Ryan Humphrey
Illustrator, art tutor, creator of Bartkira
Posted in illustrator
Who are you, and what do you do?
I'm Ryan Humphrey, and I'm an illustrator/zinester/aspiring tutor. I've been drawing ever since I was 16 in sketchbooks, so therefore it was the best idea to progress further into art education. I did a foundation course in Art and Design at UCA Epsom, then a BA in Fine Art at UCA Farnham. After the intensity of understanding being an artist and education, I took a gap year and drew solidly for 12 months, then applied for a MA in Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts.
Also, I'm the dude that created Bartkira.
What hardware do you use?
My hardware is Moleskine sketchbooks - all the time. I vary the range of sizes, but the main ones I use are A3 because the quality of paper is softer than the A4 Moleskine sketchbooks. Those I use are for more experimental pencil works because you can generate darker lines and force. Pencils I use are the Pentel P200 Series Auto Mechanical pencil, and Faber Castell TK-Fine mechanical lead pencils.
And what software?
Once a drawing is complete I use the programs came with my HP ScanJet 200 flatbed photo scanner just to alter the contrast on the pencil work. I like having the marks be super dark so visually it looks stronger. I never use Photoshop, so in some way I see myself as some sort of traditionalist. Then I post all my work online, no matter what quality the pieces are, because showcasing your work online as much as you can generates a strong following - plus it's great to see what your followers and fans think.
The main social media outlets I use are my Tumblr and Instagram.
What would be your dream setup?
The ideal dream setup would be to become an illustrator/drawing tutor and teach abroad, maybe in Germany or a Scandinavian country. The obvious answer would be to make as much work as I can and enjoy it, but I do that now anyway.