Beginnings…
Living as an artist in Johannesburg, South Africa one has to wear many hats so speak due to the huge assortment of project types taken on commercially. Commercial art has undergone huge change since we produced artwork the traditional way. By that I mean creating works in acrylics, oils, airbrush, watercolour or gouache etc on board or paper. In the ‘old days’ the artwork was then scanned or photographed by a reproduction print house and then prepared for press.
The advent of applications like Photoshop has made digital art and the editing of artwork accessible to almost anyone. Technical skill as an artist using traditional methods and media still make for better art, however the plethora of imagery and the availability of images on the web has allowed even non skilled persons to create ‘art’ The desktop publishing era has permeated the industry so even small companies or individuals seeking to create their own work and have it printed can do so.
Advertising and design studios still hold sway with most clients when it comes to procuring work, and if not done in-house, the work is often outsourced to someone that specialises in a particular style or technique. I’ve worked as an illustrator for over thirty years. I started out working as an illustrator / designer, and worked for several advertising and design agencies. After several years I felt the need to go freelance full time and started out on my own – working from my home studio. When computers and the digital age ushered in I taught myself 3D applications and several applications in the Adobe creative suite. This was necessary as project commissions were so varied and invariably required the use of a workflow ‘pipeline’ This enabled me to use the best of each applications features to create what I needed to meet an agency / clients objectives.
I offer high end digital illustration. (This may mean use of traditional illustration in combination with a digital workflow) Particular projects are better suited to a 3D modelling /digital workflow with final renders done for a still image or layered type image format like PSD, PSB, Tiff etc. 3D Character development i.e.. modelling, rigging and rendering are also a service I provide. Vector art is usually a combination of techniques – normally traditional artwork in combination with digital workflow. Final art is deliverable via servers such as WeTransfer, Hightail etc or courier as needed.
The work I feature on this site showcases numerous projects completed and hopefully gives some insight to what I am able to offer as an illustrator. I am working as a fine art painter now http://clivekirkfineart.com although I’m still taking on commercial work so feel free to contact me for commissions or any queries relating to my work.
