I have followed Rob for some time on Instagram, he is a great influence on my line work, pen and ink and concept ideas. He is also keen on black and white just like myself. Here is our interview;
ME; Has being an illustrator always been your main aim?
ROB; It's always been a dream. So its been an aim, but not one that I thought would ever actually happen. I went to art college to study graphic design, and got kicked out (way to lazy to be a student. Re-enrolled on a foundation course in art and design and managed to scrape through. Went on to study for a degree in graphic design, and got kicked out (same reason as before). Then I ended up working in, and then managing bars for seven or eight years. Through a friend who was an art director on a magazine I managed to get back in to design - although had to teach myself everthing about using a computer (I'm old enough that we didnt have them at college), and finally got a job in design. So since then, almost twenty years ago, I've been a designer, and up until three years ago I'd barely drawn a thing, so the dream of being an
illustrator seemed very far fetched indeed. It's only in the last few months that through Instagram and my blog that people have seen my work and asked if I could do drawings for them. I'm currently working on some book illustrations, and the art director for the publishing company found me through Instagram.
That was a very long way of saying, "Yes. But I never thought it would actually happen."
ME; The style you have for drawing buildings is how I found you and love it, but has it been a natural style or have you changed it to suit demands?
ROB; I think my style is still evolving. I like to get lots and lots of detail in to my drawings, particularly the streets and buildings - because I think it brings them alive. The style is really just an artefact of drawing with technical pens though to an extent, I'm sure if I liked to paint, my work would look completely different. I do make a conscious effort to bring in different line weights though, either to create depth, or to give certain elements in a drawing some more prominence.
ME; You produced the buildings on stilts whilst you was on holiday right? Did you use on site references or does it come straight out of your mind?
ROB; There was no reference for this, it was simply inspired by being on an island. In fact I think my wife might have suggested I do 'one of my streets' but based on the ocean. In the back of my mind were definitely the rivers in southeast asia that have villages and markets built on stilts, mine ended up with a more european style mishmash of architecture though.
ME; Do you ever switch off or are you constantly thinking of things to draw? (like myself, ha).
ROB; I switch off a lot, but there's always a part of my mind that's thinking about drawing. If I go for a walk in the park near my house, it's always the trees that want to be drawn. If I'm in London then there are always some buildings that lodge themselves somewhere in my brain for a later date. Jake Parker has a great line about you need to fill up your 'Creative Bank Account'. There's a great video where he talks more about that - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y41apH6pGsQ
ME; You have a written meme on your website, 'have pen, will doodle', is this your motto you work by or do you have another tha inspires you?
ROB; I'd love to say this was a deeply inspired credo by which I live, but I just needed something to add to my blog! Although it's not that far from the truth. More applicable to me would be, "Your not as bad as you think you are" or "Keep drawing. Practice, practice, practice".
ME; If you had to choose just 3 items to draw with, what would they be?
ROB; Well, probably a Lamy mechanical pencil, HB, the King of pencil leads. A Staedtler or Sakura Microm pigment liner - 0.2 thickness. Finally a pentel Pocket Brush, just the best pen I've found.
ME; What does Rob do to relax, (not drawing)?
ROB; Reading mostly. I read a lot of sci-fi, stuff by Alistair Reynolds, Paul McAuley, Iain Banks...I used to read lots of fantasy stuff, but kind of got bored of that about twenty years ago. I also watch plenty of films. It's all about the creative bank account!
ME; What is your main ambition to do with illustration?
ROB; I very much have some books that I want to write and illustrate. Two or three are part written, so that's the first step - finish them. That's a medium term goal I guess. In the short term I just need to be a working illustrator. As I mentioned in my first answer, I'm just starting work on illustrating a book for the first time. I've an awful lot of learning to do yet.
ME; Do you find using colour natural or a chore?
ROB; Neither. It's definitely not natural to me. My work is always born in black and white, and that's kind of where it would like to stay really. I find colour very tricky, probably because I'm not used to working in colour, so it's a bit of Catch-22. Using colour definitely isn't a chore though, it's a very exciting thing to start colouring something. It's just bloody difficult.
ME; Finally, what piece of advice could you give me to help me in the future with illustration?
ROB; Draw. Sketch. Doodle. Just keep at it, there's absolutely no short-cuts, no magic bullet, no substitute for practice. I wasted twenty years not drawing, and I'm having to try and catch up now - but those years are gone. So if you love drawing, and the career you want for yourself involves drawing - you HAVE TO DRAW. Don't just draw the stuff you find easy either. Draw hard stuff. Draw stuff knowing that to begin with it's going to be absolutely rubbish, because you learn way more from drawing the hard stuff. And take life drawing class. Maybe that would be the one thing - TAKE LIFE DRAWING CLASS.
Also, little projects are great to measure your progress. I drew one robot a day for a whole year. It was tough, but it was a great way to make sure I was always drawing, and it gave me the opportunity to see the difference a year of drawing could make.
And that's all folks. A massive thankyou to Rob for finding the time to respond and give a very honest interview, I too wish you all the best for your future. #thisnorthernboy
Another year already and another fantastic print fair at the Peoples History Museum in Manchester. It is always good to keep your finger on the pulse in the design world as trends and styles can change so much in only a year. Had a chat with one of our uni tutors, John Powell-Jones, who had his stall set up again. I also bumped into a couple of our level 6 Graphic Designers who also had a stall. Ben Couch, fellow student and good friend, are now thinking of getting a pitch for next years fair.
It lived up to my expectations and more, it was invaluable for my studies. There was talks and demonstrations from the founders of S.A.I, (School of Architectural Illustration). I was lucky enough to meet Don Coe, F.S.A.I Chairman, Richard Rees, S.A.I President, Shona Coppin, Keith Hornblower (watercolour expert), Tim Richardson and Joe Robson, plus of course the marvellous Simone Ridyard. Between this group I was bound to pick up some valuable tips of the trade, and oh yes I did. From what pens, paper, brushes to use to tips on perspective which I thought I was quite good at in the first place. I cant explain what happened that day but I think I found my niche. I have always loved buildings for some reason and what with this day and the current work/project I'm doing, something clicked into place in my head and I now have a serious focus, or path I would like to follow. 
