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FAQ

Where can I find more about you?

There's nothing more to know.

Where can I find out more about you in books?

The following publications feature Jon Burgerman:

  • It's Great To Create by Jon Burgerman, published by Chronicle Books.
  • Daily Doodle, by Jon Burgerman, published by Laurence King.
  • Burgerworld: A Colouring book, by Jon Burgerman, published by Laurence King.
  • Pens are my friends, Jon Burgerman monograph, published by IdN.
  • Pictoplasma Character Portraits by Pictoplasma Publishing, Berlin.
  • New York: 60 Creatives show you the best of the city published by Gingko Press.
  • Fifty Years of Illustration published by Laurence King Publishing.
  • Sticker Bomb published by Laurence King Publishing.
  • Creature Couture: The Art of Felt Mistress published by Blank Slate Books.
  • The Graphic Art of the Underground, A counterculture history by Bloomsbury.
  • I Am Plastic, Too, published by Harry N. Abrams.
  • The Fundamentals of Illustration series published by Fairchild Books AVA.
  • Thinking Visually published by AVA Publishing.
  • Los Logos 3 published by Die Gestalten Verlag.
  • Pictoplasma 'The Character Encyclopedia' by Pictoplasma.
  • Dot Dot Dash published by DGV.
  • 300% Cotton published by Laurence King.
  • Tattoo Icons published by Viction:ary.
  • The Art of Rebellion 2 published by Publikat.
What's the weirdest thing you have ever drawn on?

A persons passport. I suggested they might prefer me to draw on something else but they were insistent and are now bound to never leave the country.

What would you most like your audience to take away from your work?

The work. Either in their hands or, in the very least, their heads.

Is that your real name?

No really, it is! My parents thought it'd be a laugh to call me Jon, what jokers eh? You can only imagine the playground taunts I endured.

Did you teach yourself to draw, is there a system of abstraction or is it a natural style?

The style I draw in is simply my natural way of drawing. It has become more refined over the years as anything would if you do it everyday. If there is a method / system of abstraction it is applied whilst drawing and thinking at the same time.

Do you use a graphic tablet to create your digital work?

I hand draw pretty much everything and scan the work in. Sometimes I'll use something like Live Trace in Illustrator to turn my black and white drawings into vector shapes. Recently I've also experimented drawing on an ipad pro with Procreate.

How did you get started?

Once I had graduated from University (I studied Fine Art) I built a website and started to add my work to it. Every so often I'd email a few people I knew to let them know I'd updated it.

The more people I met and chatting to about work, I'd email. Over the course of time my website had a lot of work on it and more people were becoming interested in the work.

I picked up some jobs here and there, and when I wasn't working, I just kept on practicing my drawing and adding to the site. There was never a big turning point when I suddenly got lots of work, it just all slowly built up over time.

Who, what, where and when do you get your inspirations from?

Inspiration, like chewing gum, can be found everywhere. Sometimes you don't even have to look for it, you'll just be walking along and -bam- you'll get some inspiration... or some chewing gum on your shoe.

Do you plan out your composition before drawing on the wall?

Nope. I might have a rough idea in my head or very occasionally I'll have a loose sketch in my sketchbook but most of the time I have no plan whatsoever, which for me, is part of the fun/challenge. Plans slow things down and it would be impossible to plan a really intricate work and then follow it when drawing on a big wall.

During your time studying at art college did you have the same style as you do now?

It wasn't exactly the same but obviously related, my style has evolved over the years and will continue to do so (I hope). The way that I draw is linked to the way I write and sketch, think and speak. The style is built upon a natural way of working and was not designed or strategically worked out.

What do you do to get out of a creative block?

Sleep, run away, do something completely different.

Straining causes pains so sometimes it's just best to take a break and re-approach the problem later.

A good lunch and a walk outside can solve most things.

Do you have a certain philosophy on design/life in general?

I think it might be; Less waste, less haste, less hate, less work.

Time is so short so you should try and have fun whilst not ruining anyone else's fun at the same time.

Do companies let you be free with what you produce for them?

It varies but generally I'm very lucky and get to have a lot of control over what I produce for companies. I'm not very good, creatively, when a brief is very exact and specific. I work best when I can use my imagination and the client trusts me to do so.

A lot of your work mixes both analogue and digital techniques. Why do you choose to work this way?

Both techniques offer excellent and different qualities - why not cherry pick the best things each medium has to offer?

Digital can save a lot of time and allow for easy amendments, scaling of work, adaption to digital media etc.

Analogue is warmer, more human, allows for a easier emotive expression.

Are you inspired by your surroundings? If yes, how?

I'm sure my surroundings have an influence on my work. I think we can't decide what we're inspired by, it's not as easy as that.

We should try and experience as many interesting things as possible and see what sticks. Inspiration can come from unexpected places. I'm sure the culture, noise, colours, sounds and visuals in NYC have filtered into my brain and out into my work. It's almost impossible for that not to have happened.

What is your favourite food?

Hmmm. I love a lot of food but sometimes only a fresh, hot slice of New York pizza will do.

How do you want people to feel when they see your work?

Entertained, intrigued, emotionally engaged, delighted, happy, uplighted...

Do the same characters appear in different pieces of work?

Some do. Some exist across my books, animations, drawings, stickers, doodles and artwork. All of the characters are related to each other in someway, exactly the same as how all humans are connected.