INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN STAUFFER, COVER ARTIST 2024
“I want my images to meet the viewer part of the way, forming a bond with them as their mind meets mine in the image and they hopefully feel connected and smarter by seeing it.” ~ Brian Stauffer
It’s with great pleasure that we introduce our amazing cover artist, Brian Stauffer.
Brian is an acclaimed illustrator whose captivating works have graced the pages of esteemed publications such as The New York Times, TIME Magazine, The New Yorker, The Nation, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Esquire, GQ, and over 300 others worldwide.
His illustrations, renowned for their conceptual take on social issues, seamlessly blend hand-drawn sketches, painted elements, and scanned found objects, bridging the gap between traditional and digital art forms.
Brian’s artwork is not only widely published but also celebrated and preserved in prestigious collections, including The Wolfsonian, The Museum of The Society Of Illustrators in New York, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, The Newseum in Washington D.C., and The Art Directors Club of New York.
Born and raised in Arizona, Brian earned his BFA in graphic design from The University of Arizona in 1989. His innovative approach and distinctive style have earned him numerous accolades, including being selected as the cover artist for the 200 Best Illustrators Annual, featuring 11 of his illustrations within the esteemed Archive Magazine. His other recent honors include the 2015 Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators 57 competition, the prestigious 2011 Gold Award for Best Cover Illustration from SPD, and the Editorial Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators 52 competition in 2010.
Where did you grow up? How did that shape you as a person and as a creative?
Brian: I grew up in Prescott, Arizona. My parents were both part-time fine artists. As a kid, I was surrounded by all these great art supplies, but I was more of a maker than an artist. I loved making contraptions and curious objects out of balsa wood, soldier, and modeling clay. My single most influential experience as a kid was to be exposed to the work of Alexander Calder. It blew my mind and made me think about art in a larger way.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in illustration?
Brian: I didn’t, at first. I was first a music major, but when I saw how passionate my fellow students were, I realized that I didn’t feel that way about music. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to feel the way they did about something. I ended up studying and getting my degree in graphic design. After a handful of years doing editorial design, I realized that the conceptual process of illustration made for an even more direct line to what I loved about graphic art.
How did you develop your distinct style?
Brian: My style is most often described by my ideas. I think that needing to stick to a singular visual approach is great for many, but not for me. I’m more of the kind of person to look for whatever I need visually to bring an idea to its’ best place.
What would you say unifies your body of work?
Brian: Again, I would say ideas. I’m trying to reveal a deeper component of the subject through visual association. I love and appreciate the power of images that are more focused on beauty etc, but I’m not that person. I want my images to meet the viewer part of the way, forming a bond with them as their mind meets mine in the image and they hopefully feel connected and smarter by seeing it.
Who or what inspires you and influences your work?
Brian: I’m inspired by work that feels fresh and thoughtful. That person may be a seasoned artist or a second year illustration student. As I mentioned before, Calder is a huge influence on me. That may seem odd at first but it’s more about the person he was, his reluctance to be defined by the isms of the day. He believed that humans were put on the earth to work. I can think of no other artist who represents such a powerful example of independent thinking in the face of the in-crowd, while combining play and a value of his efforts in this life.
What is your favorite aspect of the cover and overall design of this year’s book?
Brian: I wanted the image to represent a creative collaboration – two forces working together to bring something striking and astonishing. I also wanted it to reflect a sense of the future, in both content and color. That said, my favorite part of the cover is the sense of place. The interior intro pages were designed so thoughtfully by Lisa Wiant, expanding on the original concept.
WORKBOOK’S Directory of Illustration 2024 sourcebook is the first collaborative publication between two titan marketing brands, Workbook and Directory of Illustration. The 488-page sourcebook represents the pinnacle of artistic talent and diversity that includes illustrators, letterers, CG artists, and animators.
What media did you use to create this beautiful cover? Was print an important part of your process?
Brian: I use a combination of digital tools and scanned print textures. I do most of the work in Photoshop but use it very bluntly, opting for my own set of found textures that I combine with sketches.
What were some challenges?
Brian: Doing an image that you know is going to be seen by a large audience of illustration-savvy people lays on the stress. No one wants to deliver a ho-hum image when given such a great space.
What message/feeling do the images express for you? What do you hope viewers will come away with?
Brian: I hope they are taken by the physicality of this book. I want it to really draw them in and excite them.
What has changed in illustration since you began?
Brian: A lot, but things change and you have to accept that. I started just a year before the first internet browser went live. It was a full 2 years later before I had my own website. Before that, print mattered the most. You reached out to people in a targeted way rather than marketing your work to thousands. And although there have always been lookalike artists, the practice has exploded. The pace of assignments has also accelerated. I’ve never minded this because it fits with how my brain works best.
What are you currently focusing on or learning about?
Brian: I’ve always played with motion, but I’m starting to look more at 3-d. It has occurred to me that quite a few of my more iconic images would translate well to 3-d sculptural applications.
If you weren’t an illustrator, is there another pursuit(s) you would feel called to?
Brian: I think I would either be some sort of medical professional or an outdoor adventure guide.
What would you say has helped you the most in your career?
Brian: At times I think I’ve benefitted by not knowing what I didn’t know. What I mean is that I probably thought I was ready for things long before I was. But more often than not, I got myself into situations where I had to figure a way to a solution. I’m a big believer in the idea that a person can do what another can do.
What advice do you give to emerging illustrators?
Brian: Illustration is not easy, and thank god for that. I can’t imagine anything more depressing than defining my life’s work as something that was easy to do. Stop trying to make it more efficient, fast, and stress-free. Value your time and place in this life enough to hold yourself to your own standard. Stop defining your personal set of challenges as limiting. They are part of what makes you unique. Celebrate and use them to do more, not less.
We’d like to thank Brian for his time in sharing his process with us and, of course, for his beautiful cover art! This year’s cover is truly astonishing and we are honored and excited to share it with the world.
Cover and End Sheets: Brian Stauffer
Book Design & Art Direction: Lisa Wiant
Creative Director: Tamra Dempsey
