Frequently Asked Questions

Hello! I've added a small FAQ section to help answer a few things I get asked repeatedly via email. Unfortunately my inbox can sometimes get a little backed up, so check here first if you've got a question! I've also got a press section up with some of interview Q's I've gotten in the past. And if you don't see it here, please don't hesitate to get in touch—I'll add it up here when I can. Thank you everyone!

What process do you use to make your images?

All my pieces are hand drawn with pencil on smooth bristol paper so that I can blend more easily.  I also use watercolor and sometimes various other mediums like pastel, ink, or marker. From there I scan, usually in several pieces and color digitally in Photoshop. My files are usually hundreds of layers and are created from basic digital painting methods and many textures I make myself. 

What kind of pencils do you use?

All kinds of pencils. Anything from pencils you hand sharpen to cheap mechanical pencils you can buy at the drug store. For extremely fine detail work I like the Pentel GraphicGear 1000 with .3 lead. I like harder leads like B and 2B. If I want lighter shades I just won't bear down as hard, or I will smear a layer of graphite dust with my finger instead.

What kind of scanner do you use?

A really old one. It's an HP something from years and years ago. I scanned a squid on it once, and the acidity or whatever it was from the squid's body must have warped the glass. Let's just say my scanner has lots of character. What scanner you use isn't really important, it's what DPI you scan at. I always scan at at least 600 DPI. Often I go as high as 1200 DPI. I rely on Photoshop for any color correction, etc. that I may need.

Do you have any advice for a designer just beginning a career?

When I was just starting out I wish I had a mentor. I had to learn a lot of stuff on my own: technique, finding my own voice as an illustrator, and learning how to market myself, and get more eyes on my work. I think first and foremost, the biggest key to success is just work, work, work like crazy! For most of the beginning of my illustration career I also had a full time job working in ad agencies. That meant I had to come home after long hours at the agency and have the discipline to work another 8 hours from home. In the beginning you just have to know that you are going to have to work super hard, do a lot of work for free, and probably hear "no" a lot.


Is it important for a designer to develop a personal style?

I think so for sure. It's what makes you stand out, and also what gives clients some expectations when choosing you. Furthermore, if you do the kind of art you like to do anyway, eventually clients will recognize that style, and start to pay you for the kind of work you like to do anyway. While it's important to be versatile perhaps in the types of projects you are involved in, I think a style is very important. The trick is figuring out how to have a "style" but not to repeat yourself—a style as a means to always be creating new kinds of exciting content. Ideally you won't have to work too hard at your style either... it will just be what naturally comes out. It's more of your fingerprint—just a mark you leave naturally when you touch your work.

How you were able to find your own style of work?

 A lot of trial and error in the beginning. Learning about all kinds of work and then when it's time to sit down and draw, looking at no one's work. I had to work hard at accepting myself. I hated the way I drew for a long time, and still do sometimes, but I think it's like accepting a birth mark or something—wearing it with confidence, working it until it becomes your own.


What are the most important skills for a designer to develop?

Communication skills are very important. If you cannot successfully articulate your ideas to a creative team or creative director, you are dead in the water. You have to learn your brands, learn the industries, see what other people are doing, know what the ideas are that are driving the art direction. It takes time, and I'm still constantly trying to learn this myself.

What are the most important qualities for a designer to possess?

I think an openness to collaboration and change is important. Especially for commercial projects, things can change drastically at the drop of a hat, so its important to be flexible. It can sometimes be especially hard for designers and artists to do this because as a generalization, I think it's easier for us to be more emotionally attached to our work, but you have to know that you have to adapt to learn and grow. A strong work ethic is also very important. Every long day you put in, there is always someone else who worked harder than you. You gotta love what you do, and feel great about fully dedicating yourself.

What do you love most about your chosen career?

I love being in control of my work and seeing it all the way to completion. I love that ownership. I love seeing a drawing grow. I love meeting and collaborating with other illustrators. I love learning. I love that part of my job is looking at art. l can't imagine a better career. I work 100 hour weeks every week, 7 days a week, but I wouldn't have it any other way. But I think that's just what happens when your career starts to fuse with who you are as a person.

What things inspire you as an artist and as a person?

Maybe this is a cop-out answer, but really everything in my environment. I just love beautiful things plain and simple, so most naturally in my adult life I've been very inspired by New York City and all of its people, textures, street art, fashion, food, and music. I always listen to music when I work—a lot of indie and alternative and electronic. And as I've gotten older my dreams have become more frequent and vivid. While I don't necessarily draw what happens in my dreams, I definitely pull from them. And lastly, and most importantly, I think the most important thing in life is loving someone. I'm never as motivated, creative, or happy as I am when I'm head over heels in love.

Will you draw my tattoo?

No. I love tattoos, but currently I do not draw custom tattoos. That's a job for your trusted tattoo artist.

Ok, so you won't draw my tattoo, but I can I get something from this website that you've already drawn tattooed?

Totally. That's a decision entirely up to you—I just don't do custom tattoo design. I only ask you email me a photo of the final product so I can check it out! Email: sara@hellozso.com

Are your tattoos real?

Yes.

What kind of background to you have that got you into illustration and design?

I had always been interested in making art since I was able to hold crayons, and continued to pursue fine art all through school until college at New York University. There I had a more general liberal arts education—I don't think I ever fully realized that "Illustrator" was a real job. When I turned 18 I became very interested in tattoo art in New York City and I started getting heavily tattooed. It was at that point I met a mutual friend through my tattoo artist who had an opening for an internship at his small digital agency called Engine Three. I worked as a production artist for them for about a year and half and learned everything on the job. I literally knew nothing about computers or graphic design, and from that point on I started teaching myself Adobe in my apartment at night. Over the next few years while working in more traditional advertising agencies I reconnected with my love for fine art and through much experimentation I was able to find a balance that felt right for me, marrying my true passion for traditional hand drawn art with my new digital design chops.
 

Was college/university a good investment for you?

Again this is totally a personal choice, but yes, I loved school and for me it was an amazing investment in terms of friendship, life experience, and education. I also got my internship during school which started my graphic design interest. If you have the opportunity to go to school, I see no point in rushing into the workforce and adulthood. School is a time to experiment, mess up, learn, grow, meet people, and travel. Some of my fondest memories of my 8 years in NYC were from school. If I had never gone to school I don't think I would have the same combination of interests that I do today. A college degree certainly opens up your job options for things you never thought you may be interested in down the road. 

Did you study design? If so, where?

I took some art history and fine art classes at NYU, but I never had a traditional fine art education. None of the methods I use to create my work were learned in school, nor did I take any classes for software or workflow. In that respect I consider myself self-taught, but school was very valuable for me in terms of appreciating art in the larger context through a number of disciplines: postmodern studies, anthropology, creative writing, graphic novels, and even java coding. I think that freedom in school made it easier to find focus after I graduated.

What was your first job?

Skipping over the half a dozen jobs I had as a teenager, my first career related job was an internship for Engine Three, a small fashion focused digital agency in New York City.

How did you get your first commission?

Good question! I don't know. It seems like it took forever! I was always very very blessed to have a full time job as an interactive art director while I got my illustration career off the ground, but I think I went several years before ever getting paid a dime for illustration. I just kept my head down and focused on making the kind of art that made me happy (as opposed to making what I thought other people wanted). Eventually people started recognizing my work, and I became involved with the Keystone Design Union based in Brooklyn. I worked to grow my portfolio through free editorial work until I finally felt comfortable sending work samples to larger companies. Through a combination of luck and sleepless nights, two big things happened: I booked my first solo gallery show in Australia and I got my first real client commission from Hurley for the women's spring 2011 t-shirt line.

What techniques do you use to create your images?

I think my work is about 70% handdrawn, 30% digital, but I would never feel like I had a finished piece without being able to bring it into Photoshop. I start everything by hand with graphite, add watercolor for texture afterward, and then finally scan and bring it into Photoshop. I get to a certain point with the handdrawn work where it doesn't feel finished, but I feel at a loss for how to finish it with traditional mediums. Something inside me just says "stop," and that's when Photoshop takes over. 

Do you feel it is better to work freelance or part of a company?

I think it all depends on the individual and what your needs are. In the US it is still very desirable to have full time for insurance purposes. Insurance in this country is absolutely ridiculous and that can be reason enough. Everyone has their own particular personal and professional needs. For me I am most comfortable fully freelance. However I split that freelance between illustration projects and working regular hours in traditional agencies. After a few years of experimentation with that balance, I realized I prefer taking the financial pressure off my illustration work so that I don't have to choose projects based on budget. I would rather pay my bills as a designer, and fill my heart with creative freedom as an artist. 

How would you describe your style?

The easy answer is "freestyle." I have better luck and confidence when I keep things loose and organic. It's as if once I start drawing, I have to stop thinking. I prefer free and wild shapes, messy texture, and unfinished lines. I'm not perfect, no one I know is perfect, and so I think I like my art to admit that it's not perfect either. The mistakes are what are the most surprising and what ultimately turn themselves into opportunity.

Who are your top favorite digital artists?

I'm a huge admirer of many of my colleagues from the Keystone Design Union and Depthcore: Sougwen Chung, Max Spencer, Daniel Diggle, Shadow Chen, Bison, Krzysztof Domaradzki, Grzegorz Domaradzki, Si Scott, Daren Newman, to only name a very few. I'm also a big fan of Joshua Davis as a person, mentor, and artist. James Jean always rocks my socks. And of course I can't leave out Non-Format and Stefan Sagmeister. These are my staples, but I am consistently blown away every day by a new mind-bendingly awesome illustrators who seem to appear out of nowhere!

I did not see my question answered here. Will you answer more questions?

Due to the large number of emails I get, I can't always promise to answer all questions in a timely manner. If you are a student doing a project, please make sure you have read through all the quuestions above before sending an email. If I get multiples of the same questions I will do my best to make updates here.