Artist of the Month – Chris Keegan

At CustomInk, we love custom artwork, and a lot of times that includes the customer becoming their own designer! To help inspire your creative side, we’ve chosen some of our favorite artists to feature on our blog.

Here we meet freelance illustrator and printmaker Chris Keegan, who lives and works in London. In order for you get to know him a little bit better, check out our Q&A below.

CustomInk: What made you want to become an artist?

Chris: I have always been a creative person. From as long as I can remember, I have been drawing and creating images on my computer. It only really came to me in my late teens that I could actually work as an artist in some shape or form.

CustomInk: Did you have formal training or are you self-taught?

Chris: Yes, I went to Chelsea then Camberwell art college where I learnt to be creative.

CustomInk: What piece of your art are you most proud of and why?

Chris: Thats a good question. An illustration I did for the Financial Times magazine about war in Africa. It depicted child soldiers, famine, drought, human suffering and the politics of it into one large silhouette of an adult soldier holding a weapon. For me it was a blend of esoteric montage that was able to illustrate a number of different subject all into one small space.

CustomInk: What’s your most indispensable tool or office supply?

Chris: My computer–it’s the starting point for a lot of my ideas.

CustomInk: Do you have any sort of pre-creativity ritual?

Chris: Not really, just the odd cup of tea to help me concentrate.

CustomInk: Name an artist or piece of art that comes to mind when hearing each of the following: Classic, Bold, Whimsical

Chris: Classic–Da Vinci, Bold–Dali, Whimsical–Banksy

CustomInk: Where do you think clothing fits into the art world?

Chris: Clothing is now a walking canvas for people to show off themselves. Many creative careers have been launched through fashion.

CustomInk: Where did you travel to last? What did you forget to pack?

Chris: I went to Herefordshire and miraculously I think I packed everything I needed.

CustomInk: Let’s say you had to invent a new crayon to describe yourself, what would it be?

Chris: A tall skinny pale white crayon that doesn’t draw very well.

Hope you had fun getting to know Chris Keegan—we sure did! If you’d like to see more of Chris’s artwork, check out his website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.