Mark Armstrong’s past lives include math teacher, bank teller, and programmer. Today, he’s a commercial illustrator, working with a wide range of clients, from newspapers to magazines to agencies. Here, he talks about finding his path as a visual artist, the importance of humor and being yourself, and his blog as a space to share his professional projects and creative processes.
Your background is in math and you’ve held a variety of jobs. You once wrote that you “denied your artistic self for a long time.” When did you realize you wanted to focus on illustration?
There was a period in the mid-to-late seventies when I hardly drew at all. A few doodles on envelopes to friends — that was about it. For some reason, I decided to submit some gag cartoons to magazines in the early eighties. (I come across an old one now and then — the drawings are abysmal.) But every so often I’d sell one, and that kept me going.
I lost my job as a programmer-analyst in 1989. I decided this was it: if I was going to try a career as a full-time freelancer, I’d better do it now. I did a lot of caricatures at parties and business expos. It took me several years to realize that the Golden Age of Magazine Cartooning was long gone. It’s embarrassing to say so, but I didn’t buy a computer until 1996. I taught myself Photoshop. I then switched my focus from cartooning to illustration.
Being a commercial illustrator, how do you approach your blog on WordPress.com? Is it a personal outlet? A testing ground for professional work?
I have fun with the blog — my sense of humor runs through every post, and I don’t try to hide that. It’s no good pretending to be something you’re not.
My blog’s a bit of both: personal and commercial. Most of my posts are about assignments — the rest are about personal projects. Like so many people starting a blog, I didn’t really think it through and wasn’t sure what I was getting into.
I have fun with the blog — my sense of humor runs through every post, and I don’t try to hide that. It’s no good pretending to be something you’re not. At the same time, I show clearly that I’m a stickler for detail, that I put a lot of thought and effort into every illustration. I’m one of those people who has to do his best, regardless of how “big” an assignment is. A blog is a good way to communicate something like that.
Have you found clients through your blog?
No, I haven’t. I wonder if other illustrators who blog have had a similar lack of response. I’ve decided I need to do some things differently. For example, I need a more specific “call to action.” I need to be clear that I’m available — that I’m looking for assignments and new clients.
I have made one change, which I hope will attract prospects: I now slant some posts specifically to a business audience, and cross-promote them on LinkedIn. I’m getting a good response. I hope these posts highlight my expertise, and give me a higher profile in the business community.
What types of posts do well on your blog?
My fans seem to have a special fondness for the silly stuff. I don’t do adult or shock humor. That seems like cheating to me: people laugh because they’re embarrassed or because they’re afraid of appearing uncool. I want people to laugh unreservedly, because something is just plain funny. I’ve done some “guess the caricature” posts that have been very well received.
I’ve also recycled an old comic strip I did for a local entertainment weekly. It’s about a little street musician named Busker who plays the saxophone. It’s pantomime humor, with very few words. My readers love Busker, which is interesting because I did the strip back in the late nineties.
Humor inspires your work. What or who have been your influences, growing up and also now as an adult?
Illustrators never become celebrities. Even in their prime, they only acquire a cult following. They fade away and are transient, just like their work.
I was one of those kids who spent all his money on comic books. Then I discovered Mad Magazine, especially reprints from the late fifties. Guys like Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker — they’re like illustration and humor gods to me. People will read that and think: Who? That’s another thing I love about illustration in a perverse way: there are all these geniuses who have done impossibly beautiful work, many of them back in pre-computer days, and now they’re almost totally forgotten. Illustrators never become celebrities. Even in their prime, they only acquire a cult following. They fade away and are transient, just like their work.
I love slapstick. I still laugh at The Three Stooges. I’d always be reduced to tears watching Harvey Korman and Tim Conway on The Carol Burnett Show. I love plays with witty dialogue: Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Noël Coward. My favorite silent film comedian is Harold Lloyd. Everyone talks about Chaplin and Keaton, but I love Lloyd’s sight gags.
I don’t care for modern stand-up; I do have a special fondness for Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean.
What’s the most bold or controversial illustration you’ve done?
Most of the illustration work I do nowadays involves social media and content marketing: helping companies build brand recognition while engaging readers and making a positive impression.
No surprise then, that my client work steers clear of controversy.
I still do editorial work, however. My most challenging assignments come from The Rumpus, which often features painful subjects, sometimes very bleak situations, and highly-charged opinion pieces.
Read about the creative process behind this Rumpus essay on Mark’s blog.
Back in 2014, I illustrated an essay called “The Throwaways.” It was written by a Kashmiri expatriate. Kashmir has a convoluted history. India and Pakistan have fought at least three wars over the region, the first in 1947. The two countries (along with China) control different parts of Kashmir. There are Kashmiri insurgents who favor independence. The author of the essay shares the latter’s wish for self-rule.
It’s quite a departure from my customary humorous take on things. It is, to the best of my knowledge, a completely original visual take on a very old subject: the futility of war. No matter who starts it, who’s right, who’s wrong, war brings violence, bloodshed, suffering, and death.
When it comes to sensitive or hot-button topics like this one, how do you know you’ve struck the right tone?
Without feedback, there’s no way to tell.
Surprisingly, the essay received no comments when it was posted on The Rumpus. I did receive some extremely thoughtful comments on my corresponding blog post, however, including one from someone who’d lived in Britain during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and another from an India native who had been to Kashmir, and who’d also experienced Kashmir-related spillover violence in Bombay.
These comments made me think that my illustrations had struck the right tone.
What’s one piece of advice you have for illustrators with new blogs?
Ask yourself if one of your goals is to attract prospective clients. If the answer is yes, tailor your blog to attract those clients. That means deciding who those clients are, researching their needs, and writing posts showing how your work can meet their needs and solve their problems.
You need to be your own tough editor — forbidding yourself to post lackluster work, or anything that would make you look unprofessional.
You must then resist the temptation to feature inappropriate work, no matter how “good” you think it might be. You need to be your own tough editor — forbidding yourself to post lackluster work, or anything that would make you look unprofessional.
Be yourself, write in your own voice, let your personality shine through. But always ask yourself this question: would this post — this illustration — attract the kind of client I want to work with?
Explore more of Mark’s work at Mark Armstrong Illustration, or follow him on Twitter (@mrstrongarm) and Facebook (Mark Armstrong Illustration).
Your vast background is impressive.
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Thanks so much– I appreciate your kindness! : )
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Me and my son laughed at your drawings. You are impressive!
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What?? You actually laughed at my stuff?? Hmm… I’ve gotta believe that’s a good sign… : )
I sincerely appreciate your kind comment– thank you! : )
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Smile-maker … 🙂
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I love how he says illustrators never get famous, they just gather a cult following. As someone who loves art and loves to look at art I understand the cult reference.
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Ha! Yes, it seems very strange to be associated with a cult, but I must say I’ve met an awful lot of nice people– including yourself, of course. Thanks for your kind comment! : )
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Your illustrations, infused with your wit, are so charming and lovely…they make me smile inside (even though I am really tired right now). Thank your for sharing…utterly charming… 🙂
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Wow. That’s the kind of comment that’ll keep me going for a light-year or three! So glad you enjoyed the illos, and thanks so much for your very kind and supportive comment! : )
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Creativity is intelligence. I always adore people who are good in drawing or sketching. It’s actually my frustration. Your mishap in programming career was your ticket to a greater path. People are now enjoying your impressive work. What a gift!
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Thank you for that lovely comment, Iriz. Yes, losing that job was a blessing. It spurred me to take a chance I’d’ve never taken otherwise. Definitely a lesson there.
Hope you’ll persist with your drawing and sketching. I’ve been frustrated many times along the way. Someone once said that every artist has 10,000 bad drawings in them– ha! The truth is often spoken in jest. Sounds daunting, but it’s really just a funny way of saying we must persist if we want to get better.
Thanks again for your kind comment! : )
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Congrats. Mark on being discovered ..again by wordpress.com! It’s been several times. It’s always a pleasant surprise to have a celebrity blogger visit my blog café. 🙂 I have my latest infographic…
Anyway, in terms of stooping to cheap, inappropriate humour: My partner as a birthday treat took me to a live performance of a Canadian comedian who does have a national profile on tv and live shows over the years. It was a fun 1.5 hrs. Yea, he really did stand-up that long. But there was 5 min. where his jokes veered too much into sex and farting. Ok give 1 joke..not 5 jokes of the same ilke. Let’s move on….
Wishing you more discovery. 🙂
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Jean! Nice to see you here. Yes, I’ve been discovered again. It’s like Christopher Columbus standing up in the boat and crying: “Illustrator, ho!” Or better yet: “Illustrator– ho, ho, ho!!” : )
Me? A celebrity?? Gosh! I hope not. I might wind up on one of those dreadful talk shows, and then my credibility would be completely shot… : )
You survived one-and-a-half hours of standup comedy? You’re lucky to be alive!! Well, you’re a bicyclist, so I know you’re tough… : )
Many thanks for your delightful comment!
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Me? A celebrity?? Gosh! I hope not. I might wind up on one of those dreadful talk shows, and then my credibility would be completely shot… : )”
Funny. Methinks comic illustrators can get away with a lot more on credibility. Well, I mean, that flexibility gap might be just a bit wider for you and peers.
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Interesting. I really have been building an audience. I have been blogging for years and its like a journal that I share with others who can relate. I do show my work that I am proud because its an idea I work with. I show good art and the messy sketches because I wan to build an organic audience. I do take more care in making sure that I post my thought process and learning. To be an artists I must act like one.
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Thanks for your very thoughtful comment, Myra.
You make a key point: it’s very important for an artist to show their thought process when they blog about their work. A finished illustration may be impressive, but readers (including art directors and prospective clients) like to see how you got there– what challenges you faced, what problem you were trying to solve. Showing those details gives readers a greater appreciation for the finished work. It also demonstrates your competence and resourcefulness.
“To be an artist, I must act like one.” Excellent! That’s a wonderful mantra for any artist, any creative, any professional. Good luck to you, and thanks again for your insightful comment.
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Thanks for the reply! I loved this post!
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This is incredibly beautiful.
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What a delightful comment. I’ll be walking around with a spring in my step all day– thank you!! : )
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I absolutely love these illustrations! Keep up the good work!
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That’s extremely kind of you, Thanh– thank you! I sincerely appreciate your support and encouragement! : )
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Excellent advice – thanks so much.
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You’re very welcome, Debra, I’m glad you found it helpful. Thanks for your kind comment! : )
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Loved this!
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Ha! You put a big smile on my face, Denia– thank you! : )
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This is awesome!
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Your comment proves that just three little words can give a person a happy glow– thank you! : )
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I liked the illustrations that accompany this interview a lot, especially the Kashmir illustration. That is exceptionally well thought and executed.
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It’s nice to have that kind of feedback, Karl. It means a lot to me– thank you! : )
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Your illustrations brightened my Saturday morning – thank you. I love your ‘Embrace Change’ sketch most; my parents are both artists but they’ve never embraced the internet to sell or change the way they work. Suffice to say their pockets have suffered immeasurably because of this, but each to their own! Also, as a creative copywriter writing for an ad agency myself, I completely understand the need to stay clear of controversy with client work! Anyhow, keep up the impressive work (that includes your writing)!
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What?? Did someone suspend the Law of Gravity?? Your wonderful comment has got me walking on air!! : )
Thanks so much, and do forgive my late response. I can sympathize with your folks. As I mentioned in the interview, it took me a long time to acknowledge “digital reality” and buy a computer. I know a couple of older artists who are still “canvas guys,” but at least they’ve been able (Lord knows how!) to hook up with someone who can scan their paintings and get them onto a website so they can sell their work. Perhaps you could nudge your folks in that direction. It’s a tough psychological barrier, I know.
Nice to meet a creative copywriter. Good luck with your own work, and thank you again for your very gracious comment! : )
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Wow! As a teenager, I never thought Discover could actually show me an interesting blog post! 🙂 But today, when I stumbled upon your creation, I was blown awayyy!!! Your work is so witty and humorous, it left me smiling a lot. 😀 I loved the ‘Embrace Change’ illustration, and the one with Mary taking a christmas selfie I found on your blog. Keep it up with the awesome work! 🙂
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What a fantastic comment! It made my day, and will keep me chuggin’ along from now till I sit down and bite the ears off my chocolate Easter bunny! Thanks a heap, and I do apologize for the late reply.
Your comment also points up an essential truth that doesn’t get acknowledged very often; namely, that age has very little to do with humor, or art, or anything else for that matter. I hesitate to say “Youth is a state of mind,” because, tho true, it’s a hopeless cliche. People have different tastes, different sensibilities, and it’s always a pleasure to meet a fellow traveler. Art helps bring people together. Age should never be a barrier to that.
Nice to meet you! Thanks for your great comment, your enthusiasm, and all your encouragement– I really appreciate it!! : )
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I too used to watch Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin lastly Mr. Bean. I love all your illustrations as they make me smile and laugh. They are clean and witty which I love. Keep up your work, we all need a smile and a chuckle these days!
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Yes, let’s hear it for silent comics and visual humor! Someday scientists will prove that our eyes have a better sense of humor than our ears… : )
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Glad you enjoyed the illustrations, and I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement– nice to meet you!
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I love this! Very inspiring to read.
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Thank you, Stefanie! I really appreciate your kind words– and that exclamation point! : )
Glad you enjoyed it, nice to meet you!
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Congrats Mark on being featured on Discover! 🙂
The fact that you stay “silly” and keep away from “adult, controversial” is one of my favourite things about your work (I guess because I’ve always liked “childish” and am not a big fan of “adult humour”). But I also love how you’re able to touch on the more serious subjects too.
Stay inspiring! 🙂
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Ah, my dear Lily– I’d be lost without your kind support, and that’s the truth.
I liked your wise use of quotation marks in your comment. To call something “silly” or “childish” is often to dismiss it as unworthy. There’s an element of unfairness there. Silliness can be good for the soul. Just letting down one’s guard, and giving in to helpless laughter. It shakes down all the pompous walls we build around us. “Silly” humor has the power to unite us– and that’s a wonderful thing.
Thanks for all your kind words and faithful support. Thanks especially for being a bright shining beacon! : )
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I loved reading this and thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations throughout. You’ve given me hope that you can follow your passions. My husband is currently teaching visual arts which was his back up career after studying electronic arts with a major in screen arts. I’ve written a children’s book asking him to illustrate it but I think over time his confidence has shifted and feels teaching will be his career. Seeing that you’ve had various careers and hidden your talents for a while but come so far as an artist now really speaks to me and inspires me to remind my hubby that he can take his art further than the various sketch books and digital works we have around the house. Thank you for sharing your story, I am going to get him to read this when he gets home. I know he will love your style and your sense of humour just as much as I did. 🙂
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What a wonderful and very interesting comment. It deserves a thoughtful response.
(Yes, but am I up to it?? : )
I always feel a bit shy about giving advice. I’m the last person to glibly say, “Oh yes, be like me, break away and follow your passions!”
I lost my job as a programmer-analyst. If that hadn’t happened, I doubt I ever would have found the courage to break away and start a new career. I shall always believe there was some divine intervention there (though I sure couldn’t see it at the time!).
Having said all that, I do hope your husband will consider a shift into a career as a working artist– if that’s what he’d really like to do. One nice thing about freelancing and working for yourself: you don’t have to quit your day job to get started. One can start that “second job” on nights and weekends. In the case of electronic arts, you can sit down at the computer and work anytime. Many freelancers have started out as part-time freelancers– learning the ropes, getting organized, reaching out to clients while still working their day job.
Definitely not easy, but it’s a way to get there.
Hope this helps, and good luck to both of you! : )
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Thank you 🙂
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Mark, I’m late to the party, as usual, but I wanted to put in my two cents of gratitude anyway. Thanks for the honesty in your answers and the smile in your art. 🙂
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Ra, you are right on time. Knowing you enjoyed the post gives me great pleasure– and your two cents makes me feel wealthy. Thank you for your kind and delightfully poetic comment. : )
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Interesting story and very beautiful illustrations. I wish I could go to full time painting and writing – I also like telling funny or meaningful stories in my paintings – I should start publishing some of them. Bravo – motivating work!
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Thanks so much for your kind comment. Always nice to meet a fellow artist.
FWIW: one publishing option you might consider is selling your work in an online store. Fine Art America and Redbubble are two examples of “an online marketplace for print-on-demand products based on user submitted artwork.” In other words: you upload your paintings or artwork, set your profit margin, and let them do the rest. If someone buys one of your prints, the host site takes care of the framing and shipping. Naturally they’re going to get the bigger cut, but it eliminates the need for you to process the orders. Just a thought.
Thanks again for your kind comment! : )
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Nice to meet a fellow artist too. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me this information. I have started exploring the website of Fine Art America and I will soon look into the other one. As long as I get my share (some average expected profit per painting), it will be ok if they take a bigger cut – They will help me concentrate on my creation by taking care of the rest. I guess I have to start taking pictures of my paintings. Your thought is wonderful. Thank again.
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You’re amazing!
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Blush, blush! You’ve got me doing my tomato impression. Or am I channeling a beet?? Either way, my face is red– and I appreciate it. Thank you! : )
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I love this 👏👏👏
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😊 <= look how I'm blushing with happiness at such thunderous applause!!
Thank you for your lovely comment and enthusiastic ovation!!
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