Hello and welcome, thanks for checking out this web site, I hope you've enjoyed the illustrations found within. Normally I write these biography things in the second person, as if I am being interviewed, it certainly makes them easier to write. It's funny, but in person you can't get me to shut up, but ask me to write something about myself and I don't know what to say. I guess nobody is looking to hire a public speaker anyhow, so here I go...

I as a visual artist I always feel that one's work should speak for itself, but often I myself like to read about a fellow artist's background, training, and possibly, the way they conduct business. Likewise, it's interesting to find out where a person was born and raised, if they have a family, how old they are and what their long term creative objectives are. Given this interest in the background of other creative people, I thought I should mention a bit about myself as well.

I was born long ago, in another century, on a cold December night in the industrial town of William's Lake, but we soon moved to Vancouver and then Kamloops. My parents were both accountants so I grew up in a household of business minded people, and my bothers and sister and I all had offices of our own - on Saturday and Sundays anyhow- at my late Father's accounting practice in Kamloops, British Columbia. Both at home and in 'my' office, I drew constantly, no, not financial illustration as I do now, but Star Wars ships and robots, warriors and dragons, and mutants. I have always loved to both write and draw my own stories, and actually set out to be a writer instead of an illustrator in my early 20's but found plenty of success with my art, and pursued it as a career, allowing my writing to assume the secondary role as a much loved hobby. I am happily married to my wife Brooke and together we have two lively, joyous daughters, while I have a wonderful son as well, from a previous relationship who lives with us half the time.

Artistic Background
While I had been selling art and illustrations for many years, I decided to add the graphic design skill set to my portfolio and was accepted into the Graphic Design and Illustration program at Capilano College in Vancouver British Columbia, which I highly recommended to anyone wanting to make a living as an illustrator or designer. I graduated in 1999 but found that I preferred being an illustrator to a designer, due mostly to the pre-press headaches I suppose, however, it has certainly been helpful to know what designers go through when taking a job to press, making a web site or having to deal with out side contractors, such as myself. Understanding the designer lingo of file formats, resolution terms, and such slang as ftp, CMYK, RGB, Tiff, psd, jpeg, gif, dot gain, pantone, lossy and a thousand other terms have also been invaluable to me, and I believe much of my success can be attributed to this knowledge of the industry. I have taken jobs to press myself, for self promo pieces or for a client who either wasn't already working with a designer or didn't know they needed one, or couldn't afford one. I admire designers, especially how they make it all look so easy, but I like to work at night, in my home studio, and with my acrylics and brushes, so remaining a devoted illustrator is my goal.

How I work
I work in a three room studio, one room is the office where I do all the scanning and computer work, another is the photography area and wood work shop, and the third area is the library and painting studio with its stereo, rows of reference books and two drawing tables. I usually work in acrylics on board, ink or pencil, as well as do some computer colorization of ink drawings and whatnot. Most images shown on this site are destined for print usage, often for annual reports or corporate magazines, news letters and such, and therefore need to be photographed professionally. I have access to this service for a fee of $50 per session. Our office is equipped with a fairly powerful computer system hooked to ADSL high speed internet, which I use to clean up the digital photographs a of a client's work before loading it to a client's ftp site. Most of the time a client only asks for the rights to use the image, and doesn't actually want the original art at all. I am usually happy to add the cost of mailing the artwork to the client if they want to keep it, since most assignments are so specific to a client's project that they don't make for good stock imagery years down the road, likewise, I produce a lot of images, and they are stacking up on my bookshelf. In addition, an original work hanging in an office usually serves as a reminder to the client of who supplied the image, and leads to further assignments down the road.

How do I get paid?
If a new, potential client calls me up or emails me and wants a quote, I usually ask what sort of price range they had in mind. Who keeps the original, what size they want the final art to be used at (which affects how large I do the original illustration). I am not concerned with how wide the usage is, how big or how small the client is, which country the email or call is coming from, or whether I get my credits in the publication or product opening. I am concerned with the detail and complexity of the job, the possibility of changes after the sketches have been approved, and if I am going to get paid within thirty days after acceptance or not. All new clients are required to pay 50% up front on a job before I commence work, but this amount can be paid after the client has approved sketches if desired, but I don't begin final work until the deposite arrives. The remainder of the funds are preferably paid on acceptance of the work when it arrives in the client's ftp or mail box (if on CD or original art), and while I welcome checks in any currency, I prefer to be paid via paypal since it is instantaneous and once the deposit arrives, I can get to the color portion of the job immediately.

My Production Timeline
I usually have between 3 and 6 jobs on the go at any one time, many of them are in the sketch phase, some waiting for approval from a designer's own client, while other assignments are lined up to be painted. Usually it takes two weeks to receive an assignment, do the sketches, get the deposit, then do the painting, get it photographed and then sent to the client for approval. If you have a rush job, and I am going to have to sneak it into the line, it usually means I have to give up my weekend and evenings to get the job done, and I will do it as long as the deposit is paid and a slight 10-20% increase in the normal fee is tacked on to the agreed upon price.

In Conclusion
I think that about covers it. I know that every client has his or her own company protocols and payment terms, and many larger advertising agencies pay up to 90 days after acceptance, and I don't mind that as long as the deposit is paid and the payment terms have been specified in advance. I don't work on spec and I don't produce anything on a paid on publication basis (having lost my shirt on this sort of project in earlier days).

I welcome any feed back you may be able to offer on my work here, and let me know if there are any other designers I should send an email too to inform them about my service. If you have a project in mind but don't see an example of the style or subject matter shown on this site, just drop me a line and I can send you a link to another site or fellow artist who might be able to help you out. If you are not a designer or art director, but simply curious about becoming an illustrator, such as if you are a student, I encourage you to write me as well. This industry spans the globe, however it is a virtual community like no other, designers, publishers and art directors move around a lot, and junior members break off and start their own firms all the time, so It's an excellent idea to both network and introduce yourself to others in this field at every opportunity. In closing, whether you're an established illustration buyer or a curious student, I invite you to discuss a potential job or just say hello.

Best Regards,

William McAusland
Creative Director
McAusland Studios / Artmotive.com