Veerle's blog

I don't think we ever had an illustrator featured here that lives in Mexico. So that's the next stop in our global journey in search of talent.

My name is Scott Thigpen and I'm 33, a freelance Illustrator for editorial magazines such as the Wall Street Journal and Modern Bride. I currently live in Puebla, Mexico.

The talented Scott Thigpen has a spontaneous illustration style that suits perfect for editorials. He loves to use vivid colors but isn't afraid of trying something different now and then. The smooth lines and shapes are often exaggerated and simplified which sets his style.

Do you first sketch your illustrations on paper? Can you reveal a bit of your usual technical process? Which applications do you mainly use?

I use a program called Sketchbook Pro and draw directly on the computer screen using a tablet pc. I don't recommend a tablet pc because they are not very powerful but for me it gets the job done. Once I finally have my sketch done I finish everything in Adobe Illustrator.

Any special links/books you use to get inspired that you would like to share with us?

Not really, but my heroes are Kirsten Ulve, Luc Latulippe and Shag. All of them have given me inspiration down the road.

What's your ultimate dream project as an illustrator?

I'd like to do a full blown dance club scene. I think that would be a lot of fun (especially if I were funded on it) to do.

Does your work environment have an influence on your inspiration or work?

Not in the least, I mainly rely on what's going on in my noggin to figure out what to draw.

How would your ideal working day look like ?

Completely slammed from 8-5pm and then after that I put work down and don't pick it up until the next working business day.

More examples at Scott Thigpen's blog and on his Flickr account.