Nik Henderson - I Learned That Book Illustration Was a Much More Suitable Career (Illustrator from US)

My time around aircraft, pilots, and mechanics serve as a great deal of inspiration to me today. Though it seemed I was destined to work in the aviation industry, I instead developed a love for painting and filmmaking in my early teenage years. 

Animation seemed the natural combination of these two interests, so I pursued a career as a visual development artist. I studied at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia, but for many reasons, I had to drop out when the pandemic hit, just as I was about to start my senior year. I have since found lots of work and learned that book illustration was a much more suitable career for me than visual development.

Tell us more about your background and journey.

I grew up in Missouri on a little farm with goats, chickens, and horses. My summers and breaks were spent with my father in Texas. He worked at an airport, and I was lucky enough to spend a great deal of my childhood around the aviation business. 

My time around aircraft, pilots, and mechanics serve as a great deal of inspiration to me today. Though it seemed I was destined to work in the aviation industry, I instead developed a love for painting and filmmaking in my early teenage years. 

Animation seemed the natural combination of these two interests, so I pursued a career as a visual development artist. I studied at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia, but for many reasons, I had to drop out when the pandemic hit, just as I was about to start my senior year. I have since found lots of work and learned that book illustration was a much more suitable career for me than visual development.



When did you decide you wanted to be an illustrator?

I switched from visual development to book illustration in 2020. After I left art school due to the pandemic, I started getting work in animation designing props and sets. 

It became very clear to me that the career I had been training for the last four years was not right for me. Working in animation made me feel like an assembly line worker and not an artist. It was hard for me to stay inspired to create when the only people who would see my work were art directors and cg modelers. 

I realized that I wanted a more direct relationship with my viewer and that I wanted more creative freedom. So I began working in books in the summer of 2020, and I loved it. I am still new to the industry, I am working on five book projects at the moment, the first scheduled to be published in 2022



Is it a financially stable career?

Both yes and no. There is good money to be made working on children’s books, however, it comes in large amounts a few times a year, rather than monthly or bi-weekly. Because of this, I have to be more careful with my financial planning. 

However, I feel the slight instability is worth it because I can work in my own studio, decide my own hours, and take time off whenever I please. In the United States, freelancers must pay an extra 15.3% (as of 2021) tax on top of federal/state taxes. Personally, this does not bother me much, since I live quite simply. 

Though I can understand why this may give some people second guesses on freelance illustration.



Who is your favorite illustrator and why?

It’s hard for me to pick just one, but I do enjoy the works of Miroslav Sasek, Shaun Tan, Gustaf Tenggren, Mary Blair, and Zdzislaw Beksinski. I tend to gravitate towards artists that push shapes, colors, and subject matter.



Where do you get inspired to create art?

I try to gather my inspiration from life experiences. I am constantly taking reference photos, and I have an ever-growing library of photography books I use as references as well. I really enjoy the photography of Bernt and Hilla Becher, and how they capture industrial landscapes. 

I also love looking through national geographic photography for inspiration. Though I have other illustrators I admire, I try not to look to them for inspiration, because I don’t want to subconsciously recreate someone else’s work.



What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring illustrators?

The most important thing to do as an illustrator is to develop a unique style. Don’t try to replicate what is currently popular, because, by the time you master it, it will likely be replaced by something new. Instead, focus on developing an approach to your work that is unique to you, be it your aesthetic, medium, technique, etc. Publishers want unique voices, and they can tell when an illustrator is being true to themselves, or simply going with the trends. 

I spent so long trying to replicate other styles while in art school, that I forgot to have a voice of my own. Once I realized that and broke away from the trends, I became much happier with my work, because I was no longer holding it to the standards of what I thought was the “perfect style.” In short, make work that you enjoy, not what you think others will enjoy.

Which is your favorite book and why?

I am very fond of The Arrival by Shaun Tan. The way it tells an immigrant's story without words while also being surreal and beautiful has always captivated me. I enjoy stories that are simple yet creative.

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Interviewed by Subham Biswas