Featured Artist of the Week: Liz Adams

Liz Adams is a very talented illustrator and painter from Arizona. She proved her artistic talents at an early age and now, a professional entrepreneur living in California, she has clients such as Teen Magazine, Disney, California Magazine (UC Berkeley), Discovery Girls Magazine, Underwired, as well as several bands and music artists. Her work has also been showcased in The Boston Herald, Real Detroit Weekly, Howdesign.com, among others. Let's ask her a few interview questions so we can get to know her a little better:

The Pompomist: Ms. Adams, how did you get into illustrating and how your work has evolved up to this point?
Liz Adams: Ever since I was a little kid I was always drawing and making stuff up. In middle school I started making comics and in high school I was drawing things for little zines. I really liked taking art classes and decided to make that my major in college. There I kind of shifted my focus to making sculptural work. After graduating and moving to Los Angeles I started drawing and painting a lot again because my apartment was small and I didn't have room to do the 3D work. Around the same time I was working as a graphic designer and whenever we needed illustrations I would do them. I really enjoyed it so I put together a portfolio and just started promoting.

The Pompomist: You have a vast collection of artwork, and have worked for important magazines and bands across the nation. Is there a common theme or approach throughout your paintings and illustrations... or do you try something new with each one?
Liz Adams: I try to have fun with everything I do and I like trying new things. I really just want to get better and create interesting work. With that said there are themes that I always seem to return to in my paintings and those are music, magic, nature, youth, and femininity. I like to create things that have somewhat of a sense of humor and optimism.

The Pompomist: Who is your audience?
Liz Adams: When I am illustrating for a client I really try to think about the specific audience that the illustration is for and hope to appeal to them. When I make my personal work I usually try not to dwell on the audience as much and try to make something I connect with first and hope that other people feel that connection as well.

The Pompomist: Where do you get your ideas? I know it’s hard to say... But do you think of most of your ideas while doing a specific activity? What is your approach for tapping into your creativity?
Liz Adams: A lot of my ideas come from childhood memories of growing up in the desert, kid shows, cartoons, music, and everyday experiences. I tap into this by doodling.

The Pompomist: How long does it take you to complete a piece of artwork? What’s the process?
Liz Adams: It really depends. For commercial jobs I usually have to work pretty fast to meet deadlines. The process almost always starts with a sketch. After I have the composition worked out and the sketch is approved by the client in most cases I will draw and paint different elements and put them together in Photoshop.

My personal work is a much different process. I can finish a drawing in a couple hours usually. Full paintings take much longer anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Sometimes I get stuck and I will put something away for a while and start it again later. I like to work on multiple pieces at a
time. I often start with a small rough sketch or sometimes I will paint whatever comes to mind at the moment. I like to paint and draw on a variety of materials and it is usually a process of building up a background with different washes of watercolor / acrylics and then painting a foreground in acrylics. Sometimes I incorporate various materials like collage, pen, and glitter.

The Pompomist: What are you working on now?
Liz Adams: I am currently in the middle of a few paintings, one of which is a girl playing a keyboard with wings. I hope to start designing some more little products soon. I just moved into a new apartment so things have been hectic.

The Pompomist: What is the most satisfying thing about being a painter/illustrator? The process? Seeing people enjoy your creations?
Liz Adams: I would say both but if I had to pick one it would be the process. I like to be in my own little world way too much.

The Pompomist: What would you say to other enthusiast illustrators out there who seek to what you've achieved?
Liz Adams: Well, it may be totally cliché but I would advise people to try not to be afraid to pursue what they want. Stay positive and do your own thing. Be persistent. Do a lot of research.

The Pompomist: Thank you, Ms. Adams.

For more info and also to enjoy more samples of her work, check out her website at liz-adams.com.