Q & A with Rohan Daniel Eason

Contacting professional illustrators has been so hard to do, as many of them dont reply and already have Q & A sections on their own websites, so I was delighted when one of my favorite artists, Rohan Eason replied to my questions. 

He is a pen and ink illustrator, who creates black and white imagery. His work has been widely used in children's and adults book illustration. I absolutely love his style and it was a pleasure talking to him. 

You can check out his work here at http://www.rohaneason.com

1) what inspired you to first start drawing ?

I drew from a very early age, I always loved too, my mums an artist, my uncle was an artist, and it felt like something I didn't have to try to do. 

2) Do you think it is important for your drawings to have a connection to the subject your working with ? 

As a professional illustrator you don't have the luxury of a connection with the subject matter or project ethos. Sometimes you win, sometimes you face tedium and banality head on, and it's your job to squeeze some life and character into it. 

3) What are the inspirations behind your work and working methods?

I was first inspired by Aubrey Beardsley, in my teens, I was struck by the stark black and white line, and the beautifully balanced compositions. I decided that I would aim to have the same quality of line that he created, and really study the craft of drawing with ink. 

4) Following on from the last question, is research an integral part of your working process?

Research is always the no1, process. Nothing really begins without reading the book, or gaining a back-story, visiting a location, or speaking to the writer. I have a huge collection of books to trawl through and then of course the Internet now offers a huge research library. I may sketch immediately ideas of composition, but it's like putting a jigsaw together, and each element must by researched and chosen. 

5) From looking through your work, you use pen and ink in quite a few pieces. What is it about that medium that you like ? 

It's immediate and allows for no mistakes. It's a skill that I can improve over my life time, it's important to me to create artworks, and not just illustrations.  I want the work to be a direct reflection of the skills of my hand, there is something human in that, a connection which you don't get with digital arts. Which is why I keep computer work to an absolute minimum, only using for scanning and simple retouch. 

6) How important do you feel composition is to your work ? 

Very important. I will try many compositions before settling down on one. Sometime I will sketch a piece and then simply turn it , and re sketch, changing the angle for the viewer and creating a more interesting perspective. Composition is paramount. 

7) How much freedom do you have when creating your work ? 

An illustrator is always restricted by the brief, and it is the skill of the illustrator to find freedoms in that. You must present everything required, plus the special parts not thought of, or represented in the brief. It's not your job to change the brief but reimagine it.

8) Throughout your career what would you say is your biggest achievement?

Every book or project I complete is my best work to date, I'm always striving to be better so self congratulation is fleeting. I always look back and see the mistakes rather than the achievements, in that it's a journey that I focus on. Rather than the goals of completion.