Interviews

Rebecca Clarke

Rebecca Clarke has been working away on thoughtful, whimsical portrait and lifestyle illustrations for the likes of Medium, NYT Book Review, and Laurence King.

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?

When an email comes in and a client has very vague needs, I know the project will likely take a long time to complete, if it gets started at all. I do try to keep an open mind if my schedule allows because every once and a while a vague brief turns into an amazing and collaborative project. Another type of project I’ve had to back down from, usually, are personal commissions for family portraits and this type of thing. I’ve had very negative experiences in the past, where the emotions are high and the number of edits unending. Additionally, if the budget is really low, I’ve decided what my time is worth, so I’ll either turn the project down, or suggest an appropriate budget in case they have some flexibility.

The most important element of a project being enjoyable is when an art director is able to provide good feedback while being encouraging, and responds quickly. Having a friendly person to work with is a big motivator on a project!

Projects that typically appeal to me are ones with a good message, or requiring interesting subjects. I enjoy making series, so bigger projects are nice, because once the style is established, illustrations come together quickly, and I love that sense of accomplishment 🙂 Also I love new challenges, like packaging, publishing, large scale, etc.

“I started a notebook with ugly drawings. Only ugly drawings allowed! This frees me up from the pressure of trying to make everything beautiful.”

Luckily, I have a couple clients who are very clear right up front, and this makes the whole process a breeze. They send me the subject of the piece, timeline, size and budget, along with the usage if it’s not already clear. Then upon acceptance, I am often provided with the layout that the illustration will live in, or whatever further details are available.

Do you have plans for your personal work, or are you mainly focused on client projects at the moment?

I have mostly focused on client work, though I have two ideas for children’s books that I’d like to realize and I started a notebook with ugly drawings. Only ugly drawings allowed! This frees me up from the pressure of trying to make everything beautiful. Recently I moved into a new studio space and I’m feeling very inspired here, so I’m looking forward to making personal work a priority.

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

I’m pretty terrible at social media, at least terrible at posting, etc. I do get a lot of inspiration from Instagram and can enjoy the encouragement that comes from it, but it’s double edged. I’ve had some tough criticism that can feel very personal, or when something doesn’t get as many likes there is a question of is this good work, etc.

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

Yes, it happens sometimes. I’ve caught the brunt of a design director’s frustration because their timing got delayed but they still expected me to finish within our original timeline but with a third of the original time. Another instance was a company’s communication. We made an arrangement where I would make sketches for a presentation and would be paid hourly, but if the direction was chosen, a separate fee would be charged. Once the client did pick my illustration, the designer’s communication person sent me an email saying they wouldn’t pay more, that I already did the work, etc. It’s hard not to feel angry in those moments, but I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, and eventually we had a good phone call and smoothed things over, at least as far as I can tell. I’m still waiting for payment on that project 😉

Favorite tool?

My go-to’s are gouache and pencil. Also India ink and watercolor ink are long-time favorites.

It seems like you’re super productive with lots of clients. How do you keep yourself inspired and avoid burnout?

I regularly take time off and travel! I’ll work very hard for a few weeks and try to coordinate so that I can take other weeks really easy. Also, I recently moved to the Florida Keys, and the mentality here has helped me to relax and focus on what is important. I love to create, but I have lots of other loves too, and as I’ve become more efficient and more compassionate with my inner critic, I’m able to work faster and balance my free time better. I always do my best to be flexible, and unless I’ve overbooked myself on purpose I make a real effort to take off weekends and evenings to have moments to relax, reflect, recharge, have fun outside the studio.

View Rebecca’s portfolio.