BRAD ALBRIGHT, USA ❧

Do you like where you live now, if so, why? If not, why?

Brad: Dallas is great! Everything's at our fingertips. Despite the snooty rich and abundant SUVs, people are remarkably friendly. It has a growing art scene and a ton of live music venues, both of which are great for an up-and-coming artist/musician like myself

When did you first become interested in art and illustration?

Brad: Making art has been crucial to my personality from early childhood, but it wasn't until college that I really began using overt narrative in my work, which then led to an amped interest in illustration. It's amazing how much your drawing skills will improve when you've got a story you're desperate to tell.

Could you give us a brief summary of your experience so far, what were the jobs you've had, and how are you able to use your previous experience in your current endeavours?

Brad: I haven't had a great deal of art-related work experience, outside of my personal work. Throughout my undergrad years I did a number of animated shorts which displayed at campus festivals and in local galleries, and my thesis was a wordless graphic novel ("Stressed Out West"), which I'm self-publishing. That led me to publish "Bad Painting", my new book, and I'm also directing a music video for alt-metal band Failsafe (MySpace.com/FailsafeOK), which should be on display in the coming weeks.


Describe your typical work day, do you work when the mood takes you, or are you organized in a 9 to 5 schedule?

Brad: I tend to work when inspiration strikes, but generally the real grunt work is done while I'm at my retail day job or while hanging out at night. I tend to think about my work at all times, though, which I suppose it where most of the ideas come from... just driving and walking around

What part of your work do you enjoy the most, and the least?

Brad: Holding the physical product (namely my books), and then seeing the audience react to it. It's a beautiful thing after all the time spent working alone, wondering how it will finish up. The worst part? Finding motivation to brainstorm the next project, and figuring how to get the work in people's hands

Who are your favourite artists (living or otherwise), and why are you drawn to them?

Brad: Tim Burton, Dave McKean, and David Fincher--I know two of these people are film directors, but their work is so visually arresting that they hold high ranks in my book. I love artist that can tell a powerful story with deep gritty visuals... it seems to tap into that vulnerable part of our psyche and leave a real impact.


Were you influenced in your work by anything or anything, say, films, writers, fashion, music, culture, travel, etc.?

Brad: Absolutely. Film, music, and novels probably hold more influence over me than any fine artists as you'd call them. Mark Z Danielewski's "House of Leaves" is an incredible, haunting novel. I think I'll be inspired by it until I die. I'm constantly listening to music while drawing, particularly metal bands, like NIN and Fear Factory. It helps with all the shading in my drawings. Otherwise I like a lot of different music. Gatsby's American Dream are pretty amazing too.

Are you working on a special project or planning one right now?

Brad: Well, I just finished up Bad Painting and I'm working on getting it out there so people can read it. I'm brainstorming, though, for the next book.


What are three or four of your best work?

Brad: "Bad Painting" and "Stressed Out West", my first two books. Also "Grief" and "Western", two of my animated shorts. All of my animation is up at BigDumbAnimal.com, by the way

What do you feel are the difficulties you face in the execution of your work?

Brad: I often go too dark when I'm drawing. Ballpoint pen is great for what I do because it's such a slow buildup of value, but one that is really detailed. Not like pencil which tends to blur together and remain a gray tone. As far as my narratives go, it's definitely tricky trying to develop a story that is meaningful to me, but will resonate with an audience as well. So far it hasn't been a problem though, knock on wood.

What do you envision for yourself in the next two years and five years?

Brad: I plan on doing a new book every year, so hopefully by then I'll have a whole slew of books and a bigger fanbase. Right now I'm just trying to figure out the market, and how to get the work seen. Ultimately it would be nice to have folks saying "hey, when's Brad Albright's next book coming out?"

Do you feel your illustrations project your personality? Would you say they carry more pessimistic or optimistic messages? What were the concepts behind them?

Brad: My drawings definitely convey my personality. Even the drawings that are independent of a larger story tend to have some narrative quality to them. I think I probably walk a line between pessimism and optimism, which creates the sense of dark humor in the work. "Bad Painting" is a good example of this. Those who have read it know that the story begins fairly dark and revolves around lonely or cynical characters, and ultimately ends with a very positive view of people, love, and the world at large.

Right now I'm probably best described as a comic artist or graphic novelist, although I've worked in animation quite a bit and hope to continue doing video work, such as the music video for Failsafe.