Featured Artist: Kathyjean Boise

My Background: I drew my first illustration in third grade of a streaker...streaking was a popular sport in New York City in the 1970's. I sold it for 75¢ to a classmate and the orders kept coming in. I could not believe people were paying me to do what I love to do... draw. A little later in life I decided to make a living out of it, so I packed my bags and said good-bye to the east coast and went west to San Francisco. I graduated with honors from the Academy of Art College. I now illustrate for advertising campaigns, magazines, and editorial publications. I have done illustrations for Ketchum Adv., Ogilvy & Mather, Team South Adv., Southwestern Bell, Southeastern Bell, American Online, National Beef Council, Reebok, Bertolli, and numerous editorial projects and magazines including S.F. Examiner, The New Yorker, and the New York Times.

My Technique: I use pen and ink with watercolor and colored pencils, but I am trained and have extensive experience in all mediums. My style is spontaneous and whimsical with a sophisticated line quality and humorous overtones. I enjoy working by hand the old fashioned way. I like to feel the pen in my hand and smell the paint and feel the texture of the paper. When they make a computer able to give me these sensations, I may change over. Meanwhile I carry my sketchbook and get a lot of my work from everyday sketchbook drawings.

My Involvement in the Guild: I think it is important to be a part of a group of people who are illustrators, since it can be quite isolating to be in your studio all day. I also think it is important for me to surround myself with people in related fields who share similar beliefs and goals, who can inspire and support. I am a member of the Graphic Artists Guild and continue to run my fourteen-year business from my San Francisco based studio.

My Favorite Client story: An art director did not want me to put platform shoes on this illustration of a teenager because he thought the client was too conservative. I said "That's what teenagers are wearing now, but, okay, I will put flats on her". Two days later after I did the illustration as he wanted, he called and asked for the platform shoes... he said the client wanted them now. I said "Okay, I will draw just the shoes and you can scan them in the computer over the other ones". He agreed. I was happy to do it for an additional fee and because I wrote my contract well, I was able to charge $500.00 for those new platforms... (enough to buy myself a few pairs of my own.) I think it is important to make sure we as illustrators get compensated for ALL our work and refuse work if the contract is unfair and unreasonable, Negotiating skills are just as important as illustrating skills.

All artwork © 2002 Kathyjean Boise. Not to be used without permission.