2019 Golden Nosey Interview
 Page one of the article as it appeared in EF 2020.1 | |
| Author | Debbie "Debbo" Burmeister, CeCe Holt, Erik "Rowdy" Roadfeldt |
|---|---|
| Subject | Sebastian Martin, Golden Nosey (2019) |
| Genre | Interview |
| Published | EF Issue 2020.1 |
Publication date | February 2020 |
| Pages | 20-22 |
| Preceded by | Top 10 Caricaturists of the year |
| Followed by | New Board of Directors |
| Website | Full Issue PDF |
This article is a Q & A with Sebastian Martin after winning the ISCA Golden Nosey Award in 2019. It was written by Debbie "Debbo" Burmeister, CeCe Holt & Erik "Rowdy" Roadfeldt. It appears in Exaggerated Features Issue 2020.1 on pages 20-22.
Article Transcript
Congratulations to Sebastian Martin for taking home this year’s Golden Nosey! Here Sebastian answers a few of our nosy Nosey questions.
Q: How and when did you get introduced to the wonderful world of caricature?
A: In 2012 I decided to draw a parody of a coworker. Before that I thought cartoons were a stupid waste of my time but this drawing got laughs around the office and after that I got hooked on the reaction so I went out and bought books on how to draw caricatures and cartoons. Spent hours after work doing nothing but drawing. Eventually I came across ISCA and from there everything just blew through the roof of the possibilities of caricature art. I was so excited. I knew this was something I needed to do. I now work full time as an artist and do what I love, drawing caricatures.
Q: So what did you do to earn a living before you were bitten by the caricature bug? And what was it like, going from an office environment to being your own boss?
A: I washed cars for Hyundai before getting into caricatures. After that I became my own boss and it got harder because I needed will power to get things done without anyone telling me to!
Q: What is your super power? Or what super power would you want to have?
A: My best quality: biting off more than I can chew, then semi-chewing it. Desired super power: biting off more than I can chew, then chewing it.
Q: Where is your favorite place in the world, or where would you want to visit? A: Does Jurassic Park count?
Q: Sure, I don’t see why not! Would you want to set up a caricature stand there?
A: Knowing what happens in the books and movies I probably would not want to set up shop on any of the Jurassic Park islands!
Q: Tell us a funny story relating to caricature...
A: More gross than funny, let’s just say a very heavyset customer and pulling damp cash from their crevice...
Q: What would you like to tell the members of ISCA?
A: Thank you for keeping me inspired over the years! For years I felt like an outsider always looking in, so it was a dream come true to meet many of you last year! I was star-struck. You all were celebrities in my book!
Q: What does being a caricature artist mean to you?
A: Being a caricature artist has had a huge impact on me. Not only do I see it as a teaching moment for others but it’s been therapeutic for me in embracing my differences. I was the kid in school you would stuff in a locker. Because I was bullied I hated myself, but caricatures put a new spin on my flaws and showed me that our differences are the best part of being human!
Q: What do you like most about yourself?
A: I can easily fit into small compartments.
Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what would your swimsuit look like? Or what three books would you bring?
A: Me no need no stinkin’ bathing suit. But books; Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan (for light reading), The Hobbit (for heavy reading), and of course my Bible (FOR SUPER HEAVY READING!)
Q: Tell us a little about your family...
A: Little? You’ve obviously seen my family. I am the first generation of immigrant parents. We are of Mayan descent! Pretty ancient, hah...We are very close and have a relatively healthy relationship with one another due to keeping Christ in the home!
Q: What are your interests?
A: My wife Courtney, comics, Lord of the Rings, shredding on the guitar, and PIZZA.
Q: Who are some of your caricature influences?
A: Joe Bluhm, Jason Seiler, Brian Oakes, Nate Kapnicky, Glenn Ferguson, to name a few!
Q: What is your typical workday like? Do you work every day?
A: I work from home! A typical workday for me is coffee first, Bible reading, create artwork, and emails! Then waking up at 1 am to start over because any artwork I created during the day wasn’t good enough.
Q: What do you do to improve your skills?
A: I find the most help in studying artists that aren’t caricature artists! Then experiment in my sketchbook to find what works and doesn’t work. I try not to worry about messing up because no one else has to see that!
Q: What is your favorite thing/ person to draw?
A: Other than people I love drawing animals! They have just as much personality as people!
Q: What were your expectations for this year’s convention? Did you do anything to prepare yourself physically, mentally?
A: My expectations for every ISCA CON are always to have fun, get creative, and be encouraged! I do prepare myself for the conventions by going over the fundamentals of art to know what makes a great composition and I do lots of sketching!
Q: Did you get any sleep during the convention competition? Some winners of this award in the past have gone without sleep to reach the top.
A: There is very little sleep during the convention. I get about three to four hours of sleep a day there. Power naps are the key to enduring such long, sleepless nights. But having your creative bank account full also helps with creating artwork quickly.
Q:The work on your website for clients is nothing like the style that you do at the convention. Do the two overlap?
A: The work I do for clients does have a business side to it. It caters to a larger group of people. My own personal style (like the caricatures done for ISCA) does have its own audience! But slowly and surprisingly my personal style is increasing in demand.
Q:Do you have a favorite piece your winning wall? How did you choose your subjects? What media did you use? Where do those shapes come from?
A: My favorite piece done was of Celeste! It felt a lot like my style and I enjoyed producing it! Choosing subjects to draw is based on anyone with an interesting look that will give you an interesting result! My work is very abstract and choosing the right subject can help with developing the most interesting shapes too! Although most assume I use programs like Illustrator, I actually use Photoshop to render all my digital work.
Q: Is there any new media that you would like to try?
A: I am not doing anything too different. I am currently taking my work from 2D to 3D paper sculpture form which I hope to bring to the next ISCA CON!
Q: What other artwork do you do besides caricature?
A: I do love creating sci-fi illustrations! I am a fan of artists like Moebius, Shaun Tan and more! Creating worlds and stories of the unexplained and beyond have always fascinated me!
You can follow Sebastian at @ColorboxEntertainment on Facebook and Instagram.
See Also
This Navigation box may not show up on mobile browsers. Please see Exaggerated Features Issue 2020.1 for the full contents of this issue if the navigation box does not display.
 |
| | |
| |||
| |||
