Eponymous and Humble – The Down-to-Earth Illustrator
At several crossroads in my life, I was lucky to meet friendly and helpful people. Before completing a decade at The Wall Street Journal, I quit in 1987. Not sure what it was, but it could've been the need to be more versatile and prove to myself that I was maturing as an illustrator. Whether in Italy or at home, I was destined to meet some genuinely saintly people. This handful of people at different periods ensured I continued on the right path. These friends knew I had the potential to be a specialized custom graphic artist for Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York, and more.
Inspired and hard working
A few countries have elaborate illustrations with only black ink lines in their museums. I was one artist heavily influenced and inspired by the precision of some illustrations in portraying important people and began experimenting with lines and dots to create portraits. It was a popular style at that time though all commercial artists weren't exceptionally good as dotters.
Some illustrators in the seventies could do magic with just a single color. My name spread like wildfire for my stipple or dotter creations. By the mid-eighties, I knew continuing to develop my hallmark style and train others too would curb stagnation. I was happy to train specialized custom graphic artists for Los Angeles and New York.
My decision was final to accept projects as a freelancer. Before this, I considered founding the best icon services from Los Angeles to New York. All these thoughts were vague ideas in my head as I continued to dominate the East with my specialized custom graphic artist label from Los Angeles to New York.
Kevin Sprouls’ eponymous illustration style
My style of illustrations for portraits that many publishers used is called 'Hedcut.' Detailed with confident and flowing lines plus dots, the stipple style was unique and worked wonderfully on paper for publications. I spent several months creating drawings of famous people after leaving WSJ until my style reflected talent and individuality. I lost track of the number of illustrations made with my trusty pen, though I have been collating my best pieces for sprouls.com more recently. As a nationally-renowned illustrator, I must match my clients' expectations with my experienced eyes and hand.
Today, I'm living in a serene part of North Carolina from where I can work remotely using various online tools for communication with friends, family, and clients. One of my dreams is to train many specialized custom graphic artists in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and other creative hubs. My memories of trusty friends, thankful seniors, and illustrations keep me busy in my studio.
