Interview
Jason Neil
Jason Neil is an illustrator based out of Calgary, Canada. He graduated with a B.Des, specializing in illustration, from Alberta College of Art and Design (now Alberta University of the Arts). Jason’s past projects range from editorial, portraits to satire. His past clients include: Vertigo Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Loblaw Companies, Axxess Point Inc, Moonbean Chocolate (Uganda), Experior Financial, FFWD magazine and Alberta Motor Association.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Like many, I’ve been drawing since early childhood. I often excelled in school art classes and often had my projects up on the fridge at home. Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an artist; I’ve dreamed of creating that blockbuster movie poster or the definitive cover on Time. Living in western Canada, I’ve had the privilege of industry and nature all around me. Mountains, prairies, cities etc. This has given me a vast sphere of influence and incredible inspiration for projects over the years. I graduated from Alberta College of Art and Design (now Alberta University of the Arts), with a Bachelor of Design. My specialty was always going to be Illustration.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work ranges from simple portraits to full on commentary, depending on the client. My personal work is generally a mix of themes that explore social and environmental topics, sometimes in a playful way, other a more serious tone. In order to keep out the negative and burnout, I always have one fun drawing on the go, whether it’s a pop culture drawing or exploring Canadian ghost stories. Ghost stories are funny in the sense that people will perceive them (or even tell them) in the context of the current times. There’s always some similarities between what happened and what’s happening now; so my ghost story projects are also somewhat social political - just a bit more ambiguous, and fun to explore.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“This is a funny question for me because in school, we were always taught to come up with thumbnails, then composites, then even more fleshed out etc. This process was definitely geared for a more ‘traditional’ way of creating art. I had the privilege of being in school at the sort of start of the digital era and got to learn both processes. I almost always have the idea in my head before I take it to reality. Every so often I will just sketch it out in my sketchbook, and then bring that into the iPad to flesh out, in a more organic way. Because I draw on my iPad, it is a bit easier to just go for it, as I can start with any part of the subject. When I have the pieces drawn, I can move them around and decide if the original plan in my head was the right composition, or tweak it. So the answer is really: both, I definitely have a plan before going into a drawing, but I also allow for improvised additions when another idea flashes to mind. I believe that true art has to be from the heart and that usually means flashes of creativity after a plan is made; that’s how we learn and improve, I trust my instincts.”
“My personal work is generally a mix of themes that explore social and environmental topics, sometimes in a playful way, other a more serious tone.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“In general, I try not to follow trends, so to speak. I definitely admire certain aspects of trends, and take away things from them, but I’ve always felt, if you’re following a trend, you won’t create the new one. So for me it’s taking the hot topics, using bits and pieces of the latest fads, and creating something interesting with enough relevance to the trends, but new enough to stand out of the ocean of same stuff. I also believe everything that’s old will be new again. One of my favourite topics in school has always been history and art history; seeing how both continuously repeat themselves is how I look at trends. The latest big trend, will most likely move to the next, in the same historical direction that it has countless time before, art history almost always tells me what to create next.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“All of my final projects are digital, this does not mean I start digitally, however; everywhere I go, I carry a journal, a sketchbook, and my iPad. Sometimes, I just need to jot down an idea or a thought to explore later. Maybe it’s a burning thing that I can quickly set up a composition for and shade in for a quick composite. Other times I can just go for it, knowing what I wanted in my head from the start. In my final year at college, my style took a but turn, from a more traditional aspect to a more simple ‘cut paper’ type style. At first it was actual cut paper, but inevitably evolved into the digital realm. Using my iPad and a program called Procreate, I can draw anywhere, anytime. I use the same method as I did in school, placing a layer or shape on top of another. Just like the traditional cut paper styles from children’s book illustration, I layer up and create images piece by piece. Over time, I have gotten the confidence to create more intricate and complex images, but they are all they same ‘cut paper’ process.”
What does your art mean to you?
“Art has always been a passion for me, over the years it has become many things. It will always be a way to express myself, it’s always been therapeutic for me to just sit down and draw. It’s a way for me to make a living, whilst enriching others lives. I have turned down projects in the past because they didn’t align with my values, so I try to keep my projects dear to me. I want to create images that invoke feelings, and thought. I consider my art to be the most important extension of myself and hope that people see who I truly am when they see my works.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“My favourite works will always be the more candid takes, travel photos I take and draw using the feelings I have of the moment. If I was to chose a favourite it would most definitely be the scene I created from my second trip to Kampala, of the woman walking through the street with the basket on her head. This image has such great emotion for me because it evokes a day in the life and the environment of simplicity. It shows so many aspects; the street, the architecture, and the people interacting. The colours and looseness of this drawing have the emotion I aim to achieve with every piece I create.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’ve had a few shows over the years, but my favourite so far is called ‘Apparitions: Ghost Stories of Canada.’ It was in the art galley situated in the theatre district in Calgary. It had various stories shared, accompanied by images created by myself, some having multiple images to construe the story and eeriness of the events. As a compliment to my own work, I had two other artists’ images of ghosts. The show ran through October and closed in early November.”
