The Edinburgh based illustrator becomes our third artist for Cone’s spotlight feature.
If you so happened to attend the Pick Me Up art festival hosted at Somerset House this year, you probably would of seen Dominic Kesterton‘s work in which he collaborated on with clothing company Lazy Oaf. The playfulness and innocence of Dominic’s style goes hand in hand with the laid back, easy going style of the mens and women’s retailer.
Dominic is also able to bring this sense of relaxed working into this professional career, not allowing himself to get bogged down in the pressures of artistic and creative life, but instead allows his creative juices to flow as he says ” good ideas come in the shower”. Clearly this outlook on his profession seems to be working well as he racks up an impressive list of clientele such as Workhorse Press, Peckham Print Studio and illustration and graphic book publishing giants Nobrow.
“When I went to art school it was just because I liked painting. Even when I was coming to the end of my degree in illustration I didn’t give much consideration to the possibilities of life past graduation. I think in the end to be a successful illustrator you should just focus on producing good work and that’s it really, but I don’t know. I can’t really think of a definitive structure as to what makes a good illustrator, which is nice.”
One of the main elements of Dominic’s work is his ability to successfully merge a sense of graphic design, mixed with a hint of minimalism and of course, a splash of colour to accurately create a illustrative piece of work showcasing an array of different events. Events such as smashing your parents favourite vase with a football or falling off your ladder whilst gardening, all of these portrayed in a short comic book entitled ‘Unmatter‘.
What are your main inspirations before creating a piece of work or a series of works?
I don’t know. Day to day there is a lot of sucking in imagery from the internet I guess, but spend too much time doing that and the mind gets cloudy. Good ideas come in the shower.
Have you always wanted to be an illustrator? and what do you think makes a successful illustrator?
No I didn’t really think about it, when I went to art school it was just because I liked painting. Even when I was coming to the end of my degree in illustration I didn’t give much consideration to the possibilities of life past graduation. I think in the end to be a successful illustrator you should just focus on producing good work and that’s it really, but I don’t know. I can’t really think of a definitive structure as to what makes a good illustrator, which is nice.
You’ve worked a lot in print and even a little in film, is there any medium you’re hoping to try out in the future?
Yes I would like to do everything. I’d like to make some large sculptures, that’s probably never going to happen. I’d like to do rugs. I’d like to make more costumes and film stuff as well. Drawing is good though.
If you could showcase your work anywhere where would it be?
I’d like to have work in a theme park. I’d like to design something for use on a ride. I dream of doing something that sneakily penetrates mainstream culture. I’m not sure what that would be.
If you wasn’t an illustrator what would you be?
I think I would have been cast as Harry Potter so I would probably be in Daniel Radcliffe’s position.