Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your background in Art?
I’m an illustrator, writer and designer in Philadelphia. Most of my work for the last two decades has been in children’s books, and I’ve also created work for clients like The New York Times, The Museum of Modern Art, Adobe, and Bicycling Magazine.
I was born in Little Rock, grew up in the suburbs of Houston, and lived in New York City, Paris, and San Francisco before landing in Philadelphia in 1999.
Do you have people who inspired you to create? In what way?
Creating is sort of a compulsion. There are many people who made it possible for me to pursue this and make a living from it. My parents, for example. Teachers, friends, my wife, people who believed in me.
There are also certainly hundreds of other artists and writers who have inspired me. So so many! In some cases these inspirations might be just in the way they draw something, and I love it. Or maybe they broke ground in some way that inspires a direction for me. Of course, there are also inspirations when I just see a work or read a book, that moves me. That makes me wish I’d have done that, or want to do something meaningful.
What are you currently working on?
I am wrapping up final art on a picture book about a construction crew of pigs. I have three more books contracted to follow. I’m also writing a picture book, and planning a collection of collages for a gallery show next year. It’s nice being busy.
What part of your art-making process do you enjoy most?
Once the work is planned and sketched, I like the sitting at the desk and drawing the final art for a book. I just love drawing. I try to leave enough out of the sketches to keep this stage creative and surprising at times.
Like me, I know you have used a variety of mediums and techniques. At the moment, which are your favorites and why?
I’ve rediscovered pen and ink this year. Loving the line. Back to basics.
Do you have a favorite product or tool you wouldn’t mind sharing with other artists?
Yeah! I discovered these cute little stubby pens called Uni-ball One P. The ink is a really dark black, it doesn’t bleed when used with watercolor or colored inks, and it’s just fun to draw with.
Do you have advice for other artists who might be thinking of following in your footsteps?
The only advice I have is that you really have to love to draw. It’s great to have a book published, or an illustration printed somewhere, and it’s great to get paid to draw. But you got to love the boring parts too — the looking and seeing and working working working.
I noticed you have a new blog as well. Please share any links where we can see more of your work and updates. Know you are busy. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview!
I have this fantasy of starting a newsletter of some kind. The news-page on my website is sort of a try-out to see if I can motivate myself to write regularly.
The website, BrianBiggs.com, is the best place to see what I make. If I get a newsletter going, it’ll be linked there.
I also have an instagram at @brianbiggsstudio
Thanks Jen!
