Shaun Raven: Artist of the Month - March 2014
Every month, we highlight the work of a different artist or illustrator through the title banner of our monthly newsletter – Penorama. If you don’t already receive Penorama, you can subscribe here.
The artist of the month for March is Shaun Raven, a cartoonist from Essex.
This is the banner Shaun made for us:
Here’s how it appeared in our newsletter:
Cult Pens: Tell us a bit more about yourself.
Shaun: My name is Shaun Raven, and I’m what you might call, a “mature” cartoonist/illustrator based in Essex.
Cult Pens: How would you describe your work?
Shaun: Simple, clean, colourful cartoons that are hopefully funny too!
Cult Pens: What got you into drawing/illustration?
Shaun: I came to it late in life. I’ve been in the IT industry since I left school, and I was looking for something creative to do that I could fit in with a hectic schedule. I’ve always been interested in cartoons, and I love to doodle, so the two came together naturally. It later turned into a second career…
Cult Pens: If you weren’t an illustrator, what was the back-up plan?
Shaun: Cartooning/Illustrating IS my backup! Like many cartoonists, I have a “day” job to pay the bills…
Cult Pens: What are your favourite subjects/topics to draw?
Shaun: I don’t think I have one. It’s the thing I really like about cartooning – there are no limits about what you can draw. One day it’s a girl baking cakes, the next it’s a Stormtrooper cuddling a droid! It’s your world – you draw what you like (or at least, what your client likes)…
Cult Pens: Where do you get your ideas or inspiration from?
Shaun: Anywhere. TV, Radio, comments that people make the Internet, etc., etc., etc…
Cult Pens: What are you currently working on?
Shaun: I’ve been commissioned to draw a cartoon for a head teacher’s retirement – he loves cricket, so that features heavily. I also regularly enter the Cartoonists Caption Competition, where you have to draw a cartoon to a given caption – not as easy as it appears!
Cult Pens: How long does it normally take to complete a project?
Shaun: It varies depending on the project.
Cult Pens: What are your top 5 pens?
Shaun: Oooh – tough one. I regularly use Paper-Mate Flairs (both “Nylon” & “Ultra”) as they don’t bleed with my colour pencil technique. I also use Koh-I-Noor polycolor pencils (lovely consistency), Letraset Promarkers, Staedtler Tradition Pencils (HB) and Zebra Disposable Fude Brush Pens (Fine).
Cult Pens: What pen or pencil couldn’t you live without?
Shaun: Standard HB pencils and my flairs – my style is quite graphic, and I use the two different lines frequently
Cult Pens: Do you know when a work is finished or are you constantly tweaking?
Shaun: I try not to tweak too much, because I know I’ve ruined stuff I’ve worked on in the past. If you’re not sure, walk away and come back to it later…
Cult Pens: What work are you most proud of?
Shaun: The next one…
Cult Pens: What tips do you have for aspiring artists/illustrators?
Shaun: Practice, practice, practice…
You can find more information on Shaun’s work on his website, www.hypervox.co.uk