Ross Carvill
Illustrator, Freelance
Ross Carvill, Illustrator, Freelance
If creativity is a muscle that needs constant exercise, then it’s fair to say that Dublin-based illustrator Ross Carvill is an athlete at the start of a promising career. His work exudes a joy-inducing whimsy that finds magic in the everyday, whilst a love of animals makes him the happy curator of his own imaginary menagerie.
Are you formally trained or self-taught?
I didn’t study illustration formally, so I suppose the illustration side of my work is self-taught. I’m still learning every single day and I don’t think I’ll ever stop to be honest. I’ve been drawing my whole life. I’ve been teaching myself how to draw for 25 years. The business side of things is the scary side, the real learning side. Like my taxes, that’s boring but still exciting really, because I’m doing what I love. It’s a fun education.
Were you always creative growing up?
Some people struggle to know what they want to do but I was lucky – there was only one career for me. Actually maybe also zookeeper. I’ve been able to achieve both because I draw so many animals now. I’m an artist and my own zookeeper, with an unlimited paper zoo that’s not limited to what exists in this world.
How would you describe your style?
I like to create windows into worlds and places that people usually can’t see, especially now. A sort of escapism. I like to draw leopards a lot and I’m inspired by exotic lands that do exist as somebody else’s everyday reality, but not our direct reality.
It’s definitely surreal. But then sometimes I like just drawing a cat or a dog or a conversation with a person I’ve met on the street. I try to bring joy into my work. I try to make people smile and provide good feelings. That’s also something I’ve taken pride in at this time.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration is like a spark. You might bump into a woman on the street and she says something funny and then you’re like: “Wow, I’ve got to draw that.”
Like any sort of spark, if you don’t give into the things it needs, it will just go out and be gone forever. But if you do, it will develop into a flame that can grow bigger and bigger.
It can come from anywhere – like in a supermarket or your local park. It can just be a bird that flies by. It can be so many different things. I always keep my eyes, ears and sketchbook open.
How do you overcome the fear of the blank page?
Notebooks are a huge part of my work, I probably fill one a month, but when I first started there was a fear around starting one. I got over that by challenging myself to begin every book with a scaredy cat. Literally a cat that was scared with big open eyes. I did that for a year and as a result, I got kind of fluid. Then I didn’t have to draw the scaredy cats any more.
What’s been your favourite project so far?
Mystical Magical Maths is an interactive drawing game that I play on Instagram live, and before lockdown, at art markets in Dublin. I really like bringing people into my work. So I made a game where they would spin this fidget spinner wheel I made, and whatever two words it landed on, I’d merge them together in front of their eyes.
Since then, I’ve taken over Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey’s Instagram, twice. They’re really supportive. And with Damn Fine Print (who are a screen-printing studio) we turned the results into a riso printed booklet. I’m planning on doing a lot more with it. I’d love to bring it to a live stage once I’m able to get back out into the world.
Interview by: Katy Pryer
