Interviews

Kelly Abeln

Kelly’s illustration practice has led her to work with major clients Target, MTV, and Cubed. With a graphic touch informed by her design skills, Kelly has a way of making all of her work feel boldly narrative and personal.

When someone approaches you about a project, are there certain red flags you look out for? Things that typically appeal to you? What do you want to know right up front?

A red flag is if the client doesn’t reference me or my work specifically in the first email. Vague requests to collaborate worry me, I like to know they’ve done a little research and have looked at my work.

I like to know some specifics up front, like timeline, who the client/audience is, and a rough scope of the project. This lets me know the client is prepared. We can discuss budget, exact specs and deadlines later, but I like to know a rough outline of expectations at first to see if it’s a good match.

I love it when a client references a piece I’ve done before that they like, or why they think I would be a good fit for their project. It shows they have a vision of their project and how I might help execute it.

Do you have plans for your personal comic work? A book maybe?

Yes! I’m working on collecting my shorter comics into a printed form. So far my comics have been shared mostly online, so I’m looking forward to having a printed piece.

I’m also in the early stages of a longer project, a graphic memoir of my teen years. It’s intimidating to work in a longer narrative format but also very exciting.

How do you feel about transitioning from paint to the iPad?

I do love my iPad! It’s a tool that has speed up my workflow a lot. I still love paint and analog mediums and tend to create digital art in similar methods. When drawing on the iPad I use a custom brush that is similar to a micron pen, so the end result doesn’t look much different than if I had drawn with pen on paper and scanned it in. I appreciate the convenience of digital drawing but still like my work to have a handmade look.

“I appreciate the convenience of digital drawing but still like my work to have a handmade look.”

How has social media/instagram affected your work in terms of feedback and support?

Mostly very positively! I appreciate comments on my work, they really encourage me to keep creating new work. It’s nice to feel like people ‘get’ me and my work. I’ve also connected with a lot of other illustrators on instagram and we share resources.

How did you get started? Did you always know you wanted to draw?

I always wanted to draw, but was definitely not inherently talented at it. Throughout elementary and junior high school I wanted to be seen as an artist even though I didn’t really make that much art! With encouragement from my Aunt in high school I spent more time drawing and painting and it became my main interest. I had my heart set on going to Art School for college and it ended up being a great fit. I’ve been working as a creative since I graduated 10 years ago.

Can you think of a time when you wished a client gave you better direction and support? (We’ll keep in anonymous!)

I worked with an art director once who was perhaps overly inspired. They kept sending me new ideas and inspiration throughout the project. It was challenging to change direction multiple times. I also don’t like getting direction with samples of other artists work. You hired me for me, not to inhabit another artists style. Mood boards and direction are definitely helpful to setting the tone, but too many influences can result in messy imagery.

Anything else you want to share?

Illustration can add a lot of personality to a project, it has a different flavor than photography. I think it can help humanize a brand and help audiences connect.

View Kelly’s portfolio.