Today we’d like to introduce you to David Alvarado.
David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BFA in Illustration. As an illustrator and cartoonist, I have gone through a few different paths that ultimately lead me to where I am today. I believe that some of the things that have shaped me into the artist that I am today have been shopping like Quimby’s, organizations/events like CAKE and Chicago Zine Fest and the close community of cartoonists, artists, and illustrators in this city. I started out showcasing my self-published comics and prints at the Chicago Zine Fest and have been keeping in touch with other similar shows. Shops like Quimbys provided the outlet for me to create something and have a space for it. But more importantly, it was the staff being so receptive to what I was creating and encouraging me to participate in events and make more art. I also have some amazing friends and instructors that I went to school with at Columbia that I am still in touch with and they have been the most inspiring people to me.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being a cartoonist and illustrator is not an easy path. I think a lot of time it can be romanticized with fun daily doodles, and beautiful progress shots. What you don’t see are some deep struggles. For me, those have been creative blocks, having dream projects fall through, time management, chasing people to get paid, hustling to find work, quick edits/deadlines and negotiating budgets and pay. I think at this point I know how to navigate the freelance art field a bit and thankfully the people and projects that I work with have all been very cooperative and understanding. Some of the most challenging things for me are internal struggles, like trying to stay fresh and reinventing myself.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As an illustrator, I have provided illustrations for editorial magazines, covers, comics, products and large-scale murals. A lot of the work that I do is a type of visual problem solving where an abstract concept or complicated story will need a graphic image to set the mood or feeling of a particular editorial. Sometimes, the project is as simple as just making something incredibly attractive and eye-catching. I recently did a cover for Time Out Chicago’s Best of Issue and it was one of my favorites because it incorporated all these classic Chicago icons all layered within a page. I love creating anything that has it’s tied to classic Chicago iconography especially the more obscure references like the tamale guy or that dude who takes Polaroids in bars. I think what sets me apart is the way I can layer all these working elements on a page where there is a feeling of motion and interaction along with my strong color choices.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a lot shyer that I am now. I was a quiet kid I really only wanted to draw and play with Legos. I was always interested in art and comics, I collected stuff like key chains and marbles. I always love owning little knick-knacks and saving scraps of paper.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hello-david.com
- Email: david.alvrd@gmail.com
- Instagram: tuffasaurus
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidalvaradoillustration/
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