Artist Spotlight: Andrew Rae talks inspiration and illustration

Earlier this month, we headed down to Nicer Tuesdays, It’s Nice That’s curated monthly event, sponsored by Adobe Stock. Dedicated to bringing together some of the industry’s hottest creative talent, the monthly get together is packed full of inspirational talks and amazing showcases.

We were excited to catch up with the amazing Andrew Rae, an illustrator for the likes of New York Times Magazine, Google and Nike. Read on to find out more about his journey into illustration and his favourite personal projects…

Adobe: Tell us a bit about you and what you do?

Andrew Rae: I’m an illustrator and a half-hearted animator. I’ve worked with the likes of New York Times Magazine, Twitter and the Hollywood Reporter. I’ve also done some stuff for Laurence King. I illustrated some of his books and I’ve done a graphic novel called ‘Moonhead and the Music Machine’ for Nobrow.

A: Who or what would you say has been your favourite client or project to work on over the years?

AR: I guess the graphic novel with Nobrow, as it was a passion project and something I’d been thinking about for a long time. They also let me do what I wanted to do – it’s nice to have that creative freedom.

A: How did you get started in the creative industry?

AR: I went to Brighton University, back in the other century. From there a group of us got together post-college and started doing shows and exhibitions which became a collective group called ‘Peep Show’. It was a studio which turned into a company and we even had our very own employee! Back then, the internet was new and putting up a website was enough to get you some interest, but we also took portfolios around to different agencies and magazines and that’s how we managed to win new briefs.

A: Did you always know you wanted to be an illustrator?

AR: I did. I was always interested in drawing and I knew I was good at it. A family friend was a graphic designer. He introduced me to the idea of illustration and I thought ‘Oh that sounds interesting,’ so I was fairly single-minded about it from an early age.

A: Who would you say inspires you? Past or present?

AR: Spike Milligan or Mitch Hedberg, someone along those lines; I have always liked that way of thinking.

A: If you had to describe your signature style, how would you describe it?

AR: Drawing with pen on paper; it’s simple line work. Although, I tend to use a computer more often now.

A: So, what’s next? Have you got any exciting projects in the pipe line?

AR: I’ve got a few little things underway; I’ve been designing some characters for an animated science fiction TV show which is pretty fun.

A big thank you to Andrew for sharing his insights with us. Follow Andrew on Instagram and on his website. You can also buy Moonhead and the Music Machine from good bookstores and from Nobrow.

Click here to catch up on all previous Nicer Tuesdays talks and to see when the next event is taking place. Stay tuned for more Artist Spotlights on Creative Connection over the coming months.