IMAGE OF SCOTT IN STUDIO
Scott C. is a Los Angeles-based artist and illustrator finest identified for his long-running collection The Nice Showdowns, in addition to his work in video video games, animation, and kids’s books. His playful, character-driven model has appeared in gallery exhibits world wide and continues to resonate with followers of all ages.
On this unique interview, he displays on his artistic journey and offers a preview of his upcoming exhibition Huge Present: A Retrospective opening on June 7, 2025 at Spoke Artwork in New York Metropolis!
Be taught extra concerning the exhibition right here and take a look at the artist’s web site right here.
1. Have been there any explicit artists, comics, movies, or books that impressed you early on?
One of many largest influences on my work have been the fortunately busy illustrations of Richard Scarry, but additionally the not-so-happily busy work of Hieronymus Bosch. I loved huge scenes with a number of little moments that I may lose myself in. I additionally loved that last celebration within the tree unfold in Go Canine Go! I used to be very into X-Males comics and Frank Frazetta and needed to attract and paint like that, however finally turned impressed by the comics of Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware and painters like Paul Klee switching gears a bit. Star Wars catapulted me into the love of flicks and every kind of journey at a younger age.
2. Are you able to inform us concerning the second or expertise that first impressed you to pursue artwork and illustration?
I’ve been into drawing and portray since earlier than I may bear in mind something. My Mom was very artistic and cultivated a world by which I may flourish in artwork. I at all times attributed my seriousness about artwork as a profession to an enormous trophy I gained for an Easter bunny coloring contest on the native mall after I was six years outdated.
3. How did your background in sport design and animation inform your strategy to storytelling in illustration?
Earlier than working in idea design for video games, I had little curiosity in backgrounds and colour. I had put all of my energies into perfecting the human type and anticipated to pencil for X-Males comics, so it got here as a shock to me that I discovered myself designing Star Wars sport backgrounds for my first job at Lucas Studying. It wasn’t till I joined Tim Schafer at Double Positive Productions as artwork director for his new sport Psychonauts that I fell in love with the backstories that might be instructed with backgrounds and each facet of experiencing a scene.
4. Do you retain a sketchbook or day by day apply routine to remain artistic? What does a day in your life appear like?
I used to maintain many sketchbooks and take them wherever I went, however someplace prior to now 10 or 15 years, I drifted from that, partly out of laziness and partly as a result of I discovered the strain of preserving sketchbooks limiting so far as my creativity course of was involved. Now I draw on stacks of clean copy paper each morning on the native espresso store as a result of they’re disposable. I doodle concepts and ideas throughout them after I must brainstorm issues. I hardly ever simply chill out and sketch for enjoyable lately. Some day I’ll get again into that once more. My golden time to riff on concepts is the early morning after I drop off the youngsters, learn my e book for a bit and have a espresso. Issues circulate effectively within the morning for me.
5. How do you go about creating your characters and what does your course of appear like from thought to completed piece?
Character design course of relies on what the job is, however more often than not I begin by gathering reference earlier than I draw something. I’m hooked on gathering reference as a result of I believe something in there may encourage concepts and shapes. I frequently gather photographs from artists I get pleasure from for inspiration. Something, to assist preserve my thoughts recent. I’m additionally very into lists. I record out ideas concerning the character and objects and instructions that I may take earlier than I draw something. Typically, I even write dialog to assist me perceive a personality. You by no means know the place a thread of concepts will lead you! I wish to comply with them so far as I can. I doodle on disposable sheets of paper as a result of I don’t have to fret about something being good. I scan all these doodles and arrange them in photoshop, including shading the place wanted to get the factors throughout. I quantity and label the pictures and add notes and ideas when submitting to locations like Double Positive when I’m presenting concepts. I’m not valuable with the drawings although and I hardly ever make them too tight. They’re virtually gestural to inform the story. I wish to have many variations to check slightly than only a few completed designs. Later, we will determine which designs might be delivered to a extra completed state.
6. Your physique of labor spans books, gallery exhibits, video games, and animation — how do you determine the place a brand new thought belongs?
Properly, many of the books and sport stuff are designed particularly for these initiatives. I could reuse gags throughout the disciplines, however they normally current themselves in ways in which assist me place them. Gallery Exhibits normally have themes that I may riff on, very like video games and books. When I’m engaged on a undertaking, that’s normally my focus with my concepts. Gags would possibly come to me at numerous instances throughout the day, so I’ll simply jot them down and verify them out later. Typically I even write down jokes. Possibly I’ll do some rise up with these sometime. I ought to point out that I’ve taken many improv lessons years in San Francisco, New York, and LA and people have actually helped me loosen up and generate concepts and “discover the sport” in tales. Works nice for books like Cabin Head and Tree Head.
7. Trying again, are there particular initiatives or intervals in your profession that felt like turning factors or artistic leaps?
Properly, Psychonauts and Double Positive’s second sport, the heavy steel epic Brutal Legend have been big leaps in inspiration, approach, and thought technology for me. I had a wide range of artwork exhibits throughout that point with maybe my largest inspiration for a present the HOME SLICE exhibition at Gallery Nucleus in 2009 the place I painted quite a few cutaway homes with numerous residents having fun with themselves inside. I used to be additionally attending 8-10 comedian e book conventions a yr throughout that point, bringing my mini comics to promote. I have no idea how I discovered the time for all of these issues.
8. There’s a distinct sense of pleasure, nostalgia, and gentleness throughout your work. What attracts you to those themes?
Simply after faculty, I struggled with creativity and discovering the explanation why I ought to make artwork. I had misplaced the enjoyment or it. I discovered myself most impressed by kids’s artistic course of. I needed to loosen up and benefit from the course of very like I had after I was a toddler. I discovered that I loved portray busy scenes with a number of characters and plenty of little gags that folks may uncover and revel in. I beloved residing in these worlds very like I loved residing in these Richard Scarry worlds. I believe that pleasure could come forth in my work due to that. I used to be lucky to not have any tormented private tales to inform and realized that what I may give to the world was pleasure and discovery. My dream is to create joyful worlds like these of Jim Henson, one in every of my biggest idols.
9. A lot of your work appears to happen in superbly imagined worlds — do you see your self as a storyteller as a lot as an artist?
I might love to consider myself as a storyteller! I’m wanting ahead to the chance to spend time exploring the world of the Heads in my upcoming Cabin Head and Tree Head graphic novel collection. I hope to encourage viewers to create their very own tales about what is likely to be taking place in these worlds.
10. Do any of your characters or collection really feel particularly private or reflective of your personal life experiences?
Any alternative I may give myself to color scenes of individuals swimming and dancing and BBQing on heat summer time days might be my favourite moments to depict. Such work as Hedgehog Waterpark, Dinosaur Seashore, or Axo Curler Celebration are locations I wish to spend all my time.
11. How does it really feel to look again over your profession and see your work collected in a single present?
I bear in mind what was happening in my life after I painted each one in every of these items, so in a approach, it’s a timeline of my life. I bear in mind what films and podcasts and books I used to be listening to after I painted every of those works. It feels good although! I’m reminded that I’ve completed some issues after I see all of this collectively.
12. What do you hope folks really feel or take away after they see your work in any context?
I hope that folks can lose themselves in these work and uncover new issues the nearer they examine. I need them to giggle and revel in themselves and simply really feel good! They’ll really feel nostalgic for a few of the popular culture impressed moments and luxury and pleasure from the creature celebration gatherings! I hope they create their very own tales and interpretations!
13. Are there instructions or mediums you’re excited to discover that you haven’t but?
I’ve at all times needed to work with collage, however principally I wish to get a few of these photographs transferring not directly. I might like to create little films and cartoons when time permits or anybody needs to assist me with that.
14. What continues to encourage you at the moment — both visually, culturally or personally?
My mates, household, and my children are big inspirations for me. The children are three and 4 years outdated and are nonstop enjoyable to look at and hearken to. I take LOTS of notes. I watch loads of TV and films and discover inspiration from these. I’m additionally fairly lucky to work out of a studio right here in Los Angles with extremely inspiring studio buddies! It’s a full of life place with extremely proficient and pleasant mates who make cartoons, films, video games, documentaries, VR and visible results experiences! It’s really a beautiful place to be. I like all of them very a lot.
15. Are there any upcoming initiatives or collaborations you’re particularly enthusiastic about and might trace at?
I’m very excited for the primary e book within the kids’s Cabin Head and Tree Head graphic novel collection from Tundra to be launched this September 2025 with the following e book coming in 2026. I’ve additionally been working with Double Positive on Tim’s new sport, so I’m glad to see the place that goes! I’m deep within the manufacturing on Cabin Head and Tree Head e book two, so hopefully I’ll have extra time for initiatives after that. And naturally, I’ll at all times be making new Nice Showdown work!
