Interview with Illustrator Miranda Meeks

Today’s interview is about Miranda Meeks, an illustrator from Utah. She is very fond of drawing monsters and animals since she was a child. Let us take a look on her artworks and get to know her more in this interview. Enjoy!

Hello Miranda, it’s nice to have you here. Let us start by asking you to tell us about yourself and what you do in both inside and outside the world of art?

Thanks for featuring my work! I’ve been drawing monsters, snakes, and animals in general ever since I was young. I eventually went to Brigham Young University to study Illustration. Currently I live in Utah with my husband and little girl. In the art world, I create illustrations for both book covers and galleries. Outside of art, I enjoy interior design and typography.

How would you define illustration and digital arts in your own words?

I view illustration to be the artwork you do for any client. Digital art is simply artwork which has been created using digital methods. Formal art and illustration have always come hand in hand for me.

It is clear that you have a talent for both illustration and digital arts and I’ve noticed that you do a lot of melancholic projects. Do you set melancholic theme as your preference to expressing yourself as an artist? Why or why not?

Whether I do it on purpose or not, I do believe that the melancholic theme is something I use to express myself as an artist. I simply find it more intriguing than other themes. When there is a sense of mystery or sadness in a picture, it invites the viewer in to ask more questions and be more involved in the work.

Is illustration a good specialization to be in within our current industry trend? How would you describe some of your challenges?

I think illustration is a great field to specialize in, especially with the internet, which has created easy access to artwork around the world. With the growing supply of tablets and phones, the general population will always be hungry for new images to view; this is one reason why illustration will always be needed. A challenge with illustration is the sheer amount of talent out there that one must compete with in order to survive as a freelancer. My theory is that the cream will always rise to the top, and if you start working on the quality of your work and stop worrying about the work of others so much, you won’t have to be concerned about finding work in the future.

What is your favorite design to date and why?

I don’t know that I have one favorite artwork, as there are so many from other artists that inspire me and the selection is constantly growing.

Your Into the Forest project is really intriguing. Can you tell us the message behind this artwork?

I wanted to create a more narrative illustration, which invites the viewer to ask questions and invent a story themselves. It was really a practice in creating a character in an environment. It’s important to add these types of practice pieces to your portfolio, which expand your style and show an art director your skills.

How do you balance digital vs. traditional when making a design?

Right now I work primarily digitally with all of my work. I hope to incorporate more traditional techniques in the future. My theory is you shouldn’t be able to tell exactly what medium an artist uses.

How long have you been using Photoshop? What was the tool or technique you had the most difficulty mastering?

I’ve been using Photoshop since 2008 or 2009. The technique that was the most difficult for me to master was making it not have that “digital” look. This was overcome over time and lots of practice.