1st Turning Point

Posted By Ann Charles on October 27, 2009

C.S. Kunkle, Artist

C.S. Kunkle
(Interviewed by Ann Charles
1st Turning Point Co-Captain)
Copyright © 2009 Ann Charles and C.S. Kunkle 

This month, 1st Turning Point’s feature artist is C.S. Kunkle, the man with the pen who created our parrots, our ship, and most all of the other artwork on our website (and on my own website: www.anncharles.com).  I found Mr. Kunkle at his drawing table and forced him to put down his drawing pencil long enough to answer a few questions…

AC: Tell me a little about your background in art.  How did you get started?

C.S. Kunkle's Drawing of Captain Jack

CK: As far as education, just grade school and high school art class.  After that, it was just a matter of developing my own style.  I messed around with just about every medium out there, thinking I would just stumble on to what would be my signature medium.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Ten years went by and I was still floundering.  I hadn’t improved, nor had I developed a style.  I had to decide if this was something I wanted to seriously pursue or if I was just wasting my time. So, I took a solid year and practically chained myself to my drawing table.  I would be drawing for 8 to 10 hours a day, if possible.  When I wasn’t at my day job, I was sitting at my table.

I found out two important things that year:

1. I wanted to be an artist and draw/paint for a living.
2. I was going to have to put in the time if I wanted to be great at it.

AC: Are you willing to modify your subject matter to help promote your name/art?  (For example, would you do caricature portraits or hotel art to help get your name out there?)

CK: At this point, no.  Not unless I am interested in the subject.  Six or seven years ago, I would have done whatever it would take to promote myself.  Now, not a chance.  I’ve found out, through hours of drawing and painting subject matter that doesn’t interest or excite me, that it becomes a tedious task and I can’t finish fast enough.  The end result is a finished project that I not only don’t care for, but I didn’t care about while I was doing it. The customer might like it, but I won’t be proud to write my name on it.

AC: Does it benefit an artist to hire a publicist or manager (like how it benefits me to have an agent)?

C.S. Kunkle's Drawing of Frankenstein

CK: I’ve heard mixed opinions on this topic.  I’ve talked to a few artists who have had publicists and loved it.  For a small percentage, you don’t have to do any of the leg work.  Things are just set up for you.  For some people, this may sound like an ideal situation and that’s great.  I personally feel it takes control away from me, and I’m not willing to let that go.  The drawings and paintings I do right now are for me.  I did the classic monster set for me.  I was so into drawing Boris Karloff because I’ve loved his movies since I was a kid.  It was my idea to do those, not a publicist’s or manager’s.  But on the downside, very few people see my work.

AC: You work in a number of different media.  What different media do you use and why do you like each?

CK: My all time favorite is India ink.  A lot of my favorite artists started out as comic book artists, so I gravitate towards the black and white line drawings.  Colored pencils run a close second.  Prismacolor colored pencils blend so well they look like oil paints by the time I’m finished with a drawing.  I like oil paints and water colors, too, but I’ve never really mastered either one.  The India ink works well with paints and the colored pencils, which is why I use it so much.

AC: What promotional tools have you used?  What additional tools do you see yourself using in the future?

CK: Well, I started a Facebook group page recently.  It’s still in its infancy, but I hope to build up a fan base using it.  Back in the day “before computers,” I bought books about how to self-promote and where to submit my portfolio.  From there, I sent out hundreds of packets of my work to any submission editor’s address I could find.

AC: What is your goal?  To what end do you continue to strive?  Private art gallery showings?  Published in magazines or books?

C.S. Kunkle's Drawing of a Skeleton Jester

CK: I actually had a nice run in a magazine called Relix a few years back doing spot illustrations.  It’s a magazine about the Grateful Dead.  Editor Toni Brown loved my deadhead skeletons.  A gallery show would be incredible.  That would be one goal for sure.  Another regular spot in a magazine wouldn’t be too bad either.  I’d also like to build a website and have a virtual gallery to peruse.

AC: What’s your take on the art world today?  Has the economy affected the atmosphere and sales?  What strategies can an artist use to overcome a tough economy?

CK: I think the economy affected everything.  It puts an artist in a darker place when all day long you’re surrounded by doom and gloom.  To survive in these times I say stay true to your craft and try to push the envelope as far as you can.

C.S. Kunkle's Drawing of Layne Staley

I’m not a huge fan of traditional art.  It’s not that it’s bad or anything; it just doesn’t hold my attention.  Some of the digital artwork today blows me away.  I find myself looking at digital work and saying to myself, that’s a great idea…why didn’t I think of it? 

CK: I’d like to thank 1st Turning Point for helping me get my work out to the largest audience I’ve ever had.

One other thing, I watched an interview with writer/artist/director Clive Barker some years back, and something he said stuck with me. “No matter how strange or unusual an idea might be, put it on paper.”  I’ve done that ever since and have created some of my best work.

Check out C.S. Kunkle on Facebook or feel free to email him. Even though he loves to draw scary monsters, he’s really a nice guy.

AC: Thank you, Mr. Kunkle, for taking the time to share a bit about yourself and your journey as an artist with 1st Turning Point readers. And thanks for the great parrot and ship graphics!

Categories: Ann Charles, Guest Artist, Marketing, Miscellaneous, Print Media, Social Networking
Tags: captain jack, cs kunkle, Facebook, frankenstein, grateful dead, layne staley, toni brown