Featuring: @bryanimhoff
For the very last day of my current Artist Feature series, I'm focusing on Bryan Imhoff and his work on NFT Showroom. Bryan is a comic artist living outside Philadelphia in the U.S. He has a few comic style characters available on NFT Showroom and will have more coming soon!
When and why did you start creating art?
My interest in art really grew out of reading. I grew up in a family of avid readers. If you’d asked me at the age of 7 what I wanted to be when I grew up I’d have answered, “an author.” But having exhausted all the young adult mystery novels I could get my hands on I soon discovered comic books and that was it for me! By age 9 I’d answer that same question with a solid, “I want to be a comic artist!” It was then that my interest in illustration and narrative art began to flourish.
This makes sense as Bryan is also regularly found blogging on PeakD. I relate to this so deeply, since I'm also an avid reader (usually a book or so a week) and when I was 8 years old, I was dead set on writing children's books.
What inspires you?
I draw most of my inspiration from the world of comics and sequential art and I also adore the classic illustration of the early 1900’s and the Art Nouveau movement. In the early 1900’s, you could find some of the best illustrators in the world working in advertising and magazines. A century later I feel that comics and narrative art have taken up that mantle.
In practical terms this means that I just have a huge collection of comics and art books! While some folks might take a walk in the woods for inspiration, I just pull out a stack of comics that thrilled me when I was 8 years old, or spend an afternoon flipping through a massive hardcover tome of illustration, nothing makes me happier!
... so it looks like I'm not going to have to do any editing of Bryan's responses ;) He's definitely answering anything I could want to know and more!
What are some themes people will see in your work?
My work is almost all narrative in nature, so the art is always in service to a story. Most of my work falls into the fantasy genre, particularly modern fantasy type stories where you get an interesting clash or juxtaposition of magic and technology. Those types of stories have always captivated me. This leads to narratives that explore the loss of “magic” in our modern world, and the desire for something more pure and inspiring. In my current comic project I really hope to capture the feeling of a “beautiful apocalypse.”
What is your opinion on NFTs related to art?
Looking at NFTs from the angle of the comic book industry I could instantly see the possible use cases. Within the world of comics, there is a thriving secondary market for the original art that is used to produce them. This can often be an important and lucrative income stream for the artists working within the field. In recent years many artists have made the shift to digital methods of production at the cost of foregoing original pages they could sell to their fans and collectors. When NFTs first hit the scene I was instantly struck with how perfect they were for closing that gap, and allowing an all digital art workflow to still create an original art piece to be shared and treasured.
I’m also enamored with the way NFTs can create a direct relationship with your audience, particularly on a blockchain like Hive. At any given moment I can compile a list of everyone currently holding my NFTs and engage them through direct messages, and reward them with additional content. These technologies create a really impactful way to nurture a community and audience.
This is a really good point for anyone not familiar with the business side of comic book illustrations. I highly recommend visiting the many shows put on by the Society of Illustrators in NYC if you're interested in this. With the advent of self-publishing, we're seeing a similar market pop up surrounding children's book illustrations. Typically, the illustrations were owned by the publisher, but now self-publishers are able to sell the individual drawings as they please. I'v ebeen trying to figure out how NFTs might impact children's book publishing considering I occasionally illustrate, and always arrange the publishing/press of my dad's amazing children's books. Thankful to Bryan for giving me more ideas on how to make money off of our art!
What types of art were you doing and where were you sharing it before NFT Showroom?
Comics. Pretty much always comics! My first major comic was a dramatic horror called “Seer.” For several years I did a loosely autobiographical humor webcomic called “Appetite for Distraction.” My current project is a post apocalyptic fantasy entitled “I Thought It Would Be Zombies…” I’ve pretty much always played the role of writer/artist and fill all the production positions out of necessity! A comic might normally be produced by a team of 4-6 people, but in the indie comic world it’s not uncommon for that to get chopped down to 1!
I was always sharing on personal websites and larger webcomic communities and art forums. I’ve self published and exhibited at conventions in the northeast United States. For almost 5 years now I’ve been blogging on the blockchain and haven’t looked back! I still use other social media while these new technologies are in their infancy but my heart is with Hive. It was natural for me to explore NFT Showroom since Hive was already my long term home.
What should people know about you?
That they can call me “Imp” if they want! It’s a nickname I picked up in high school that I’ve carried into my art life and even sign my work with. It’s pretty on brand and gives you a basic starting point for knowing me. I don’t take myself too seriously, and enjoy a good, and possibly slightly mischievous sense of humor. I like to be the little devil on your shoulder urging you on… but in a good way! I’m all about people pursuing their dreams and creative goals. I love seeing those dreams and trying to nurture them in my friends and companions. And if that little angel on your other shoulder starts going all “sensible” and telling you that you should really hang it up and focus on getting that promotion at your day job… I’ll punch him right in the face!
And on that note, I think we all need a little more of Bryan in our lives.
Follow him below:
NFT Showroom: https://nftshowroom.com/bryan-imhoff/gallery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryanimhoff/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/imhoff_bryan
PeakD: @bryan-imhoff << I highly suggest reading and following him, since Bryan is great about sharing the love.