Patrick Hruby

Hi Patrick,

You caught my attention with your 'A - Frame' illustration as I like the clever way you utilise simple shapes to emulate the objects.
I will be shortly graduating from Stockport College and I appreciate you are probably busy, but I wondered if you could posibly answer a few questions regarding your work for my personal blog.

Obviously shapes form the forefront of your work, have you always worked incorporating this system?


Early on in my education I experimented with a lot of approaches and styles. It wasn't until I got really involved with printmaking that I really solidified the system



Seemingly, plants, buildings and animals are the main focal points of your work, why? Do the shapes correlate with the objects?


Plants, animals, and buildings are obvious choices for the geometric system that I use. But I always enjoy the challenge of interpreting something new. For instance I just finished a children's book with AMMO Books (American Modern Books) about the circus, and I had to illustrate lots of people which I hadn't done a lot in my work before.



Do you find it difficult to maintain the simplicity of your work?


There is a bit of difficulty in any reductive style. I feel like there is an additional difficulty in what I do because there is a decorative aspect of my work that is in opposition to the idea of simplicity. It's maintaining the balance between the two so that they compliment each other that's the most difficult.



Children must love your work does it appeal as well to adults?


I've only just graduated and I haven't been out in the "real" world all that long, but so far I have done work that spans from the New York Times to Children's Books, I would like to think that this means that my work has wide appeal.



Would you recommend using agencies straight from University?


Going with an agency is a totally personal choice. I think the most important thing is to find an agency that works for you. I was lucky enough to get a recommendation to Friend and Johnson which ended up to be a great fit. All in all I think the most important thing is to have a plan on how you are going to get your work in front of Art Directors. Whether that's with an agent, through ad-base, or spending some time copying addresses in the magazine section at Borders.



How important is symmetry to you?


Symmetry is a powerful design tool. It holds a lot of historical meaning. There is something almost religious about it. Similarly a lot of folk art is symmetrical or at least has elements of symmetry. Lastly, it is impossible to ignore the symmetry of nature, which is a focal point in my work. That being said, I am not completely committed to symmetry and I use it only when I feel that it helps or supports the concept of a piece. Sometimes I will abandon it all together for a more dynamic composition.



Many thanks for you time,

Yours sincerely,

James Peters.