RAPID FIRE: LIZA DONOVAN
“get paid AND follow projects close to your heart. sometimes they’re the same, sometimes they’re not. ”
Liza Donovan is a Graphic Designer and artist living in Charlotte, NC. She has always been a passionate art lover and project enthusiast. Not to be discouraged by her very first drawings of gross anatomical displacement, where arms grew out of heads, she honed her technique only to find that arms CAN grow out of heads. Drawn to the nonsensical, playful, and surreal she has always turned to art for expression and is inspired by the culture and fashion of the ‘60s / ‘70s, American post-punk posters, Eastern European poster art, and cats everywhere. Read on to find out more about Liza’s creative practice and be sure to check out Liza’s portfolio in Pictoria Volume.1, The Best Contemporary Illustrators Worldwide.
© Liza Donovan
Who are you and what do you do?
Graphic Designer & Illustrator. I work as a Designer during business hours and find projects nearer and dearer to my heart outside of that—activist art, illustration for dance, illustrating and writing short stories...
How would you describe your work?
modern, political, whimsical, surreal, quirky, monstrous, provocative
How do you go about creating your artwork? Do you prefer to work digitally or with traditional media?
my design work is mostly digital. my illustrations are mostly by hand but sometimes a combo to get the best of both worlds
© Liza Donovan
What are you working on at the moment?
writing and illustrating short stories about eyeballs, space adventures, and a giant woman wreaking havoc in a city...
Who or what are the top five inspirations for your work?
Frank R Paul, Illustrator of Sci Fi pulp magazines; Children's Book Illustrator, Louis Darling; French Cartoonist, Raymond Peynet; Kaethe Butcher, Artist / Illustrator of strong & sensitive women; Yuko Shimizu, Japanese illustrator combining traditional heritage w/ pop culture
What's one resource every artist, illustrator or designer should know about?
1950s and 60s Science Fiction Pulp
What is the most valuable lesson you've learned during your time working in the creative industries?
get paid AND follow projects close to your heart. sometimes they're the same, sometimes they're not.
© Liza Donovan
What is the hardest challenge you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?
focusing my work in one specific direction. I haven't yet!
What are your professional goals for the next year?
to publish my book of short stories and illustrations. to print something using Risograph
© Liza Donovan
CONTACT LIZA DONOVAN
© Liza Donovan
