Lance Evans is a professional illustrator/storyteller based in New Jersey. With an insatiable curiosity and a passion for learning, he utilizes all forms of media to find ways to better his creative practice. His work includes picture books, covers, fashion illustrations, editorial illustrations, graphics for clothing, record covers, and more. In his downtime, he’s an avid Lego-builder, gamer, and budding cinephile (Favorite Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox).
The Journey: Since I was a kid, I’ve always been enamored with storytelling and drawing. No homework sheet or loose-leaf paper was free of my doodles and imagined characters. I decided to pursue this passion for art and got accepted into Syracuse University. For those who don’t know, Syracuse is a PWI (predominantly white institution), and so I’d be going into a place with a smaller number of black spaces compared to an HBCU. But that didn’t stop me from connecting with my black peers and creating art that was evidence of our existence there. It wasn’t to prove a point either; it was just natural, a cultural directive that I wouldn’t ever question. In addition to the teaching by my amazing professors, this led to an art portfolio that would be noticed by those in the world of publishing. This was a portfolio reflective of the creator’s identity, one that would illustrate the importance of black artists being in control of their stories.
The Back Story: At the end of my college career, I participated in a portfolio review set up by my professor at the time, Ginnie Hsu. It was in this meeting that I would get the opportunity to enter the world of publishing. One of the reviewers was Dana Fritts, an art director at HarperCollins. She was impressed by my work, and a couple of weeks later, had offered me the opportunity to work on the picture book that would eventually be known as The Six Triple Eight: A True Story of the Black Woman Battalion of World War II. I worked hard on a sample artwork and was chosen for the project. From there, I had been introduced to the author Tonya Abari, as well as the editor Luana Horry. It was through these connections that I was approached by Christy Ewers of The CAT Agency, who wanted to represent me. I signed on and have been grateful for her help since in building up my portfolio and reputation in the world of children’s book publishing.
The Inspiration: There are a lot of things that inspire me as an artist. Since I was a kid and even now, I’ve been fascinated with superheroes from both Marvel and DC, as well as cartoons/anime. Shows like Ben 10, Static Shock, Ed, Edd n Eddy, and Dragon Ball Z all had influenced my art style and storytelling. Comics artists like Olivier Copiel, Daniel Acuña, and Brian Stelfreeze became the ideal art I wanted to reach. Movies like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and The Wind Rises guide how I build worlds with engaging characters.
The Process: When I decided to pursue illustration as a career, I focused on honing my skills in the realm of digital. Initially, I worked in Photoshop, but eventually transitioned over to Procreate. My methods and processes changed A LOT over the years, but some things have stayed consistent. I always begin with a thumbnail and the figure first. Character is what drives a story, and if I have a good grasp on the character, then I can build the rest of the illustration around them. This rough sketch will get refined to a cleaner drawing that can be inked. I’ll do a quick value sketch prior to inking for readability and composition purposes. Once that’s in a good place, I digitally ink the sketch and mask every area in the drawing on a reference layer. This lets me easily pick & choose different pieces to color in and render. From this point on, I’ll make color or value adjustments and add additional layers to create certain effects or textures to put the piece in a finished place.
Learn more about Lance!
Website: lanceevans.me
Instagram: @lanc.e.vans
The Cat Agency Portfolio: https://catagencyinc.com/illustrators-1#/lance-evans/