i2i Art: How do you get started with a creative brief for an assignment?
Carl Wiens: It is critical to sit down with paper and pencil and allow things to flow. Sometimes the act of drawing can bring to mind associations and concepts that lead to a series of visuals that solve a problem or arrive at an image that never would have presented itself. I also have an extensive library of old ephemera, encyclopedias and reference books that I can pour through to get inspired. I collect a lot of obscure manuals, vintage textbooks and other sources of odd and unconventional ideas.
i2i Art: Tell us a bit about your process?
Carl Wiens: I work primarily in Illustrator. I know my work doesn’t necessarily look as though it’s vector-based, but it is how I developed my technique and prefer to work with. Vector illustrations give me the flexibility to edit and experiment with colour and balance. I also like the way that the final illustrations can be scaled up or down without compromising detail and resolution.
I always start with pencil sketches and usually present initial concepts as such. I fill in the details once sketches are approved. I ink the drawings, scan them, then vectorize the linework. I can add in other elements from my large collection of vectorized vintage objects and textures. The mechanical elements in my illustrations come from my archives. I spend a lot of time balancing the elements and getting them to work together as a whole. So yes, the finished pieces are often a hybrid of traditional and digital work. I don’t want the pieces to look to digital, unless I am working on small icons or on a quick-turnaround assignment.
i2i Art: You created this illustration for the Work/Life series published by Uppercase. Tell us about this image?
