Keith Thompson is a freelance artist whose work features in everything from books and magazines to film, tv and videogames. You really need to explore his website to understand how great this guy is- incredible concepts and ideas with awe-inspiring style and execution to each and every piece. I hope it’s clear to see why he is one of my favourite Illustrators working today. I was fortunate to catch up with Keith over a very busy new year…

SICKMANSICK: Hi Keith, thanks for joining us for an interview, what have you been working on recently? Would be interested to hear about your involvement with ‘Leviathan’ and the videogame, ‘Borderlands’.

Lately it’s all been Leviathan, specifically the second book Behemoth.
Anything to do with Borderlands is from over a year ago (which was late in the game’s development, since usually I’m involved right at the start.)  A lot of my work was on the core story.  A lot of that got shaved pretty thin, possibly to make time for the art direction revamp that occurred very late in development.

SICKMANSICK: Could you tell us a bit about working on Scott Westerfeld’s series ‘Leviathan’, how it came about and a bit about the process of producing the artwork for the story?

Scott dug me up while looking around for steampunk artwork.  From my perspective at the time, a lavish fully illustrated book mimicking those from the time in which it was set, sounded a little too good to be true.  Scott was awesome enough to really fight for the vision and managed to get it to happen.
The actual process of creating the book was extremely conducive for creating artwork, and work has been quiet and smooth.  In fact looking back on the complexities involved, especially in the early stages, shows what good luck was had.  The visual designs for the rest of the book were established very early on without the freedom of time to test them.  Since the books are being written as the artwork is created it’s also great that the two visions of the world of Leviathan are running parallel.

SICKMANSICK: I loved the ‘Leviathan’ advert which brings your illustrations to life by combining moving-image; could you tell us about how that was made and how much of your work is eventually realized in some form of moving-image? (View trailer here.)

The publisher, S&S, got Motherland (http://www.motherland.us/) to work that up.  I think everyone was definitely impressed with how it turned out.  Normally I would balk at someone chopping up my illustrations for a flash animation, but seeing those framed portraits emerge and fold open was really spot on.   Great sound work too, I love it when the sound work makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

SICKMANSICK: You have a remarkable ability to create whole new worlds and characters, what is your usual approach in order to produce a selection of illustrated characters or environments? Where do you source such inspiration?

I love getting the opportunity to really be idle and explore things in my mind.  I’m able to conjure up such persistent and intricate places to explore that it’s been a big source of fun since I was very young.   I’m voracious for enjoying other people’s imagined worlds, and I spend as much of my spare time as possible doing that as well.  When I work I simply schedule time to pace around thinking about interesting parts of a world and all the little details that would be compelling.  The real trick is gently directing these worlds to overlap something I have to work on so I can call on them for inspiration.

SICKMANSICK: I am familiar with the great work of ‘Visual Futurist’ Syd Mead. He is renowned for his incredibly thorough approach to Concept Art and Image Making. Is this very thorough approach something you share with your work process or do you feel the image-making process shouldn’t need to go to such rigorous lengths to become ‘justifiable’?

It depends on the overall approach to a collective work.  It’s very rare that a rich background and highly realised technical foundation doesn’t contribute hugely to a project’s worth.
The danger with heavy research and technical thoroughness is a stiffness and constriction of the
evocative elements in a work.  It’s important that the work is fluid and visionary, and that the technical parts support this core vitality rather than impeding it.

SICKMANSICK: What is your background as an Illustrator?

In highshool I worked at an animation studio (this is where I picked up the habit of using animator’s pencils.) I also started freelancing as an independent artist.  I studied Illustration at Sheridan College and simply continued freelancing during and after.

SICKMANSICK: For many years now there has been ongoing debate about the boundaries of Graphic Design, Illustration and Fine Art becoming blurred and transgressed by many practitioners; is this something you can identify with or have you had a strong focus with your work from the outset?

While there are definitely different concerns and disciplines in those general categories, I’ve always viewed them as a collective group of skills an artist would usually be interested in.   While I completely understand specialists in those areas bemoaning the sloppiness that comes with blurring boundaries, I really view those skills as fundamental aesthetic traditions and foundations that can only benefit from being expanded into more areas (despite initial dilution.)

SICKMANSICK: As a professional Illustrator and doing what I assume you love for a living, how does Keith Thompson like to relax when not at the drawing board?

I’m not great at relaxing these days.  I relax well when I really sink into sources of inspiration.  Just finished up the game Demon’s Souls which was unbelievably wonderful.  Anything that conjures up a really evocative atmosphere is something I love to lose myself in (books, music, games.)

SICKMANSICK: Who/What would be your dream client/project to work on?

Anything that gives me the opportunity to produce the most evocative work I can, unfettered from fiddling.  I’m really not picky on the details as long as the finished thing at the end is something I can then go and truly experience first hand.

SICKMANSICK: What does 2010 hold for Keith Thompson?

Not sure, I try to flow organically through what I do artistically at the moment.  Should be making some public appearance finally; things like Comic Con.

Thanks Rich!

-Keith Thompson

SICKMANSICK: Keith, Thankyou very much.

Check out Keith’s website www.keiththompsonart.com

Rich.

Having agreed on the look and theme for the animation here is some of my contribution for the visuals for one of the sky sequences.

Some Paul Kidby/Discworld inspired references in there with the classic floating islands which always give a surreal feel to other-worldly environments; mixed with a continuation of some of the ideas I had with the animation I produced earlier this year.

Shellscraper

Lighthouse

Pylons, Swing and Tree

Washed Up

All the visuals are nearly done, just a long weekend now of piecing it all together and making it come to life!

Rich.

A 40″ x 8″ scroll that depicts the ‘Lord of the Underworld’ or ‘God of Death’ in Aztec culture. The 9 levels of the underworld are depicted within the rib-cage of the seated skeleton figure.

I was inspired by the story behind the sandstone sculpture of ‘Mictlantecuhtli‘ found in The British Museum and the recent Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler exhibition.

I wanted to have an OOPArt feel like it could have been ripped from an old Codex.

Rich.

Found some old stuff and wanted to share a couple of location sketches and doodles I enjoyed doing from a couple years back.
The first 2 are ink on A5 paper and the bottom one I used permanent markers and biro on A3. The chimp was done in fineliner.
An American tourist offered to buy the London one just as I was finishing it… I was suprised and tempted to part with it but
I wouldn’t have had anything to show the tutors and they would probably accuse me of wasting the afternoon sitting in the pub!

Rich.