Rod Hunt's motto is "illustration by design." We say, that's fine, just fine. And we love his large-scale work.


Chief: Describe your creative process.  When you hit a snag, what do you do to get the ball rolling again?

Rod Hunt: Before I go anywhere near the computer, I start doodling ideas and compositions in an A5 sketchbook with a pencil or biro. These are very quick and throwaway. Once I worked out the rough idea and composition, I work on a larger finished pencil drawing, which I then use as a guide for drawing the final artwork with a graphics tablet in Adobe Illustrator.

You get those in time when inspiration deserts you, whether that's a difficult brief or just feeling uncreative that day. If it's a feeling-uncreative day, I'll try to work on another project that's already further developed, or do some marketing and researching potential clients, or heaven forbid, some paperwork!

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I understand you have a branding company.  Considering your motto is "Illustration by Design," how would you describe the difference between illustration and graphic design, for you?

I've always seen myself as part of the wider design industry, and the line between illustration and graphic design has blurred in the last decade. That probably started when graphic designers discovered Photoshop and thought they could "do illustration." Illustrators were a bit slower with the uptake of technology, and maybe even a bit resistant at first.

The drop in the price of computers and software has opened up whole new areas to illustrators. So now we have illustrators who do animation, design fonts, typography, multimedia, film, etc. Maybe the title "Illustrator" even seems a bit restrictive or old-fashioned for some of the newer generation.