An interview with Ryan Loghry
June 24, 2008
I came to know the work of Ryan Loghry through his comment about the Hand book Journal. Tonight, I’m interviewing him through a series of emails. The following is our exchange:
Duc: Hi Ryan, Thanks for your comment on my blog. I checked out your work. I though we could talk about the Handbook Journal and feature some of your work. I thought your blog post about self publishing on Lulu helpful and your possible book making with Blurb. I’ve been wanting to put a book together of my photographs too.
R: I would recommend Blurb very highly. The software was quick to download, and easy to use. I received my book in a timely manner, and it was very high quality. I would rate Blurb over Lulu, by far. I would like to make sure and include a digital photo of the plastic pouch inside the journal. I keep a few of my postcards in there, with my contact information, just in case I lose it, or in case I meet someone. One of the few negative comments I saw regarding these journals referred to the plastic pouch/envelope falling out as soon as the person opened it. I have found them to be quite sturdy.
D: I keep my business card in the plastic envelope too for that same purpose. Do you use watercolor on the page? I wonder how it response to it? What is your medium for your drawings. What is the concept behind your work?
The thing about Lulu is that it requires high quality scans. Some of my photographs are not that large and I intend to make a small book of small photographs. I will try Blurb. I notice that Blurb is available through Flickr.
R: My process is to do pencil drawings in my sketchbook, then do a hi-res scan, and if needed clean up in Photoshop. I add a layer or two in PS to paint the color on. I usually do skin tones on one layer, and the rest of a character on another layer. I turn the opacity down on the color layer, so that the pencil shading shows through. Sometimes this gives a color pencil look to the piece, and other times a watercolor look.
D: What sort of inspirations do you use for your creative process?
R: I find I don’t really need to be inspired. I seem to have ideas bombarding me all the time. I have several children’s books which are at various stages of completion. If I’m ever really stuck for something to draw, I pick an illustration or character to develop for one of these stories. I listen to a lot of classical music, and jazz while I work, I suppose that’s inspirational. This is the link to the local classical station which streams online: http://www.allclassical.org/index.php5
My favorite medium is pencil on paper. I use mechanical pencils mostly, a 5mm, and a 7mm. I use the Global handbook we’ve been discussing, and for larger drawings I use the Canson blank book: misterart.com/store CANSON-Blank-Cloth-Sketch-Books. Both of these sketch books have a heavy, high quality paper. I also like to dabble in pen and ink, and oil paints on canvas. I have not used water colors on the Global handbook, but that’s an interesting idea. I still have some water color pencils lying around here somewhere, I could test that out.
D: Oh my gosh. That’s very interesting. I listen to allclassical at work too because it’s nice background music. It’s a local station in Oregon you know?!? That’s an eerie connection. I find that sometimes I get lost in the music. There was one incident where I read about an architect who started to draw on the back of these classical concert programs as he was listening to the live concert performances…I recall seeing one drawing what was rather interesting and it reflected his mood I suppose. I’ve acquired more knowledge of classical music in the process. What I find fascinating is the relation of classical music in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. There you have music mixed with drawings. I believe allclassical has made a special tribute program featuring these early exposure to classical music in our childhoods.
R: Are you in Portland? I didn’t realize that. haha…Small world. I’m just north of Portland. In a small logging town, Yacolt, Washington. I attribute that habit (art/music together) to my exposure to those cartoons, and one art teacher I had in high school who constantly had classical music going while we worked. I can’t listen to classical music without some sort of storyline appearing in my mind. If the idea is strong enough, I draw up storyboards for it. Unfortunately I rarely have time to animate these days.
D: Yep…I’m in Portland. I’ve not heard of Yacolt.
That concludes our conversation.
Some related posts:
Hand*book journal Co
March 30, 2007
How’s this for coincidence? Some one just handed me a box from Dickblick, as I was looking at the post on notebookism about the very same product! I’m so excited to try this pocket portrait. The size is 5.5″ x 3.5″ same as the pocket Moleskine. It is thicker the the Mole. I really like the proportions of this book. It has an bright orange ribbon bookmark. The Ultramarine blue cloth cover is very sturdy. What is unique is the textured pattern binding band. Clearly, this is very similar to the Moleskine. But I think that Hand*book has improved upon the basic idea. The binding band doesn’t look like it came from some undergarment. And Hand*book has made a variety of size in both portrait and landscape. Clearly Hand*book has created a line of watercolor books that are very useful for the artist who wants to pack up and go out for a watercolor or any other medium sketch. Oh I forgot to mention one important factor. Because the Moleskine’s paper has a manila tone, the eraser marks can show up. In the white pages of Hand*book, you won’t have that problem. The spine is much stronger then the Moleskine.
hand*book is manufactured & distributed by GLOBAL ART MATERIALS, INC. Kansas City, MO.
Some related posts:
an-interview-with-ryan-loghry/
http://www.notebookism.com/2008/01/hand-book-artis.html
http://danvera.typepad.com/bloggo/2008/01/writing-tools.html
http://roossinck.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/review-quattro-notepad/
tags: dickblick, Hand*book co., paper, notebook, Watercolor
Duc N. Ly 
