Disengage (music cover) | collage & mixed media
Original artwork included in the Society of Illustrators and Institutional show in NYC this spring.
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As promised, I am back with a terrific interview with nationally award-winning illustrator and designer Wayne Brezinka who is based in Nashville, Tennessee. I had the privilege of doing a preview of Wayne’s rich and conceptual work on AQ-V back in April. (Check it ↑) Via our interview I learned that Wayne has only being doing commercial illustration for largely the past 2 years which is quite impressive considering both the depth of his work and his client roster. Prior he worked as a graphic designer and art director.
Read/look on and enjoy. And as before I encourage you to follow the “see more” links to his blog where he documents his works and working process, frequently revealing his initial thought process and sketches.
Shop at David’s. Not Goliath’s. (Washington Post) | collage & mixed media | see more
Editorial illustration for an article on the death of small business.
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Q: Who is Wayne Brezinka?
A: I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and later moved to central Minnesota. I have one sister who is 2 years older, so there were just the four of us (Mom, Dad, my sister and me). We lived out in farm country on a dirt road. We had to drive about 25 minutes to the nearest town to do all of our shopping and what not. I had 39 kids in my high school graduating class. I’m a coffee and music snob and I’ve always been creative from an early age and remember feeling odd, different and not understood by my peers at school for being so.
I enjoy antique and junk stores, yard sales, anything old, worn and used as I’m always looking for what I might be able to make out of it or how I might use it within a collage or project. I started out as a designer way back when and have worked for several agencies, design houses and was an art director for EMI records for about 4½ years. I’ve been on my own and doing my art for about 8 years or so. I’m married and have three children, My daughter is 12, my oldest son is 8 and my youngest son is 3.
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How best to get to know your neighbors? May we suggest a sleepover?
(American Way magazine) | collage & mixed media
An editorial assignment created for American Way magazine. Stemming from a book by author Peter Lovenheim’s In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time. The article is entitled “How best to get to know your neighbors? May we suggest a sleepover?”
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Q: What was your first illustration job?
A: I think it was when I was 24 or so, and a recent transplant to Nashville… and if I’m not mistaken, it was to create marker renderings for a T-shirt or something… I was not that proud of it so I think I must have blocked it out! My first real professional illustration gig was with the Los Angeles Times right around the Obama, McCain campaign for presidency. I’ve really only been marketing my illustration to various AD’s and editorial publications in the last 2 years.
How best to get to know your neighbors? May we suggest a sleepover? (illo detail)
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How best to get to know your neighbors? May we suggest a sleepover? (sketches)
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Q: Your work is visually rich with layers and textures making it quite tactile as well. And it is also conceptually driven. Tell us about how you developed this style. And what does your work process looks like?
A: Early in my design career, I was ribbed quite a bit by my peers because I was always experimenting with the scanner. Old nails, wood, vintage papers, and even water and sand at one point! They all ended up on the glass to see how they might scan and render! I also love paper and would run paper bags, canvas, acetate and many other things through the color copy machine. I do not recommend that however. It’s an expensive machine and God forbid something might jam it up or melt to the drum. YIKES! I would find some way to work all of this into the project I was working on at the time! It wasn’t until I began creating editorial images for clients such as The Los Angeles Times, Neiman Marcus and The Washington Post in the last couple of years that I began working on visual concepts and the message within my illustrations. My current goal is to work on creating smarter, simpler editorial images that communicate quickly and make people think. I believe the illustrator’s job is equally as important as the editor’s and find it a great honor and challenge to create the best image to accompany the article.
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum | collage & mixed media | see more
Several weeks ago, I received a call from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. They were nearing the end of compiling their latest, 2nd floor exhibit featuring all new artifacts, videos and music spanning several decades… from 1965–present. Their creative team thought I might be a good fit for this campaign and commissioned me to create 3 illustrations. A billboard, an illustrated version of their existing logo and a vertical and horizontal print ad were rendered. It was a hit upon delivery and continues to be successful campaign for them.
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Music (Illustration Friday) | collage & mixed media
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Q: What inspires you? And what/who has influenced your work?
A: I’m inspired by many things. God, coffee, beer, reading, honesty (this includes being honest with myself), passion in others, my children, my spiritual journey, the kindness of my wife, creative folks and of course other illustrators. One of my favorite collage artists is Romare Bearden. The first time I saw his work I couldn’t get enough! So rich, visually stimulating and creative. I believe it was on the cover of an album. I’m also influenced by some more contemporary illustrators such as Brian Stauffer, Katherine Streeter, Carin Berger (AQ-V interview with Carin ↑) and David Plunkert. I’m a huge music fan… artists like Nick Drake, U2, Miles Davis, Ray LaMontagne, The Black Keys and The Swell Season and often find my ears bending towards NPR programs such as All Things Considered and Fresh Air.
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Q: Curious to learn what fills your shelves, nooks and crannys?
A: Old vinyl LP’s (in particular, jazz icons such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane) tons of vintage papers, old books, yarn, sewing patterns, photographs of my family, artwork that my kids have made over the years, an original Mr. Potato Head that I’ve had for 10+ years or so, an original Etch A Sketch, anything vintage baby! I’m telling you, they don’t make things like they used to… toys, cars, homes, food packaging, it was all so cool way back when!
BarlowGirl project (cover detail) | collage & mixed media | see more
16 page booklet, digipak on uncoated paper stock. The entire book will be filled with artwork, vintage photos (some, never before seen) of their past 10 years in the business.
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Q: What are you currently working on? And upcoming projects in the queue?
A: I’m working on an editorial illustration for The Society for News Design and just finished an image for American Way/American Airlines magazine. I’m also working on 4 CD package(s)/covers. One for Los Angles based band A Cursive Memory, and another CD project which will be a 16 page booklet, digipak printed on uncoated paper stock. The entire book will be filled with collage artwork, vintage photos, and other random, cool things related. I have a few fine art pieces in Bennett Gallery and am working on finding additional homes around the country/world for more of my original collage work.
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Otter (children’s illustration) | collage & mixed media | see more
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Q: What type of project haven’t you done yet that you would like the opportunity to?
A: I have many dream clients such as Starbucks, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Target, The Atlantic, TIME, Newsweek, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and so many others! The world of print is changing so quickly due to the internet and little by little I’m seeing how these and other companies are still utilizing and commissioning illustrators for their online business(s). It gives me hope.
FINGERPRINT No. 2: The Evolution of Handmade Elements in Graphic Design
Four Five of my illustrations (those above + the further above Death of Small Business editorial illo) have been selected for the upcoming Fingerprint 2 book compiled by Chen Design in San Francisco and published by HOW books. This has a tentative Spring 2011 street date. It is now available for pre-orders.
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Q: You have had such a terrific career to date which is very inspiring along with the wonderful nature of your work. What bits of advice might you offer to new illustrators who are just starting out in the field?
A: Create. Always create. Continue to move towards your dream. Figure out what it is exactly that you want and do something everyday to move toward it. You will get a lot of “no’s” and static buzz along the way but every now and then a “yes” will come in and that is how you grow your portfolio. Build on all of those “yes” opportunities and those open doors. Once a door is open and you are allowed in—push it down and blow ‘em out of the water by giving 110%. Always return your phone calls and try to return every e-mail and correspondence. You never know who you might be working for one day!
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Thank you Wayne for sharing your remarkable work, background, inspirations, advice and generous time! I look forward to keeping up with your upcoming projects.
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Wayne Brezinka is Brezinka Design Co., a multi-disciplined, nationally award-winning, independent illustration and design studio specializing in the arts and entertainment industries.
Clients include The Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Neiman Marcus, PASTE magazine, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, John Carter Cash, Downtown Records, Lost Highway, Warner Brothers, Columbia Records and more.
See much more of Wayne’s work on his website + blog
[ All work & images ©Wayne Brezinka ]
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you, Amy – I am very grateful for this. It looks great. You’ve done an amazing job with your blog here. It is beautiful, very informative and a regular “go to” for me. All the best to you as you press on.
Wayne, your work is amazing, great to see ‘inside your head’ a little.
Amy, as always, thanks for bringing me a daily dose of beautiful inspiration.
Wayne is one of my favorite illustrators, I can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next!!
Wayne, absolutely my pleasure… thank you again for doing this interview! It was a treat. As Kate said, your work is amazing. Eager to see more!
And thanks you two for your comments, Wayne indeed (and rightfully) has many fans. :~)
ohh this is so wonderful! so nice to catch up on your highly inspiring blog :)
In the age of information overload, I love everything I see on your awe-inspiring site, Amy!!
Wayne, thank you for sharing your beautiful work! I’m a fan.