Steven Stipelman
Who was your inspiration when you started illustrating?
In the beginning it was definitely my father. He made me little drawings of whatever I asked and I remember wishing one day I would be able to draw as well as him. When I started taking illustration professionally, I enjoyed researching artists that I came across in my classes on Art History and Fashion Illustration such as David Downton or Jean-Honoré Fragonard. But I wasn’t really looking for inspiration, I just kind of went for it, whatever was on my mind. We were very encouraged to develop our own ‘signature’ style and point of view.
Is there any particular reason you choose the subjects you portray?
Movement, sensuality, femininity are big themes in my work. I guess I’m a romantic at heart so I was just naturally drawn to portraying couples and soft flowy collections of Chloé and other fashion designers when I started out. It was something that interested me and I wanted to elaborate on the mood and the way they make you feel. I love to draw women that have something special, where you can feel their freedom, strength and femininity when you look at the illustration. Lately, I have been crossing over to portraying food – I blame this on my love for baking and cakes of pretty much any kind. You can also see me gesture drawing street style during Paris Fashion Week.
Where do you come up with ideas from?
Fashion magazines, articles I read, travel, cinematography of a movie, food I make / see on the market or bakeries, Pinterest, coming across a random image or designer, then researching their technique, then reading their interview then googling what they’re talking about – this a process I call ‘lost in web’. If I come across the right image, I can branch out and research its artists, their background, past works, the media they use, etc. for hours. Until realise I missed lunch!
What is the process of a typical portrait, and how long does it take for it to be fully finished?
I always draw faces first. It’s the most important part for me – it conveys the emotion and feel of the piece, it’s something a person looks at first. I continue on with drawing hair, which usually takes me hours. I love drawing out each strand, it’s fun. When I draw digitally, it gives me a strange satisfaction to work on 300% close up and then zooming out and seeing it all coming together. Then I draw out everything else and finally paint the watercolour which I apply to the image last. Each portrait takes a different time to finish, depending on the detail involved.
What would you be if you weren’t an illustrator?
When I was little, I wanted to be an archeologist. I always found history fascinating. All the civilisations, what were people driven by before, their beliefs, what were they attracted to, their values and how they evolved throughout time, what does it say about our culture now. It’s like one huge story book and I love to visualise it all.
