Our 34th installment to the STAMP Artist Feature series lands us in the city of Portland, Oregon USA. This artist has developed a name for himself in the illustration world that others dream about. Having created works for the Grammys, The Olympics, Dreamworks, ESPN, Coca-Cola, Apple, Fila, Discovery Channel , and the list goes on. It was an honor to have Martin take time away from his busy schedule of teaching and illustrating to have a few words with us…

STAMP: Introduce yourself. Where are you from and what is something you want the world to know about you?
Martin: Martin French is an illustrator & educator who lives and works in Portland, Oregon. The grandson of an Italian Cowboy, he grew up in the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area soaking up the graphic language of DC and Marvel comic books, dreaming that one day he would grow up to be either a super hero or an artist, preferably the former. He chairs the illustration department at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, conducts creative workshops for teens living with HIV/AIDS, and seeks to make art that explores the wild story that for short we call life & culture.

STAMP: When did you become interested in art?
Martin: I was always interested in art and found the magic of drawing at a very early age, so I don’t remember a beginning point. A very clear inspirational spark was coming across my first comic book stand at a grocery store when I was 8 or nine years old. I was completely enamored with the visuals and kept going back for more. This led to a love of magazine illustrations and poster art – so my first exposure and continued inspiration was the art found in public places – art in the streets.

STAMP: What is your medium of choice and why?
Martin: My images are mixed media, including digital. Everything I create is done traditionally with ink, acrylic, graphite, and charcoal. Much of the imagery you see – brush strokes, textures, figurative drawings, splatters are all done separately. I’m keeping in mind the final composition as I create each separate element, but they all take on an identity of their own. The imagery is then scanned into Photoshop and I use digital media as a way to compose and design. I’m not really painting or drawing with the digital tools. Photoshop just allows me to explore visual relationships. Often times, I print the piece out on different types of paper and draw and paint back into it. The mixed media approach allows me to explore fluidly throughout the creative process.

STAMP: Did you study at an art school? If so which one and how was that experience?
Martin: I studied illustration and graphic design at Art Center in Pasadena. It was a fabulous experience and I received a great education. I appreciate Art Center’s design focused philosophy well as the strong emphasis on professional practice.

STAMP: How would you classify your style? And do you mind explaining where this came from?
Martin: Well, one book critic described it as a neo Jazz-Age comic book pastiche, which I kind of like. I’d call it graphic expressionism – an interplay of chaos and order. Visually, I’m looking to push a series of diverse contrasts: Flat graphic areas to textural, organic rhythms; distinct light and dark patterns; elegant curved lines against straight hard strokes; the simplification of form vs. fine detail; a graphic sensibility with a love for aggressive, primal mark making. As for where it came from, I’m partial to the term voice over style. I believe an artists visual language comes from a deeper place of combined influences, observation, and exploration rather than looking at and copying current trends and styles.

STAMP: Can you explain how you received your big break into the illustration industry?
Martin: I don’t think I had one big break, but a series of very good projects and clients early on in my career that allowed my best work to be seen on a national stage. The early work came from exposure in the juried shows such as the Society of Illustrators and CA magazine, so that played a huge part in getting noticed.

STAMP: Do you mind discussing how you approach an illustration project?
Martin: I create quite a few thumbnail sketches – more for myself than the client, just to make sure I’ve explored all of my options. After looking at multiple ways of presenting the idea or subject, I’ll send the client my rough sketches. Once a visual direction has been agreed on, I’ll then shoot reference photos, collect whatever visual research necessary and create the final drawings. I do color and composition studies before going to final, usually in traditional media. From there I move to the computer, scanning all of my drawings, marks, textures into Photoshop to design, color, and compose.

STAMP: I have been following your work for sometime now. How were you able to stay relevant in an ever changing industry?
Martin: Well, perhaps it’s not about trying to stay relevant but rather knowing your vision and being true to it. Some would say trying to be relevant means that you are always trying to catch up. I think the most important thing is to strive for is authenticity. Trends and styles are important to be aware of, and we certainly have to speak in the native tongue of our times and culture. However, having a well-developed artistic vision is the most important thing for any artist to achieve. Once this is in place, you have the freedom to grow and mature as an artist while being in rhythm with contemporary culture.

STAMP: Your client list extends further than some Hollywood blocks. Do you do most of your contract negotiations or leave it to the art reps?
Martin: I spent most of my career working with artist’s reps, but I’m currently working on my own. I’m comfortable with the process of negotiating with clients and feel at this point in my career, I have a pretty good sense of the value of my work and how things should be priced.

STAMP: Do you think it is a smart idea to begin an art career with an art rep or learn from trial and error?
Martin: I think you can learn the art of client negotiations and the value of your own work in either scenario. I learned a ton from the reps I worked with and was able to apply that knowledge to my own negotiations. It’s tough to come right out of school and know how to price your work, as there are no hard and fast rules. If you are working on your own, I tell my students to have a few experienced colleagues they can call on for advice. I’d also stress the importance of being a good communicator. You will spend a lot of time writing to, and speaking on the phone with your clients. Becoming comfortable and skilled in these areas is important. Whether or not your sign on with a rep, taking ownership of your own career is essential. Solid strategies for promotion, marketing, and business practice are a must, and you need to set this pace. At the end of the day, it’s still about your work – know where you want to take it.

STAMP: How has your experience been dealing with art directors? Any advice you want to share?
Martin: Dealing with art directors is what you do on a daily basis as an illustrator. I love the creative process and dialog that happens with the AD. There is always a healthy tension as you seek to create art in a commercial context, where the needs of the client and an awareness of your audience are of equal importance with personal expression. That is a big challenge. But, I’ve always been energized by the demands of commercial work, “working against a hard edge” as illustrator Philip Hays put it. Any commercial assignment in one sense builds a cage around us. Our job is to plant ideas within the cage that extend past it’s bars, and in some cases, causing the cage to explode. The constraints often times lead to the most profound ideas and vibrant personal statements.

STAMP: What are some of the biggest challenges you face being in the illustration industry?
Martin: Some of this was answered in the last question. Other challenges have to do with simply staying in the game. It takes all of you to sustain a creative practice over a long period of time. You need to constantly explore new territory and take risks is always present – you never really let up. When you are working independently, there are no garantees, so you are the one that’s going to make it happen, year after year. That can be both exilerating and terrifying.

STAMP: I have seen several of the children’s books you have illustrated. Was it an easy transition from editorial illustration?
Martin: I’m not really a narrative illustrator, so the books I’ve done were focused more around single images. That being the case, there was not a great deal of difference in the process. The scope of the project, doing 20+ images is a challenge, but fun. I enjoyed the process immensely. I’m currently working on 3 personal book projects that I plan to self publish over the next year or two.

STAMP: It is always a big deal for an artists to obtain worldwide exposure. But you have received that several times over. Working with the Olympics, Grammy Awards, and several metal recognitions from the Society of Illustrators. Was it a lot of pressure producing artwork for those clients? How did you handle it?
Martin: Not necessarily. The process is the same really, not matter if you are working for a big client or a small one. Often times the biggest jobs are being driven by very talented and visionary art directors that offer you more freedom to express yourself. You always want to perform well, so there is a certain level of pressure in simply being a free-lance illustrator, so I think the pressure you are alluding to comes with the job. Confidence is a big part of this gig.

STAMP: Do you do personal commission work, for people other than high-end clients? If so, what factors, enter into your decision to take on the project (besides money)?
Martin: Yes I do. It’s always based on interest level and the ability to explore a topic or theme that I may not have had the chance to otherwise. There are multiple ways to create value for a project – subject matter, an issue that you believe in, or simply the joy of making art for someone that loves your work. Money is not really the point in this type of work.

STAMP: Are there any clients you wish to work with, that you haven’t already?
Martin: Sure, always. I’ll be creating my first US Postage stamp later this year, and that was always on my wish list. I want to do the poster art for the World Cup and the Monaco Grand Prix some day. And Cirque du Soleil!

STAMP: Have you ever shown in galleries? If so, what was the experience like? If not, how come?
Martin: I’ve done a few gallery shows in my own space in Portland, but gallery work has never been an emphasis. I’m much more fascinated by producing public work. If the opportunities arise, then I’d be interested in looking at them.

STAMP: What role do you feel the internet has on art? Positive or negative?
Martin: Well, I’m not sure how to answer that. I’m not sure it has any influence on art making itself. How work is viewed has changed dramatically due to the internet as we have instant access to everything that is being produced, good or bad, which has both positive and negative effects. The internet simply is – all I can do is know it well and use it responsibly.

STAMP: Do u feel like your work is evolving?
Martin: I would not still be working if it wasn’t. An art practice has to evolve, grow, and transform or you are not working at it.

STAMP: What advice would you give a young artist just starting or trying to get started?
Martin: I start with vision and voice. Know yourself, what drives you creatively – what is your center, your point of view that you’ll always come back to. Be willing to take risks and explore new ground. Remember, this is art – it should be a passionate endeavor. Be smart – this is also a business so as mentioned earlier, set up a strategy for promotion and marketing and stick to it. This takes a lot of time and energy but it’s worth. Love + Passion + Hard Work.

STAMP: What can we expect in the future from you?
Martin: More good work.

STAMP: Do you agree with the overall objective of STAMP Magazine? Why or Why Not?
Martin: Creative community is a powerful and necessary thing. Encouraging, critiquing, and speaking into one another’s work and lives is essential. If Stamp serves this purpose, then good things will come of it.

You can see more of Martin’s work on his website at martinfrench.com