Illustrator Interview: Vin Libassi

Meet Vin Libassi--talented artist, respected colleague, and illustrator of my first novel, O.Y.L. I'm excited to share his unique personality with the HUB community. 

Please explain what it takes for an illustrator to develop a reputable enough portfolio to be considered for cover art or picture book illustration work.

The Internet has become the main avenue for marketing your skills. My first project was to make myself a website [spiralpath.net]. I had taught myself Adobe Photoshop a year hence and had a few dozen good images to peddle. Then I got into any online discussion related to illustrating. Any site that features multiple artist galleries has a forum for talking about issues, but you can use them for spreading your name around. Even if you haven't done a project yet, your gallery has a good sampling of what you can do.

There is a printed guide for illustrators, writers, and other artists released every year. It lists all the contact information for publishers, poster companies, etc. You can get busy printing off samples and snail mailing them to your prospects or you can send emails with a few attachments. I offered to do the first job at no cost. I call that "priming the pump". Any job you get becomes a selling point for the next one. I never fail to mention that I did the cover for a season guide for Farscape. I don't tell them that the show was cancelled and they never printed it. Hey, at least I got paid.

Do you prefer opportunities to interact with the author, or would you rather work independently of the author?

My first choice is to "see" a scene right in the pages of the book. I ask the author for a few chapters that have important goings on and usually the cover is in there somewhere. Then, I offer the author several ideas and let them choose one to start with. You never work independently of the author. If he says, "Do whatever you want," you're still working with him, right? Knowing that someone worked on the book for months or years, you realize how important it is that they are happy with the cover.

What are some opportunities outside novel illustrations for illustrators?

We are surrounded by images. Look around you right now and there are probably three separate industries for the artist to get involved in. Magazines, posters, greeting cards, T-shirts, website design. Even the phone bill comes to you with a flyer for some offer. Businesses hire artist/writers for their newsletters and we have to include tattoo design (very much in demand). All these need an artist and perhaps a designer to direct the art department.

Any professional organizations or societies you recommend an illustrator become a part of? If so, why?

I've never joined one, but there are countless numbers of artist societies and again, the tool for finding them is the Internet. They function mainly to inform and to publicize. You just have to invest the time to get involved in whatever group you want to belong to, and sometimes pay the dues. I have investigated sites that are brokerages for artists, meaning, they list a group of artists and you can browse through galleries to find what you need. I email some of the artists and ask them if the site generated work for them. If they say no, I just go. You can pay $50 to 500 to join some of these brokers. Some free artist gallery sites are too good to pass up. Check out Artwanted.com. It's more fine art than commercial, but another good place for artists to meet and get attention. I'm on Artwanted and so is my sister, Anna Marie Fritz. Look us up.

How do you develop your pricing scale to remain competitive?

There's no formula for this in the art world. Sadly, a piece that is worth thousands of dollars measured by the time you put into it, is only worth hundreds to the client. If you have a good setup so you can work fast in the studio, you can charge by the hour. If you're working with an older version of graphic software and have to do everything the hard way, you may not want to know how long you spend on that masterpiece that you're only offered $100 for. But you can, after you're made a reputation, charge something closer to what love you put into the work. What you ask for, in the end, is sometimes a guess of what the client might be able to pay. Some publishers don't give out any cash. If the book sells, you get a percentage or royalty. If only I'd gotten the Harry Potter job.

What advice do you have for beginning illustrators looking to get their foot in the door in a difficult economic environment?

First of all - have a day job. You have to pay the bills and buy the Photoshop upgrade, mail out all those postcards, and print business cards while you spend your free time doing what I've already talked about, and doing hundreds of images for no profit whatsoever. When it comes to applying for a position with one company, you may have to start as a coffee gopher in an advertising agency or somewhere else where someone else has the job you want. Most important - have something that a struggling economy can't live without, and be the best at providing it.

Tell us about what makes your style so unique. What is your "brand?"

I love getting an email that says, "I showed my cover to another artist and we can't figure out how you did it." Well, I'm not telling them. I was once told that my mixing of sci-fi and children was eye-catching and unique. My brand would be mixing many elements that don't normally go together. My style is actually a collage. Ever make a masterpiece out of magazine clippings, yarn, and pasta? My images may have bits of photos I've taken, more bits Googled from our best friend, the Internet, a background texture from a fabric and bits that I've made with Photoshop tools. I feel like Dr. Frankenstein when I make people. The head taken from one photo. The hair from hairdo.com. A body I made with a 3-D app. A leg cropped from another place. A suit from the Men's Warehouse (you're going to like the way you look).

How many books have you illustrated, and in what capacity (just cover art, inside illustrations, etc)?

I have done between 50 and 60 covers. All were 'cover only' except a children's book called Crazy pen with 24 color illustrations, a poetry book with some interior black and whites, and Gypsy Kids which had Harry Potteresque drawings at each chapter (I actually drew them! With a pencil!!!)

Where can we go to find out more information about your work?

My main gallery is spiralpath.net and my recent work is at Artwanted.com. Just Search for artist by name.... Vin Libassi

Books with my covers can be found at publishersdrive.com