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'Three Questions' with Michael Auger

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You have a wide variety of work in your portfolio, but a very distinct style throughout. Is there an influence there, or just something you developed over time?

The role of a freelance artist is to bring other people's ideas to life and so I adapt my style to the requests of my various client's. Most of the time my, however, my distinctive style still shines through. It has certainly been something that I have developed over the years but I am also sure that the stuff my dreams are made of has been influenced by the artwork of many other artists who I admire (including Matt Groening, Bill Watterson, Jim Henson, Tim Burton, and others).

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What is your favorite medium to use when creating a piece. And does it depend on the project or request of the customer?

My favorite medium to work with is a Wacom tablet and my computer. I love the ability to "zoom in" for detail work and "undo" mistakes. However, I also really like traditional acrylic on canvas and the thick, chunky textures you can build up. It's also fun to experiment with other mediums so I guess it really does depend on the project or client.

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Being a freelance artist, what is the easiest/hardest/most rewarding part of your job?

Being a freelance artist has both it's challenges and rewards. The easiest part for me is creating the actual artwork. The challenging part is the constant promotion, billing, contract negotiation, and all the other aspects of running a business. In can also sometimes be a challenge to figure out exactly want a client is after. (It helps to have a bit of ESP.) However, I very much enjoy being able to set my own schedule and be my own boss, not to mention the short commute from bedroom to home studio. The most rewarding aspect, however, is that I am lucky to do what I enjoy and be able to make a living from it.

1 Comment

Matt D. writes...

Good Q&A, Michael!