Featured Illustrator

Dustin's playful, skillfully rendered illustrations are filled with imagination and humor —we hope you enjoy discovering his work as much as we do!

CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW

How did you get started in illustration?

I think the illustration seed started to take root when I was in the first grade drawing large dinosaurs in crayon on butcher paper. I would become increasingly fascinated by the characters, stories and imagery I would see in the shows I would watch and the books I would read - I would always wonder to myself, “Where do these designs come from? Who gets to create them?”. It was only a matter of time before I fell in love with the language of storytelling through imagery and ever since then I have been pulling the thread of design and illustration to see where it would take me. 

What is your background?

As I continued down an art and design path, I eventually ended up falling into the Illustration program at Cal State Long Beach, where I immersed myself in the wide array of subjects in that field. I enjoyed what my illustration education taught me about the art of storytelling and the myriad of ways to depict it visually - ranging from story art and scene structure breakdowns to biomedical rendering and anatomy to composition and lighting. With my college education allowing me to continue cultivating a love for illustration and design, I had a natural segue into illustrating children’s books and, eventually, the opportunity to work as a visual development artist in various capacities on several animated television projects. My time living in Southern California allowed me the unique opportunity to remain in close proximity to many animation studios and fortified my passion for visual development. Some of my favorite opportunities took the form of being a Storybook Artist for several animated projects, which was a niche animation production job nestled perfectly in between illustration and visual development. These days, I have been continuing to forge my own path utilizing all of the education and knowledge I have gained from my experiences along the way.

What have you learned along the way? What tips can you share?

1. One of the most important tips that comes right to mind is to always stay curious. Try not to feel afraid or intimidated by artists you look up to - rather, redirect those feelings into inspiration. Ask them questions, pick their brains about all of the things you would want to know. Be a sponge. I have found over the years that we artists, of all calibers and styles, all have our experiences and stories to share, advice to offer - we have all been or are all headed to the stations that the other has inhabited, so we should all feel proud to share in that wealth that we have with one another. 

2. Try and carry a sketchbook around with you as much as possible. Keep your eyes open for whatever might inspire you in the moment - a nice composition, a fun shape, an interesting gesture. Try to keep in mind that a sketchbook does not need to be treated like a gallery piece. It acts as a sanctum for you and your thoughts - a safe landing pad for doodles, scribbles, thoughts, whatever you feel. Be messy, have fun. 

3. Stay open to opportunities as they come and don't shy away from saying 'yes' to them. Don't be afraid to walk through the open doors - you never know what other doors they will lead to or what you will learn once you go into that room.

What is your preferred medium and method of working?

Coming from a traditionally trained background, I have always loved the relationship and connections between the mind, the hand and the page. Although I do frequently use digital media for many of my illustrations - I have found that the way I like to create those images is to still emulate as much of that natural and traditional process as possible. Whether it be from the texture of the background layer or from the wide array of brush styles that can evoke a naturalistic feel, it’s always been important for me in my style to showcase that traditional feel as much as possible. I think the best compliment I can receive is when someone thinks any of my digital pieces were made by hand.

That being said, I think it is so important to always take any opportunity to continue forging that relationship between the hand and the page whenever you can. It is something I always try to keep in mind, as it is all too easy to get overly comfortable utilizing an efficient and streamlined digital platform. However, I think it is vital for us, as artists, to stay as close and tapped into the singularly beautiful language spoken between the hand and the page as possible. There is something timeless and inherently truthful about creating art in a tactile and analog way - something that can never be replicated or replaced. A gesture, a sketch, throwing paint on a canvas, building, etching, sculpting, carving - there are so many wonderful hands-on outlets for us to utilize! 

What do you do when you get stuck or lose motivation to 'get back' to what you're working on?

I am usually of the mind that being inspired or motivated are not feelings that can be forced, rather they are best realized when they are naturally occurring. This can feel like a sliding scale, but there are gentle kickstarts that I utilize that can help the gears start to turn again.

For me, it can be so important just to step away, literally, from whatever I am working on and get outside - take a walk, sit under a tree, just allow myself to clear my mind, much like a blank canvas, and just stay open to the ‘naturally occurring’ inspirations that are always all around. How do my senses inspire you? What colors am I drawn to? What characters resonate with you? I am greatly drawn to and inspired by the notion of "whimsy" - the small magical details and micro moments of life, the wonder of the flora and fauna, characters that add spice to the world - the little specks of lifes' effervescence that are all around us all of the time. Allowing myself to stay open to this notion, I tend to find the inspiration follows shortly after.

There are other times where I can rely on a literal artistic jumpstart, which involves scribbling shapes or lines on a page with no particular intent or direction. Due to my love of shape language, I enjoy the challenge of seeking out images in the fray . It has become a very useful practice for me that translates into how I view the real world outside of the page and what inspirations I can find utilizing those visual exercises.

Visit our past Featured Illustrators by clicking the member cards below.