I'm super excited to bring you the cool and talented Scott Bakal. Besides being a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal, Scott's award-winning illustrations have been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, and Penthouse to name a few. He's also a teacher at Massachusetts College of Art & Design Illustration department. And, his work has been exhibited in a number of solo and group shows, including most recently, at the prestigious Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit: Illustrators 52
So, please join and welcome Scott as he shares what inspires him, what he has learned from his students and why he loves his little aliens. Enjoy!
Where do you find inspiration? Inspiration comes from everything around me. There really isn’t just one or some special source of inspiration. When I am wearing my illustration cap, inspiration with a job starts with the project itself and usually I interject my own experiences or opinions about the subject into the piece in some way. Creating personal work, inspiration comes from anywhere at the moment and oftentimes just stemming from my imagination based upon what I experience.
Who are your favorite (visual) artists? There are really too many to name.
Sitting here thinking about it for a bit, I would say anyone that makes a visual or emotional impact on me at that moment gets my kudos. Last summer, I checked out William Kentridge in NYC and was blown away. I can’t say that he is my favorite artist but there was a lot of good stuff to look at and I really liked what he is doing. I love that he uses charcoal then he puts an animated spin on it and really tells some great stories. In another case, I’ll open up the New York Times OP-ED and see something brilliant. Ideas really get me going. I don’t have to like the execution because sometimes that doesn’t really matter…the idea sometimes slaps you upside the head like a brick.
I don’t limit what I look at because I happen to be a painter. I like to look at things that are completely unrelated also. I just walked through the new wing at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts not too long ago and came across some amazing wood inlay work on tables and chairs. Holy crap! They’re just amazing to look at. The designs and decorations certainly will influence me somewhere along the way.
Is there anything, besides being an illustrator/artist, you wish you could do? I think if I were really to do anything else, it would be a chef or maybe a musician again. I always loved music, especially playing shows. I used to play in a couple of bands back in the late 80’s early 90’s and absolutely loved it. I’ve started buying guitars again…I don’t know…wishful thinking?
I shoot photos a lot and experimenting with motion work. In a nutshell, anything that keeps my brain thinking and me creating something would probably make me happy.
What is your favorite thing on Earth? Life.
You were recently selected by 3x3 Magazine to be the 2010 Artist/Educator of the Year. Congratulations on that. Thank you! It was a great surprise.
Has teaching enhanced you career as an illustrator, if so, how and what do you enjoy most about being an educator? Oh yeah, it’s helped a lot. One thing that happened to me as an artist who also teaches is that I became a much better artist. When you are constantly surrounded by people ‘geeked up’ to learn about art and experiment, I can’t help to do that also. It creates a nice energy and inertia to hunker down, work harder and see what happens.
Students aren’t all idiots either…they want to see their teachers out there pounding the pavement, working hard, trying new things, screwing up…and man, I screw up a lot, and be what the students want to be…its real. They deserve it.
Even more, I get to see what’s coming up and what’s happening out there in the world. I think I would personally be so far behind especially in technology if it wasn’t for my students. Not because I shy away from it, but as I get older, my interest in pop culture wanes on a personal level. I don’t watch MTV like I used to when I was in my early 20’s, I don’t run out to see the next big hit of a movie like I used to…partially because I am working so much and also, I find different things important now. The students are where I find out really what’s going on and check out things and filter stuff out and see if I think any of it is important to me.
I enjoy some of the little bubble characters you paint (see illustration below), and can totally see them coming to life on video. Have you considered doing animation? My aliens…thanks! I love them too. I love having a foil to draw out my ideas and commentary. I just started watching some tutorials on animating in After Effects. It’s long interested me so I am going to see what I can come up with.
…and last, what are some of your favorite magazines? As a general reader, I’ve got a lot of interests and tastes so the subject matter of the magazines really runs the gamut. A great comfortable design helps a lot. Speaking as an artist, I really like the magazines that understand the need and importance of a good visual whether it’s a photo or a painting.
Too see more of Scott's work, click here
Thanks Scott!
