A Few of My Favorite Things

I read the introduction to a very important Illustration book not long ago that basically outlined the necessity for an illustrator to come up with an aesthetic.

The author of this book spent a lot more time writing and thinking this over than I could imagine. But really, all my mind would absorb from it was what my brain wanted to hear:

No one can come up with that aesthetic without the personal project.

I design websites by day, so when I get home, all that validating of code keeps me from making too much out of my artists' statement. I'm really "graphic novel/comic book" in style. In fact, when I'm whiped out tired, all I really want to do is draw strippers-as-super heros. Tastefully--you know. Not without some personal rules of thumb (like by the time they get to my pieces, they have super hero clothes on).

Getting super tired after working hard has led me to some invaluable side-projects by night. But the best part about them is that when people ask me what my concept is, it usually has something to do with my favorite things. How can you "try too hard" when you start there?

For example, if anyone were to ask, "Andrea. Why did you create Rugby Azteca for the Beats for Boobs event?"

My only answer is, "I had just finished playing rugby in a dress, I like Chicanas a lot, and the fact that I got to make her a girl dj with a headset gave me an excuse to go looking for Aztec headresses."

Q: Andrea, why a blue lady with that killer head dress and striped sleeves?

A: My favorite character from Native American lore is a kachina, most often represented as a kachina doll, and this one happens to be the clown. In the southwest, one can see the stars best. And I like that girls are wearing arm-warmers again. All in one, I felt like only a graphic novel style illo could do it justice.

Q: So, what inspired this Civil War military poster?

A: I have been watching a lot of the HBO series, "Deadwood." And I'm obsessed with Calamity Jane (it's also the name of my putter). Everyone knows that. So when my friend with an affinity for vintage film was over, she was showing me clips of Dorris Day as Calamity Jane on YouTube. The contrast between the characters from the HBO show and this clip were just too hot not to pay homage to.

Really, you still get to little solutions that have to be solved in drawings like this, and even though it may seem like an easy concept to just draw what you like, you really have to refine it just a hair more to defend it to yourself. So when I am looking at inspiration, and wondering if people will even LIKE what I'm doing, I can sometimes convince myself out of pushing any limits at all if I don't promise myself to stick to certain goals.

I have to say I just wanted to push the headsets off the chain. And when I thought I ought to reel it in a little, not really knowing my audience, I still didn't let myself wash out a good concept.