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<div>The hits just keep on coming! We're pleased to introduce "Submarine", a new design from England-based illustrator <a href="http://www.ryan-chapman.com/">Ryan Chapman</a>. Chapman works in a variety of mediums including paint, vector, and plasticine figures. Ryan was able to give us a bit of insight into his work and process.</div>
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<div><b>Please give us a brief bio and description of your background as an artist.</b></div>
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<div><b></b><i>Ryan Chapman : I've always drawn as far as i can remember. I don't come from an art family but I do remember my mother painting our walls in chalkboard paint so me and my brother could draw on the walls. When I left school I applied to study graphic design at college but I was told I had to get the right grades from school to be accepted. When I got my results they were not good enough, so I decided to just go along on the first day of college anyway as I had nothing to lose. They did a call sheet and at the end asked if anyone had not been called out. A few other people put up their hands, me included. Four years later I finished with a dagree in illustration.<br />
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<div><b>What other jobs have you done outside of the fine art world?</b></div>
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<div><b></b><i>RC : After graduating I worked in advertising in London, then spent a good few years living and traveling all over the world, doing a range of design and non-design related jobs including surf instructor, furniture removal man, graphic designer and product designer.</i><br />
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<b>What tools are in your toolkit?</b></div>
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<div><b></b><i>RC: I use a lot of solid bold colours when i paint so i really enjoy cell vinyl paint. Its thick and drys quickly, but the results are the best.</i></div>
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<b>What's your work space like? </b></div>
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<div><b></b><i>RC: I used to share a beautiful old top floor warehouse space in Estonia. It was a great space I shared with a group of designers, film makers and musicans. The summers were amazing, but the winters in Estonia would reach - 20°, so it got a little chilly. I'm now living back in London and working from a small but cozy studio/home pod.</i><br />
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Can you walk us through your typical project process?</b></div>
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<div><b><span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">RC: I start with my sketch book which I carry everywhere. I usually look through it for ideas and sketches, things that i scribbled roughly and forgot about. Then from there it's onto the computer or paint.</span></i></span><br />
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What are some of your influences? </b></div>
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<div><b><i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">RC: Forests, the ocean, waves, shapes, traveling, airports, surfing, boats, instruments, people living simply in order to stay creative.</span></span></i></b></div>
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Do you create to music? If so, what's currently on your playlist?</b></div>
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<div><b><i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">RC: Currently on my playlist is Wild Nothing, Serge Gainsbourg, Slayer, M83, Nick Drake.</span></span></i></b><b><br />
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What's on the horizon? </b></div>
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<div><span><i>RC: I have just been taken on by YCN London agency for my illustration commissions.</i></span><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i> I'm currently in the process of creating a modern and simplistic version of the 'Ship in a Bottle.' It's a tricky process, but the end result should be eye-catching and something I hope to release in a limited edition. I'm also working on a range of landscape posters based on surf locations I visited on my recent trips to Australia and California.</i></span><br />
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<div><b><span><b>Do you have a dream project?</b></span></b></div>
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<div><span></span><span><i>RC: I would love to write and illustrate a childrens book based on a small Turtle that loses his shell. That's all I have for now.</i></span><i> </i><br />
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Finally, do you have any advice for upcoming artists? </b></div>
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<div><b></b><i>RC: Draw. Try not to look too much at what others are doing (it just makes you sad) and introduce yourself and your work to as many companies and people as possible. You never know where it might lead.</i></div>
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