Peter De Sève
ImagineFX|March 2017

The American artist tells Gary Evans why drawing well is like telling a good joke

Peter De Sève

Peter de Sève, aged 16, a student at Parsons school of art and design, walks through Greenwich Village to the corner of Bleecker and Macdougal Streets. It’s snowing. He finds a table in Café Figaro, the New York coffeehouse whose past regulars include Bob Dylan, Lenny Bruce and Jack Kerouac, where he drinks cappuccinos and draws in his sketchbook.

With his drawings, Peter’s trying to impress people – friends, girls too. And it’s during these quiet afternoons that he starts to understand what it means to be illustrator, and exactly what it is an illustration is supposed to do.

“It was a magical time,” the artist says. “It was 1977 when I started Parsons. For a kid from Long Island, living away from home for the first time, it couldn’t have been more exciting. The punk scene was in full swing – yet there was still a faint whiff of the folk scene down on Bleecker Street. There were hardcore punks and stoned hippies all over the place, and that’s where friends and I spent most of our free time. We’d walk through the snow and hunker down at the Café Figaro.

“I just loved to draw things that would amuse myself and other people. That’s kind of the job of an illustrator in a nutshell, isn’t it? It’s not only about pleasing yourself but you have to communicate to and entertain an audience. Every drawing is an opportunity to make someone feel something specific and to do it in the cleverest, most economical way possible. I’ve always loved that challenge. I think I was hard-wired to be an illustrator from birth.”

CONSTRAINED BY THE FACTS

Esta historia es de la edición March 2017 de ImagineFX.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 2017 de ImagineFX.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE IMAGINEFXVer todo
PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK
ImagineFX

PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK

Warhammer illustrator THOMAS ELLIOTT shows you how to create an epic science fiction fight scene with this step-by-step guide

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025
CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS
ImagineFX

CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS

Daria Anako demonstrates her process for creating a whimsical piece of art with some spellbinding touches

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025
First Impressions
ImagineFX

First Impressions

We discover the early influences that inspired the artist

time-read
6 minutos  |
January 2025
ZBrush for iPad
ImagineFX

ZBrush for iPad

GAME CHANGER The desktop version of popular 3D sculpting software ZBrush has been redesigned for iPad - and it's brilliant

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
BenQ GW2786TC
ImagineFX

BenQ GW2786TC

GET AN EYEFUL Don't scrimp out on your health with a monitor that's kind on the eyes and good for creative tasks

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Huion Kamvas Pro 19
ImagineFX

Huion Kamvas Pro 19

TABLET WARS An attractive pen display does an excellent job of balancing price and performance as it sets out to challenge its rivals in the mobile marketplace

time-read
3 minutos  |
January 2025
DRAGON OFORCEC
ImagineFX

DRAGON OFORCEC

Legendary D&D artist Larry Elmore explains the keys to crafting timeless fantasy art.

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 2025
DUNGEON MASTERS
ImagineFX

DUNGEON MASTERS

ImagineFX marks the milestone 50th anniversary of the launch of Dungeons & Dragons with a look at its rich tradition of illustration

time-read
7 minutos  |
January 2025
Erik Ly
ImagineFX

Erik Ly

Gamer's haven Why the artist enjoys a maximalist aesthetic more than the minimalist approach.

time-read
2 minutos  |
January 2025
2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging
ImagineFX

2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging

Interdimensional As VFX and animation evolve and tools become more accessible, Tanya Combrinck asks whether the separation between the mediums is reducing

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025