Who are you?
I’m James Olstein and I am an editorial illustrator in Philadelphia, I’m originally from Western, PA.
What are you working on?
Right now I’m working on some illustrations for Indiana University (where I got my Bachelors in Graphic Design) for their MFA Exhibit book. I also just wrapped up some work for experiment.com and an upcoming issue of Mental Floss. I’ve also got my daily Science/Illustration project Illustrated Science that I do an illustration for each weekday.
Choose a favorite shot of yours. Why is it a favorite?
I really enjoyed doing this one. It’s for my Science project and I thought it was really funny. The fact is about massive dinosaurs being able to break the sound barrier so I drew a Brontosaurus with a boombox. I also branched out and switched the way I normally do my textures for a more grainy method.
Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch)?
I work in my sketchbook first. I used to go straight to the computer, but now I plan everything out and I feel like the work is better. I’ll also make textures in my sketchbook before I photograph them and put them into Photoshop. I work primarily with my laptop and the iMac as a second screen every once in awhile. I use Illustrator and Photoshop for each illustration. The bear statue on my desk is there for inspiration. You should all consider having a statue of your power animal on your desk. My fiancee made me this one.
Choose a favorite shot from another Player. Why do you dig it?
I’ve been loving these collage/screenprint pieces by Matt Barnes. This one is my favorite as it prominently features Garfield.
Find James at Dribbble, on Twitter, and at www.jamesolstein.com.
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