1) So Craig, how did you start illustrating?

By accident, I changed the way I worked from painting to drawing. As soon as I did that and put some work online, people started to contact me for commissions. I still class what I do as Fine Art though, as pretentious as that might sound.

2) Do you illustrate on pretty much on any type of medium?

Yes, I’ll use what ever fits the job best. Generally it’s 2D.

3) Do you get a lot of client work, or do you mostly work on your own projects?

Both really, I try to take client work less and work on my own stuff more. That way my work progresses more - there’s not as much room for experimentation with client work, it’s quite fickle, most clients don’t like change!

4) Please take us through your design process, where do you begin?

My sketchbook is the usual starting place. I make bocks all the time, I always carry one. When I go back to the studio, sometimes the ideas that started in the book come out of the book and get worked on. I don’t like to ‘over-develop’ things though. I think I work best when things are spontaneous.

5) What are you currently working on at the moment?

The next issue of Café Royal, We have Henrik Drescher, Jockum Nordstrom and his wife, Mamma Andersson and Marcus Oakley. Very excited about this one! Other than that, I’ve got a stack of shows on at the moment and have just finished working on one for the Liverpool Biennial. I’ve just finished a new zine too.

6) What is your favorite and most memorable piece of work you’ve done?

I can’t answer that. It’s normally the most recent, but then I get bored easily!

7) What do you think about the British design scene? Is it one of the best in the world?

I don’t know. I try not to get too involved in ’scenes’. I’d be richer if I did get involved I guess but things come and go. I’ve always thought hard work will pay off. Being cool will only last a day.

8) What would be your ultimate goal as an illustrator?

I think as an artist I just want to continue, work hard and see what happens. The last few years have been great and I hope the next few are the same or better. There are so many different things to do. I wouldn’t like to pick one goal. Being happy is good though.

9) Do you sometimes struggle with getting ideas? If so, what’s your remedy?

Not really too much. Not since I went back to drawing. The world is full of things, I just draw them. When there are no more things to draw, I make them up.

10) Who are your favorite designers of all time?

Artists… Cy Twombly, Basquiat, Picasso, Drescher, Nordstrom, I really like Pica Pica at the moment. Funchicken are great, too many.

11) What style music do you mostly listen to when you work?

All kinds, I just stick iTunes on and see what comes up! I only listen to music when I’m really focused though. If I’m super busy it distracts me too much.

12) Café Royal is your online store, will you only focus on publishing books or will you be selling other items in the future?

Just books and zines. We used to sell all sorts but found it started to take over. We do it for the love of it, there’s no profit involved - very little anyway. Now we just stock the things we’ve published ourselves. Not just our work though. I think soon we’ll be doing a monthly special where we might sell something other than Café Royal. Something we’re really into.

13) What web sites would you recommend viewing?

I don’t know really. QBN is good, but then so are a million other blogs / news sites etc. I’m always on ebay / cnet / amazon, but they’re not really art in any way.

14) Finally, do you have any advice to aspiring illustrators?

Hard work and don’t try to be too cool. I think it was Michael Craig Martin who said: “Stop trying to look like an artist and be one.” To some of his students at Goldsmiths, I like that.

Thank you Craig, was a pleasure talking to you!

The pleasure’s mine!