July 22, 2010
I took the M train to Bushwick, Brooklyn, last week to sit for artist Richard Haines. We chatted about boys in Brooklyn, fashion, and his recent show at John Bartlett's shop. I left with a portrait and several questions, which I posed to Haines after our meeting. See his answers, and illustrations, below.
What made you start blogging?
I was looking for more freelance work as a menswear designer and thought if I had a blog of cool-looking guys, I could use it as a talking point and a marketing tool. The irony is that I had no intention of using it to promote my illustrations or that it would turn into an illustration "vehicle." So much for planning ...
You've worked with Calvin Klein, Bill Blass, Perry Ellis, and Sean Combs. What did you learn from them?
I learned so much from each of them that it's hard to know where to start. They all informed my eye and how I see things. I feel very fortunate to work with such amazing visionaries. From Blass I learned about the purity of American design, and from Perry I learned how to incorporate a sense of humor and lightness into design. From Calvin I learned the importance of sticking to one's beliefs and the power of advertising and image. From Diddy I learned about fearlessness. He just doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks about why he does what he does. I love that.
Where do you find most of your models?
I'm really inspired by what I see on the streets, so that's where I find my models. Part of the premise of the blog is that New York is a constant stream of attractive, well-put-together people. The city never lets me down! I had a show of erotic drawings at John Bartlett's store recently. All the guys who posed were guys I met in Bushwick; there are so many sexy, well-put-together guys here!
Who is easier to draw, men or women?
Both are, for the most part, easy to draw. It really depends on the person rather than the gender. Before my show of nudes at Bartlett, my biggest challenge was learning to draw people naked. In a way it's much easier to sketch people wearing clothes. It's easier to hide mistakes with a pocket or a stripe!
How does living in Bushwick influence your work?
Bushwick has been a huge influence, much more that I ever anticipated. Because of the (relatively) cheap rents, the area attracts a lot of artists. There is a really interesting community of artists living here, people doing some amazing things. That energy excites and inspires me. A friend said I like it here because it reminds me of Manhattan in the '80s. They have a point!
Tell me about your J.Crew collaboration.
I love what they do, and Mickey Drexler is one of my heroes, so it starts there. I went down to check out their Liquor Store the day before it opened and struck up a conversation with the guys prepping it. One thing led to another, and they asked me to do a group of sketches for the window of their Broadway store when it opened. It was an amazing opportunity and really helped give me and my blog visibility. I also did "personal appearances" there -- sketching people, which was a first for me. That opened a whole new range of opportunities.
What other illustrators inspire you?
When I was around 11, I was staying at my grandparents' for the summer. My grandfather religiously read The New York Times, and I remember leafing through it and seeing a series of sketches recording the Paris couture shows. It was love at first sight. I was transported and transfixed. I started copying them and there was no turning back. A few years later, Antonio Lopez was illustrating for Fashion of the Times and it was another turning point. His work is amazing. It still looks as incredible today as it did then. Anyone who illustrates needs to know his work. Other big influences are Joe Eula, Kenneth Paul Block, René Bouché ... all amazing artists with strong, confident hands.
Do you have a muse?
I have many! Guys I see on the street, who I may never see again, to friends I've made here in Bushwick -- all the guys I sketched for the Bartlett show are amazing muses. Aside from cute guys and fellow artists, I'd say my biggest muse is my daughter. She's 13, an amazing artist herself, and developing her own style and way of interacting in the world. Watching her is a constant source of inspiration.
In school I felt many instructors pushed technical design over illustration. They told me it was what the industry required. Do you agree?
Everyone needs to know basics in drawing. I teach that, much to the frustration of some students who want to put style before substance. Style without a basic understanding of drawing ends up being doodles! And depending on what kind of drawing one is studying, technical design is important too. But I do think that one reason people respond to my work is that it's nontechnical. I think people are hungry for the human "hand," errors, smudges, and all.
How many illustrations do you think you've done in your lifetime?
Ha! That's a great question! No one has ever asked me that. I've been drawing since I was able to hold a pencil, so it's pretty difficult to say. And between when I finish this Q&A and when I go to bed, I'll have done more, so it's very much a changing work in motion!
