Disney the Inspiration for Gay Male Illustrator

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with the UK artist John Tresadern who lives in a little town of Tonbridge in Kent, with his partner of 8 years, Nick.

His work is truly beautiful and it was an honour to have been drawn by him.

RIK (R): When did you first start drawing?

JOHN (J): I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember. My obsession with art was fuelled by endless hours of watching Disney films on repeat and I always wanted to work for them when I grew up!

R: What would you say is your style?

J: I’d say I had a comic book style with a Disney-esque twist. I’ve never really had an interest in hyper realism but I think it’s important to use photographic reference and do life studies as often as possible. (This is what he did with my image.)

R: What goals have you set for yourself, creatively speaking?

J: Creatively speaking, I would love to break into children’s book illustration. So in the next couple of years I’d love to have at least one published piece.

R: Do you favour the male form over the female form, why?

J: I much prefer drawing the male form, purely due to the aesthetics of the body. I think this might be entirely due to my personal preferences, but I find the male form far more interesting to look at and draw.

I can obviously appreciate the beauty of the female body, and love the lithe, delicate frame and curves but I still always find myself drawn back to illustrating chiselled jaws and broad shoulders.

R: Do you feel that the mainstream art scene is missing or lacking in any area?

J: I actually think we are witnessing a renaissance of eclectic styles in the art world. With the introduction of social media, anyone can share their work in whatever medium they choose.

There are certain trends and fashions that come and go, but on the whole the art world is constantly being flooded with brilliant new talent and style.

R: Where do you want to be creatively in five years?

J: In five years I’d like to see myself illustrating full time (instead of having to work a retail job to pay the bills). I’d also love to have a couple of personal projects published and in circulation.

R: Where do you want to be personally in five years?

J: Well, I’ve been engaged to my partner Nick for 7 years now, so I’d hope we’d have finally saved enough to get married and buy our first place together. We’d also love to start a family, so hopefully the pitter patter of little feet would be filling the house (even if it’s only a French Bulldog to start with!)

R: What is the most exciting you have been asked to draw?

J: The most exciting commission I’ve had was working on the storyboards for “Russell Howard’s Good News”. That was a few years ago, and I took a little break from story boarding (and artwork entirely) for a while.

Recently I’ve started up again and have had the chance to work alongside some incredible people. From personal trainers to mermen, my clients are a diverse and wonderful bunch!

R: Where can our readers see more of your work?

J: My artwork is predominantly only on Instagram. I find the ease with which to share my pieces, interact with my followers and talk to potential clients, all in one place, absolutely brilliant.

I need to get my act together and sort out a website!

R: Where can our readers BUY your work or have their own piece commissioned?

J: At the moment, the only way to buy or commission a piece from me is either through Instagram or directly to my email. [email protected]

I’m fairly limited to the amount of commissions that I take due to the time constraints of having to work full time but I’m always happy to discuss projects and try my best to make everyone’s ideas a reality!

You can also follow John on his Instagram account @jtresadernart

And on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/JohnsDailyDoodle/

Last Updated on Aug 23, 2016