Artist Interview - Stanley Chow

Surprisingly not already the Mayor of Manchester, Stan’s combination of a discerning design sensibility and the capacity to capture the essence of an individual is legend. An extremely recognisable face in his home city, we managed to pin him down for a quick fire Q&A.

How often do you pick up a pencil?

Admittedly, not enough. Since I’ve developed the style that I have now, I’ve kind of abandoned sketching. My process somehow organically evolved into being more efficient, which ended up with me sketching less. I used to sketch the idea, then scan the sketch into the computer, and then work from that sketch. As my process and style developed and evolved, I found that I could  produce artwork without the need to create an initial sketch. I can just use the mouse and go straight into the illustration.

What has been your favourite project to date and why?

It’s not really a single project per se, but being the regular cover artist for United We Stand fanzine is currently my favourite job. United We Stand is a football fanzine for Manchester United fans… it’s been in print since 1989 and it’s sold outside the football ground in Old Trafford when the match is on, plus fans from all over the world subscribe to it. I’m a massive United fan and a season ticket holder, and it was an honour to be asked to illustrate the covers, which I have now been doing for 4 years. The previous artist had been doing them for 10 years. I think the reason I enjoy this job most is because of the freedom. I get to decide what goes on the cover, it allows me to create a narrative for the month each issue is out and I also get to illustrate Manchester United players. If there was an illustration job the 14 year old me could have created for myself, it would have been this one.

Describe your workspace...

I have a first floor studio overlooking the lovely suburb of West Didsbury in Manchester. It’s pretty big. It has almost everything I own in here, as I have a whole load of junk and artwork that my wife won’t allow in the house. Essentially it’s a massive dumping ground. It also has a kitchen, which is very handy.

If I could relocate for a year, it would probably be a studio in a block on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I just love New York, I can’t get enough of that city… I love how mad the seasons are despite them being almost intolerable. 40 odd degrees in the Summer, minus 10 in the Winter. It’s a city that seems to me where ley lines meet. It’s a city that’s just buzzing with creative energy. In the daytime it’s alive and kicking, then when it gets dark, the city somehow finds a way to be even more alive.

To whom do you owe your creativity? Are you from an artistic family or the odd one out?

It came from somewhere down the family line, but where exactly I can’t pinpoint, as I have a cousin who is a pretty well known comic artist in Hong Kong. So if I was to guess I would have had a creative Great Grandmother or father from my Dad’s side. My Dad had some creative genes. He was an apprentice tailor before he moved to England and ended up in catering, but I do remember when I was very young that we would always draw together, and he encouraged me no end with my art when I was growing, which was pretty rare for 1st generation immigrant parents to do.

Who had an early influence on your career?

Robin Hidden. He was my A-level art teacher. Before he was a teacher, he used to be a science fiction/fantasy art illustrator. I remember when he brought some of his work in to show us, and it was clear that this guy knows what he’s talking about. I had the upmost respect for him from early on because of how good he was. He gave me plenty of guidance during my school years and even after when I finished art school when I was a bit lost, not knowing what to do with my art. I do remember him telling us the reason why he quit being a full-time illustrator was how insecure the job was… almost 30 odd years later, this still seems like an insecure job.

What is the dream project or client you would love to work with?

I can’t tell you how fortunate I’ve been over the years with the clients I’ve had. I feel Iike almost everything on my bucket list has been ticked off… The New Yorker had always been the Holy Grail client since I was at school… but I’ve been working regularly for them for over 15 years now, however I still haven’t done a New Yorker cover yet, so that would be a dream project. Also there is something I would love to do and that is to team up with an animation company and create a film or TV series with characters designed by me. 

Name another artist that you’d love to collaborate with.

Wes Anderson maybe? I love his visual style and the way he tells stories… My style and his… could be a match made in heaven!! His visual style has very set rules and parameters, which aren’t too different to how I see things. We would complement each other nicely I think.

How did you develop your visual language?

The main difference from how I started to now is that I used to paint, with actual paint brushes and paint. Sometimes oil, sometimes acrylic. Then my style evolved to using paint and manipulating the painting in photoshop. Then I moved on and started using vectors in my work as it made my work look neater: I found my painting style too messy, erratic and unpredictable and with using vectors I could be more precise. The signature style developed because I had a mantra going round my head, “Simplicity is the key”. I don’t know if it was something I said to myself or if it was something I just heard or read somewhere, but regardless, it struck a chord and it’s something that I have taken into my work and it pretty much informs all the work that I do now. Get rid of all the unnecessary bits and keep the bits that are important.

How has your cultural background influenced you and your work?

It’s a question I’m asked a lot, and I don’t really have an answer, mainly because I have lived only one life and I have nothing to compare it to. However I would say growing up in Manchester has influenced my work more than being of Chinese heritage. You look at the majority of what I have done and I think it’s difficult to separate me and Manchester. I love illustrating people, and most of the people I illustrate are Mancunians, because I’m surrounded by them. I love illustrating buildings, the buildings that inspire me on a day to day basis are buildings in Manchester. I guess if I lived elsewhere, that place would have as much impact as Manchester has on me now.

More from Stan, here.

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