Jeff Rogers FaceTime

Last Wednesday we had the honor of having a FaceTime lecture/interview with NYC illustrator, letterist, and designer Jeff Rogers.  Jeff has an impressive list of clients as well as a striking portfolio of work, many of which can be seen at his website here. You can also find a link to other interviews and bio information on his website (www.howdyjeff.com) You may remember him from a McDonald's commercial that aired over the Summer during the Olympics promoting their new Spicy Chicken McBites. Jeff painted a mural during the commercial which was then used in parts for their print campaign and signage. You can view an extended version of this at: https://vimeo.com/55461045. Students were able to ask questions relevant to his current and past experiences as an artist as well as information that may help our students begin their journey in an art career. After the talk, Jeff then assigned our students with their next major project involving lettering.

Here are some of the key points I noted from the talk:

You must establish and build relationships.

When you love something devote yourself entirely to it, indulging in something else will take time away from the thing you love.

Practice equals improvement.

Keep getting better. 

Do what you truly want to do until someone starts paying you to do it. 

Sometimes work will be free.

Be nice, no one wants to work with a jerk. 

Sketch several ideas.

Start with a pencil.

Thank you Jeff for taking the time to talk to us and share your experiences with us!