Introduce us to you and your brand!
Hi I'm Alexander Jackson, I work as an illustrator. My background is in drawing and painting but I eventually transitioned into illustration - going on to study Illustration at Edinburgh College of art. My work has been featured in various publications and magazines etc, and my clients include PUMA, Gerald Duckworth and Scottish Field magazine to name just a few. I mostly create stylised interpretations of people and places.
How has your brand/work developed since you began?
I started out mostly working on illustrations for short stories, books etc. Since then my work has gone on to involve mostly portraits, maps and buildings for magazine articles, although my portrait work still gets a lot of attention and I've been doing that kind of thing since I started.
What are your main inspirations?
My main inspirations are other creative mediums like film and music- so those subjects feature very often in my work (portraits of characters from film and TV) as well as illustration work of musicians. Other than that I find myself inspired to capture buildings, cars, nature, just things that I see when I'm out places that I'd like to put my own visual interpretation on. Minimal but striking colour palettes usually catch my attention which I try to include in my work, as well as solid shapes/forms.
What do you consider to be your most popular product? Why do you think it resonates with people
At the moment it's probably my portrait series based on characters played by Glasgow comedian, Limmy. I've done similar portrait series pieces for David Bowie, Keanu Reeves and Samuel L. Jackson- I think the Limmy one is a bit more niche though which people tend to appreciate a bit more- I usually do, so it get's a bit more of a laugh. There's probably some local pride in there as well.
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What piece are you the proudest of?
My favourite is currently the Edinburgh Skyline piece, which features a fairly high level of detail all of the buildings based around the old town area. I was trying to capture a scene which looks both busy and serene at the same time.
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What would you consider to be the most challenging aspect about being a working artist/designer?
For me personally at the moment it's gauging what other people like. So the art that I work on that I get excited about and think people will really engage with usually doesn't end up receiving much of a notable response. However other pieces that I don't think anyone else will really like often end up being quite popular.
Do you have any past accomplishments you wish to share?
In 2021 I received the Communication Arts award of excellence for my Samuel L. Jackson portrait series. I recently took part in Brick Lane Gallery's portrait exhibition in London. My first picture book, 'Jenny's Bath' received an acknowledgement from 3x3. My latest book recently found representation through Bell Lomax Moreton so hopefully that will be go on to be published soon.
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"In 2021 I received the Communication Arts award of excellence for my Samuel L. Jackson portrait series."
How did you find out about SDX? And what made you apply to sell with us?
I've been with SDX for 6 years now. SDX was still quite new then and a former employee of SDX reached out to me after discovering my work on social media. I decided to get involved after dropping in to have a look and being impressed with the variety of work on display. I was also really happy to see that there was a platform whereby creatives could exhibit work to the public.
What have you found to be the most challenging aspect to your business since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020?
I think I find most of my clients that are more local come about through discovering my work as it is exhibited in galleries, art fairs and of course - places like SDX. I found that my work had much less reach through various lockdowns and events being cancelled etc. I had a couple big events in 2020 that were supposed to take place that ended up being cancelled. One of the trickiest things about the pandemic was not being able to plan anything and not knowing how to prepare for the future because everything was so unpredictable- which makes running a small business really difficult.
What do you hope to gain from working with SDX going forward?
I'd like my work to continue to be seen in public spaces and for it to have an audience to engage with and receive feedback from. I've had a few opportunities to further engage with the creative scene in Scotland through working with SDX so I'd like for that to continue. And every time I drop in I feel
inspired to create just be seeing all of the other work showcased there.
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"One of the trickiest things about the pandemic was not being able to plan anything and not knowing how to prepare for the future because everything was so unpredictable- which makes running a small business really difficult."
If you could share just one piece of advice to aspiring artists/designers who want to make a living from their creative talents, what would you tell them?
I think it’s important to be thick skinned and accept that you can’t please everyone. For example some creative directors seeking artwork for commercial use want modern, vibrant digital artwork and others want traditional handmade stuff. So knowing that some of my favourite artists would still struggle to please everyone is reassuring. Finding a niche is one of the many things I love about art.
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And finally, help share some motivation with your favourite inspirational advise or quote!
I remember attending a workshop by a children’s book publisher (unfortunately I forget which one) while studying illustration and she explained a long list of rules that should be followed in order to be moderately successful – but that was followed by a big HOWEVER – that the MOST successful people are the ones that break those rules and take risks.
Thank you to Alexander for participating in our blog, you can find his products in both our Glasgow and Edinburgh shops as well as online!
1 comment
We bought your Beatles artwork, from the store in Glasgow in 2019, and have it framed and displayed on our wall. Our guests love it. We also purchased a Ron Swanson magnet. Your work is awesome. Thank you and take care.