#77: Alex Eckman-Lawn - Making Time for Experimentation, the Best Places to Source Collage Images, and What He Learned From Studying Dave McKean

Alex Eckman-Lawn is a Philadelphia-based artist and illustrator known for his intricately layered, hand-cut paper collages. His work explores themes of control, psychological complexity, and the hidden architecture of the human body. Alex’s distinctive visuals have appeared across a wide spectrum of media, including comic books, album and book covers, music videos, t-shirts, and gig posters. He has collaborated with bands such as Afterbirth, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Imperial Triumphant, and his illustrations have been featured in acclaimed comics like Swan Songs, Awakening, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, and the Eisner Award-winning Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream. In this week's episode, Alex and I talk about the influence that the city of Philadelphia has on his art. We also discuss Alex's experience in art school and the power of artist communities (as well as a few ideas on how to find or create one). He then revisits the moment where he first stumbled upon his layered collage style and forever changed the trajectory of his career. Aside from sharing a first name, the two of us also share a lot of the same taste in art. As a result, we spend some time nerding out about what Alex learned through studying legendary artists like Frank Frazetta and Dave McKean, as well as some thoughts on how A.I. is affecting newer illustrators. At one point, Alex even pries open his vault and shares the valuable websites where he sources his collage material.Website: https://www.alexeckmanlawn.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexeckmanlawn/ FOR EXCLUSIVE CREATIVITY TIPS, MUSINGS, AND EXERCISES, SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALWAYS CHOOSE ORANGE NEWSLETTER: https://www.alwayschooseorange.com