Interview with Jeffrey Fulvimari

As MadonnaTribe exclusively revealed last month, “The English Roses” is illustrated by artist Jeffrey Fulvimari.
Here’s an interesting Q&A in which he discusses the creative process behind his work for Madonna’s book.

Tell us a bit about your style and how you developed it.

If you look at my sketchbooks from when I was 16, the subject matter of my work is still very much the same. My current style popped up after years of doing other things. It is indebted to both Ben Shahn and Andy Warhol. But really, it was David LaChapelle, who was my best friend when I first moved to New York, who pushed me to do what I am doing now.

Your art has had an enormous influence on the worlds of fashion, design, and style. How did this happen?

When I started drawing, fashion advertising was all about photos, and I saw a void that I could fill through illustration. I picked illustration for the very fact that it was dead, and because it was a despised and ridiculed medium in the “serious” art world.

Which artists have influenced you the most?

The first artists that made an impression on me were Peter Max and Charles Schulz. Warhol, also, was a major influence. What I love about Andy Warhol is that he included everyone, instead of excluding or talking down to them. Walt Disney is someone I have always admired, mostly for the warmth of his productions. The designer Anna Sui, who was one of the first people to hire me, has been hugely influential personally and professionally. She is an established designer who loves to seek out young talent and nurture it.

You have an uncanny ability to create art that is appealing to girls and women. Why is this so?

I have a lot of women in my family. By osmosis, I grew up gaining a master?s degree in what appeals to women and girls.

What is your working method?

I start out with a very rough drawing. Then I redraw portions and scan them into the computer, where I can manipulate them. Eventually, I end up with what looks like a spontaneous line drawing. Some people find this working method constricting, but I love using a computer as a drawing tool.

This is your first children?s book. Tell us about the challenges of creating a children’s book versus other kinds of illustration.

With The English Roses I could be expressive, light-hearted, and feel free to have fun in a way that is not as acceptable in work targeted to grown-ups. I really got to know the girls in the book. Illustration is like acting – you inhabit the characters you draw, you dress them and you figure out how they would react to certain things. The English Roses were the first characters I had fully fleshed out. They almost felt like my own kids and I began to feel protective of them.

Describe the creative process of making this book with Madonna and Callaway.

We worked mostly via the Internet. . She was very specific, and therefore a great art director. Nicholas Callaway, an expert on children’s books, was a constant source of support, goodwill and ideas. It started, as all illustration jobs do, with rough sketches, and the five Roses just came right out of my pen. It all had to be kept a secret, sometimes right under the noses of my friends.

You have a wonderful sense of color. Where did that come from?

My color choices are almost always intuitive – at times seemingly random. I love randomness.

Are you pleased with the finished book?

Of course I am. Working on it reminded me of just how much fun drawing is, and why I became an artist in the first place.

Do you think the book will appeal to boys?

I think things are too categorized today. This book tells a valuable story that can translate to many different situations and points of view.

What do you hope children will gain from this book?

I hope it gives them something to talk about, and I hope it brings them closer to their teachers and parents. I hope they like the drawings and I hope they feel that I have rendered a world that gives them a sense of well-being.

Even though you are renowned in the world of fashion, you’re still something of a well-kept secret. Why?

I have always been sort of an outsider. I do my work mostly alone. The rest of the time, I am in Japan, where I have worked for many years. In my opinion, Japan is THE place to be if you are an illustrator.

What are your upcoming projects?

I have had a fashion design label in Japan for the past 4 years. That brand is finally coming to America in the Spring of 2004.

What advice would you give to young people who would like to become a successful artist like you?

Start drawing right away, even if you’ve not yet been hired. Aim high – don’t be afraid to show your work to your dream client. But be willing to submit yourself to the harshest possible criticism and rejection, and get used to it, because it never, ever goes away.

Special thanks to Mario aka Medardo that first revealed “The English Roses” misteryous illustrator name in August 2003