Scarlett: Are you ready for this? ;)

David:Yes.

Scarlett: Can you describe your workspace for us?

David: My workspace is quite tidy actually. I have a long desk with my computer at one end and a drawing board at the other. I am actually quite a tidy illustrator, verging on the OCD to be honest. Everything has its right place on my desk.

Scarlett: Artists are often struck down by ‘artists block’. How do you overcome this?

David: Go and do something completely different. Go for a walk or wash up. Really crazy stuff like that! Your mojo will soon return.

Scarlett: You didn’t start out as an illustrator, how did you come to be one?

David: I have always drawn and growing up everyone expected me to be an illustrator because I used to make comics for my brother and sister and drew all of the posters and things at school. But for some reason when I got to art college I decided to stop drawing. I didn’t really draw for the whole three years of being at college. Instead I made weird arty films.

A couple of years ago it dawned on me that the thing I enjoyed doing the most was drawing and I really missed it. So, I decided to focus on it again. One of the reasons I did my ‘Drawing A Day’ project was to get used to drawing again.

Scarlett: What are your weapons of choice?

David: I mainly use pen and ink, watercolours and pencil crayons. And Photoshop sometimes.

Scarlett: Do you listen to music while you work?

David: I always listen to music. At the moment I have re-discovered Gomez and can’t stop listening to their first album.

Scarlett: Who would you want to illustrate the book of your life?

David: You Scarlett. Or maybe Steven Kraan.

Scarlett: As an illustrator what do you want to see more of in Bedfordshire?

David: Bedford has recently become quite a cool place to live, so to just see the continued development of the town and the growing art culture would be great.

Its funny but when something cool and interesting happens in Bedford people still say “Oh, I can’t believe something like this is happening in Bedford”. But they have been saying that for a while now, and I think people should just give in to the fact that Bedford is actually full of cool and interesting happenings.

Scarlett: You’re soon to become Daddy Litchfield. Will this see a change in your illustrative style? (More fluffy bears?)

David: It’s all very exciting. I don’t think my style will change though. I’m working on the development of a couple of Children’s books at the moment and they are just as weird as my stuff has always been. 

I really can’t wait to become a dad for a number of reasons, but one of them is that I will have even more of an excuse to read children’s books and watch cartoons.  

Scarlett: What can we expect from David Litchfield Illustration in the near future?

David: Well, the writer Neil Fox has just started to develop a fantastic project called ‘Hospice’ that I am going to illustrate. It sounds really dark and disturbing but it’s actually a very magical and sweet story. I really can’t wait to get started on it. (Neil has started blogging about it here: http://neitherfamenorfortune.tumblr.com/post/13868100103 )

As I said earlier I am also developing a couple of children’s books. One is for a client and its going to be brilliant (but I shouldn’t really say too much about it at the moment), the other is for a book I have written myself about a giant. Very early days for both projects but I’m really excited about them.

 I’m still really enjoying my Freak of The Week feature I do for Creaturemag and the ‘Great Bedfordians’ segment of The Bedford Clanger newspaper.

As well as all of this I have some more Beano assignments coming up which I am also incredibly happy about. I still cant quite believe I draw for one my favorite comics ever.  Also, I am sure that the Circus of Illustration impending projects are going to be keeping me very busy too.

Scarlett: What would be your dream illustration job?

David: I’m doing it now (I think).

To see more of David’s work please visit: http://www.davidlitchfieldillustration.com

To read David Interviewing Scarlett please click HERE

More Illustrators interviewing  Illustrators coming soon. x