Clayton Shonkwiler is a Math Professor at Colorado State University. He has no art training, but his mom was an Art History major and his dad was an Architect, so he said that ‘there were always lots of art and architecture books and prints around’. He started making gifs as a way to illustrate something in a research talk, became hooked on the possibilities and now, several years later, he has built a body of elegant and mesmerizing gif work. He is part of a trend that I have been noticing of coder artists that I have written about more at length here
Read a short interview with Clayton Shonkwiler here
As an illustrator at NPR, my work includes creating editorial illustrations for news stories, photo illustrations for the NPR Music team, looping animations for smart displays, and the occasional journalistic drawing foray out in Washington, D.C. Few things make me say, “I can’t believe this is part of my real job” quite like sketching Tiny Desk concerts as they happen.
I usually try to get to the desk during sound check to give myself a little extra time. Even so, it’s a mad rush to get a piece done before the end of the concert. Each performance lasts about 20 minutes, so I have 20 to 40 minutes to finish a piece. I do minor edits afterwards if the likeness or proportions look too off the mark, but because I’m trying to capture a specific moment in time, I try to keep post-performance edits to a minimum.
I use an iPad for the mobility and convenience of not having to carry a bag of supplies around; this way, I can draw while standing. I choose the colors based on the music because for me, it’s more about the mood the sound creates than it is about a true-to-life color palette. Sometimes, when the musicians wear striking colors or patterns, I bring elements of their clothing into the color scheme.
