It’s Time To Follow Mark Glasgow
If you haven’t seen his work shared on Instagram in the last year, then it’s time to wake up and follow Mark Glasgow. The 30 year old illustrator, who currently resides in North London has made his mark on the world of social media, with everything from memes of Dakota Johnson scolding Ellen DeGeneres, a timely tribute to the Black Lives Matter protests or with his bigger commissions for the likes of Demi Lovato, Comic Relief and Sony.
Mark sat down with Walter Zak, following a portrait session to talk all about his work, from past to present and what’s next.
Tell us about your last year?
It’s been bizarre to say the least. On one hand my career as a menswear designer (which is where my education and experience lies) is on shaky ground as the fashion industry recovers from a difficult time. On the flipside, my illustration work has been vastly more rewarding - in the last year I’ve had projects with Sony Music, Comic Relief and Schuh, as well as a burgeoning business selling my personal work. Going in to my thirties (scream), it’s weird to kind of feel like I’m starting a very different path, but it’s... refreshing.
I've been following you for a few years now and seen a massive evolution in your work, from hand drawn to digital pieces to then furthering to animation, tell me about that journey?
Well that’s good!! I always worry about trying to do a bit of everything - some of the artists and illustrators I admire the most have a very consistent style, but I enjoy being a bit more frenetic.
I initially starting digital illustration as a means of quickly adding and changing colours when I was sketching my MA collection at the Royal College of Art - prior to that I had a real phobia, and a total ignorance, of Photoshop or anything like that. I was exclusively working with a tiny fine liner pen and if it was wrong, I would start again. Which isn’t the most efficient way of working when you are constantly under deadlines. So back then I started purely using Illustrator to add colour to ink drawings. Then in 2019 I started using an app called Procreate on my phone, just as a means to colour in a more intuitive way; some of my first digital commissions were drawn on my phone with one clumsy finger as a stylus. Now, basically if I have an effect I want to create or an image/animation in my head I can’t execute, I just watch YouTube tutorials until I can make it tangible. I still like the immediacy and the roughness of an ink sketch though.
You reference a lot of pop culture, where does that come from?
I like the idea of taking the flippancy and the glibness of a meme and making it into a drawing, which is automatically given a sort of reverence, especially if it’s drawn by hand. Some of the earliest stuff I drew were portraits of like, ‘90s & ‘00s British TV characters like Tanya Turner from Footballers’ Wives or Kim Woodburn, but dressing them in Chanel or whatever. And it was never meant as a joke at their expense, but more of a tribute - like a Mona Lisa but it’s Anne Robinson. I think also, and I know you’re not mean to admit this, but I like the efficacy drawing something that happened this week has on social media, and the conversations that open up around that.
What’s your main inspiration?
Visually, it really varies depending on what I’m feeling, sometimes it’s Disney concept art, or B-Movie posters from the Seventies, or the Powerpuff Girls. For example I’ve been rewatching old episodes of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills at the minute, and I could happily draw things from each episode because that’s what I’m looking at right now.
How have you managed to balance your day job with bigger projects with your illustration work?
With some difficulty! As of March this year I’ve moved into doing freelance - for one reason or another - and although it’s hard not having the security of a full time job, I’m enjoying having the luxury of time to do whatever I want, as well as the pressure of having to make it financially feasible.
Tell us about the process of illustrating over these portraits I shot of you…
In illustrating on these photographs, I’m grappling with two things. One, my own crisis about “what I want to be when I grow up”, conscious that I, unfortunately, am grown up and I’m still wrestling with my place in the world. Secondly is the perception of myself by others, having my portrait taken is a very intimate thing and not something I’m used to, so in illustrating on top I have more control over how I am perceived by others. I think that’s why I watch Real Housewives, I’m obsessed with how people try to control their own perception.
What's next?
Next up working on some great commissions - which only gets busier as Pride season approaches - and figuring out how to run my own business with a lot of trial and error.
What piece of your artwork would you like to be remembered for?
Maybe my illustration from last summer’s Black Lives Matter marches, I’d like to be remembered as socially conscious and actively working to deconstruct white supremacy, rather than purely just memes and drag queens!
What is your greatest indulgence in life?
Getting flowers delivered. If I’m going to be sat at a desk all day I need to have some fresh flowers to look at!
Which artist past or present would you most like to meet?
Probably Jim Henson - I just think he’s amazing and so technically skilled. I would say Walt Disney but I feel like meeting him would be disappointing.
What’s your favourite gallery?
The Victoria Miro because that’s where I got married.
Do you have a favourite piece of work, by you or someone else?
I don’t have a favourite of my own - I just bought a cake drawing by Scott Csoke which is my favourite right now but it’ll probably change tomorrow.
Follow Mark Glasgow on Instagram
Portraits by Walter Zak