Marcos Chin: The Freelancer's Discipline

By Florencia Varela

Paste Magazine - "Yoko Ono"

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Marcos Chin is regarded as one of the most well known illustrators in North America. His illustrations have been featured in diverse advertisements, fashion catalogs, and magazines including Time, Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated. The Toronto native graduated from the Ontario College of Art and now teaches Fashion Illustration at New York's School of Visual Arts. Behance caught up with Chin to discuss collaboration and discipline amidst his creative work.

In order to remain focused on both his commercial and personal work, Chin aims for a healthy balance. He explains, "To me (they) are not mutually exclusive. During slower periods of work, I spend a few hours plotting down any ideas that I might have into my sketchbook, ideas that might inspire a new drawing or painting later on. I think it's important for creative professionals to do this, to explore new parts of themselves and thus meaning in their artwork, in order to grow. As a result, I have recently enrolled in night classes, taking a silk screening course and a fine art painting class because I was beginning to feel that my drawings were flatlining in some capacity - I had begun to lose interest in what I was doing, so by trying something new that was art related, I became (re)engaged in my own (commercial) work again."

Collaboration plays a significant role in Chin's projects. He explains the process, "Art directors call me to create an illustration in order to (visually) communicate an idea that they have already conceived of and approved with the client. So in other words, they are the ones who establish the creative concept. Following that, I try to come up with a creative solution to meet their needs... I think having another set of eyes and brain to work on a project can add extra insight and provide alternatives in solving a problem that might not be apparent when you're working alone."

While new collaborations and projects are enriching for any artist, sometimes you must say "no." As Chin explains, "One thing that I have realized is that it is okay to say "no" to clients. It was a difficult behavior for me to learn: how to say 'no,' but it was necessary because I was beginning to become overwhelmed by work and eventually by taking every project that came my way, the quality of my pictures began to diminish."

To all ambitious and over-committed freelancing creative professionals, Chin recommends taking a day off. In his own words, "Until recently I found that I was working everyday, and that my work days had no structure... There is always this fear as a freelancer that you never know when the next job is going to come, or if your phone might stop ringing. Still, it's necessary to take a break from your work. You need to experience things in life and hopefully become inspired by them in order to become a better artist. I believe taking a break gives a person a fresh perspective and helps to keep them (and the viewer) engaged in their craft and their pictures."