A Back and Forth with Dadu Shin
Hey monsterz, I have a special treat for you. Dadu Shin absolutely murders illustration, I mean strait up kills it. Dadu works as an editorial illustrator which is what I’m interested in getting into so I asked Dadu some questions about the biz. Dadu is fun to say.
If you’re interested getting into the art industry at all this is a must read.
Q. I know it’s a tough industry with short deadlines and magazines are struggling right now, what’s your perspective on that as a working artist?
A. Honestly, I don’t really think about it too often. People are always saying that publishing is dying, I personally haven’t really felt the effects. Not to say I haven’t seen a client fold or go online only, but I also believe that people will always been looking for illustrators and designers, whether it’s for print or for digital platforms. It’s all out of my control, so all I can focus on is the work. I would say be aware of where the industry is at, but try not to worry about it so much that it prevents you from doing the work you want to do.
Q. What are some other areas besides editorial where you’re working?
A. Most of my work is done in the editorial field, but I do try other things every now and then. I’ve dabbled in children/picture books as I have a rep for that kind of work. I sometimes do gallery work, usually when I’m asked to participate in a show that has a theme that I’m passionate about. I’ve done some advertising and packaging work as well. When I was in school I was really focused on editorial work, but now that I’ve been out of school for a few years I’ve realized that there are many other venues for illustration.
Q. How do you get most of your work? Do you have a rep or do you contact directly?
A. I send out mailers to art directors as my main form of promotion. But I think the internet has also been a great tool in getting people to see my work. It’s so easy to share work these days with blogs and what not, that I do think a lot art directors see my work floating around on the web. Having some sort of web presence is really helpful. Also meeting art directors in person at openings or wherever helps because they can put a face to a name. I know I’ve gotten jobs just through word of mouth, like an illustrator I met at a party recommending me to an art director. I don’t currently have a rep for editorial work, only for picture books.
Q. What are some things you did that helped the most to get started working as an illustrator?
A. In my last few months of school I decided I would buckle down and try to build a body of work that was marketable to the people I wanted to work for. I made lists of magazines I thought would like my work and started to build from there. I would choose random articles or take articles that already had illustrations and do my own illustrations for them. Art directors are looking for work that they can see being used, so having a portfolio with editorial geared work rather than random student assignments was a big help.
Thanks so much to Dadu for taking some time and giving some good food to my mind. I’ve been following his work for a while now and it just keeps getting better. It can be quiet and meditative but also very powerful and stunning in its simplicity. I just can’t get enough of it.
Check out the good works:
