Do you consider anyone as your mentor or inspiration as an illustrator?
There are a lot of contemporary illustrators like Lars Henkel, David Hughes, David Foldvari or Sterling Hundley, who I really adore. But if it comes to inspiration or mentors of mine I would rather name Rembrandt, Albrecht Dürer, Francisco de Goya or Horst Janssen. The distance between me and them (which comes from the fact that they are all dead and lived in quite different times) makes it easier for me to study them. I love to analyze the way they composed their drawings and etchings and also how they adapted their mentors and developed their own style.
Literature is a big source of inspiration for me too. I love to read Heinrich Böll, Lion Feuchtwanger, John Steinbeck or Henry Miller and also biographies of artists and writers.
Can you tell us more about the technique of etching? What is it and why do you use this technique?
Basically it is a form of printmaking, using an engraved metal plate to reproduce a drawing. Chemicals, mainly the acid, help you to engrave the drawing into the metal, which later prints the ink into paper. As handcrafting was always a passion for me and this one combined with drawing, it felt right from the beginning.
The fact that you can experiment a lot with the materials and develop your own way of using them is very interesting too. There is something very special about original prints, with the inked line coming slightly out of the paper and the nice grey tones and structures - it has a visual expression that most people aren't used to anymore. And using the same method of printmaking Rembrandt, Leyen and Goya used hundreds of years ago is a bit of a weird, romantic thing for me, I guess.
What elements do you consider most important in creating your illustrations?
Time to let a project come to existence is very important. Good coffee too. A certain mixture of seriousness and taking things easy is a pretty good combination for me. Oh, and people, who tell you what they think about your work, even if it's uncomfortable, are very important.
In your experience, were there moments that you have struggled or had difficulty in coming up with a concept? If there are, how did you overcome/cope?
Well, I guess struggling and having doubts about a project or a concept is normal or even important for me. The failures you experience are an essential part of your artistic development. If there are no questions or ups and downs in the process of creating something, the result won't be good - at least that's what I believe. Most works I really like now have been a pain in the ass at one point or another!
As Samuel Beckett would say, "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
What is your design process?
If its personal work, I spend quite some time on collecting pictures in journals or newspapers, reading and thinking about the subject, until there is a concrete idea of what I want to make and what I want it to express. Once I start, its like being in a rush, eating and sleeping becomes unimportant and there is not much space in my head for other things until the work is finished. I love to loose myself in details and also to draw directly with ink, without doing any pre-sketching with pencils.
As long as I have the time to experiment, I want to start every project as if it would be the first one and try new things and media, instead of falling too much into confirmed habits.
You create images that are visually stimulating and at times very moving, especially your entries on "Japan" and "Haiti". Is it safe to say that your illustrations, in general, convey social awareness?
I am not interested in producing nice pictures. It would feel ignorant to me, regarding all the mess that's happening "around us". I think everyone has a certain responsibility and for me as an illustrator or artist, that means dealing with these things through drawings or creating images. I am keen to use my skills to support companies or media that deal with sustainability and are not only focused on maximum profit.
I am very happy that works like the Japan drawings provoked so much feedback because it shows that people are interested in work that deals with rather uncomfortable issues. People often react a bit shocked, as if I am illustrating nightmares, but then realize that I am actually using images they see everyday - I just rearrange them or concentrate them.
Which of your works can you say reflect you best as an artist/illustrator?
Maybe the Japan drawings. I was very touched by the disaster in Japan, but I also felt that all these images and information we got from there overcharged me. So I decided to arrange for myself, what the media offered. I wanted to show the disaster but also the calmness and discipline, with which the Japanese people seemed to respond and the big contrast of the images that arrived to us.
The series with the three animals I did last year was also important for me, as it was a very personal project and one of my first attempts to create images that reflect my own vision in my own language.
What keeps you busy now and do you have any new upcoming projects?
I am working on a series of etchings for an exhibition in September in France. I am also collaborating in an artistic book collection - 12 small books from 12 illustrators. I am also preparing my diploma, which means reading, collecting material and discussing it, in bars with my friends.
Any message for our readers?
Thank you for your time and interest and feel free to contact me, if you have any questions.
Simon Prades is an illustrator known for his etching technique. His works, especially those that represent nature, can be distinguished by the intricate details and vibrant watercolors. Most of his projects represent social awareness and are endearing to the audience. He is currently studying Graphic Design in Trier, Germany.
