MARK CONLAN

Mark Conlan is a multidisciplinary illustrator from Dublin, based in Melbourne, Australia. He has created concept images for a variety of products, publications, books, advertising campaigns and individual commissioned illustrations for clients around the world. His style is colourful quirky and definitely relatable. In his work you will often see happy characters and foliage appearing. Plants and greenery are definitely his weakness. And what else, we understand from him himself.

Which topics are important for you as an artist?

I don't think I try to place importance on particular subjects as such. I try to just focus creating a mood through my illustrations. As artists we have a power to be able to reflect a feeling whether happy or sad through our artwork and on to our audience and to me this is more important than covering particular subjects.

What inspires you in your work? And out of it?

in terms of inspiration,I try to remain as open as possible to everything. This way I can find in inspiration in so many more things around me. Whether its an interesting story I have heard, a song, a mood, someone else's work or a lovely walk etc. No matter what it is, I try to take any of these and translate them into my work somehow.

The most difficult, inspirational and craziest project you've been working through over the years?

I am pretty lucky to say that I haven't really had any massively crazy and difficult projects. So far they have all mainly been straight forward and great fun to work on. The most inspirational projects have to be the collaborations I have worked on with other artists. Recently I go to collaborate with a 3D artist called Sonal Jadhav. Sonal developed a 3d environment based on some of my illustrations. This collab was particularly interesting as it really took my work into a whole new world that it never lived in before. Thats the power of collaborations, taking each others work to a whole new level and now thats inspirational.

What is the most valuable professional advice you have received? And the one you would give to someone who makes his first steps in the profession?

I think the best advice I have been given and I always try give to others is, to be patient. I know we all want it all straight away, but give it time, work hard and be patient and it will come to you in the best possible way.

What will we find in your sketchbook if we look at it now?

You will find sketches of all types, I try to spend as much time as possible sketching. I find it therapeutic and a good way to switch off. There is sketches of vases with plants and naked people dancing around them, that seems to be one i keep coming back to draw lately.

What are the views, scents, memories that bring you back to Ireland in your memory?

It’s funny you ask that, I was only recently back in Ireland and I got to spend some time with my family. The weather was really beautiful which isn’t something that happens often. I went to our local park with my nieces and nephew. After spending some time having a picnic and kicking around the football, it instantly brought me back to being young. Running around the open green spaces with a vivid sense of adventure and creativity was how time was well spent back then! Maybe I need to get back to my roots and do this more now.

What is the sea for you? What is your first memory of it? 

The sea for me has always been a part of our lives. I come from a very small island so we were never far away from the water. The sea in my mind has always been a peaceful place to go for a long walk to gather your thoughts and find some inspiration. As I’ve got older I’ve gotten more curious about what lies beneath the surface and this continues to be a constant inspiration throughout my work.

More at: markconlan.com
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