How do you manage to be named one of the top 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide by Luerzer's Archive, for a second time? We asked Thom Sevalrud, a master of conceptual illustration, to help us understand his methods and inspiration for his most recent award-winning image 'The Elephant' depicting big data analytics.

i2i Art: Let's start from the beginning. How were you approached to create an illustration representing Big Data Analytics?

Thom Sevalrud: This image was created for the McKinsey Quarterly publication. It was to be a double-page spread to accompany a whole ‘section’ in the journal examining big data analytics. The AD, Jake Godziejewicz, had sent me the articles and a short brief that explained what they needed; including some very specific examples of mine that showed the approach they preferred.

i2i Art: Why an elephant?

Thom Sevalrud: I wanted to nail a perfect image of something big, yet something multi-faceted. It all came together fairly quickly once the water provided the metaphor for ‘washing away the complexities’ of data. I sent the idea to Jake and explained that the elephant image would be a perfect way to ‘over-fill’ a double page spread with both sides of the creature being cropped off the page……like it didn’t fit. I'm glad Jake loved the idea.

i2i Art: Was this painted traditionally?

Thom Selvarud: It was acrylic on paper, then I added a subtle binary code into random areas of some of the diamond shapes in the elephant using digital tools.

i2i Art: And how did you get the nod from Luerzer's Archive?

Thom Selvarud: At about the time I was working with McKinsey Quarterly, I was invited to once again submit to Luerzer’s Archive 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide. Illustrators are first nominated and screened before they are invited to enter. Their work is then taken to another level of judging and are chosen from an international collection of work, where my elephant made the cut. I have now been included in 2 of the 5 collections of The Best Illustrators by Luerzer’s Archive.

'The Elephant' as it appears in Luerzer's Archive 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide

Thom Sevalrud is represented by i2i Art Inc. | View Thom Sevalrud's complete portfolio