walking Dead that got traction online and that lead to a few solid gigs. One of those gigs was an invite to a group show (33.3) where each artist interprets a classic record album. My take on Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys also got me more work AND the project helped me discover my love for gallery work.
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What is your ideal work environment?
My ideal work environment is quiet. I mean there's like a podcast or record running in the background but I prefer solitude with minimal distractions. I find I work the best when I have nothing else planned so I usually pick a day when I need to run errands and then that's ALL I do that day. I approach emails in a similar fashion and maybe that means I'm just a terrible multi-tasker.
Where does your work inspiration come from?
I totally believe in inspiration but only as a byproduct of hard work. Whenever I start a project I just research as much as I can. It may not always end up being relevant to the finished image but I find the more I know about something the better I can communicate its concepts with visuals.
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Where are your favorite art places in your city or outside?
My hometown is a pretty chill place so there's not a lot of art bustle. Or maybe that means I'm not doing a very good job of finding it. With that said, there's a lot of history in my area so I tend to gravitate towards antique shops and flea markets. It may not be contemporary inspiration but I find it interesting nonetheless.
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Who are the illustrators / designers you admire most?
Just looking at who I follow on Twitter will give you an idea of who I admire most.