Meet Damian Booth

We were lucky to catch up with Damian Booth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Damian, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I’ve always been driven when it comes to my career and my art, and I think that firstly comes from my upbringing. My folks held me to a high standard, while also being supportive of me and what I like to create. As a senior at Maryland Institute College of Art, I have built up a good network of talented and incredibly hard working artist friends, and they constantly push me to do more, work harder, and improve. Getting out and seeing other’s work in galleries or museums can be extremely inspiring. The world all around me is full of art too, street art is huge in Baltimore and that inspires me greatly as well. Art is everywhere. That is why I keep a strong work ethic– the rigorous endeavor to stand out in a world so full of outstanding art.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I would describe my illustration style as fun and punchy, with a touch of noir. My artistic interests are expansive, so my work often varies in medium and purpose. I put a lot of myself into my work, and often it’s an outlet for me. I do commission work, oftentimes with local musicians to design t-shirts or flyers for shows in the area. I’ve also recently done some freelance typesetting. While school takes up most of my time these days, I still try to pick up as many projects as I can. I self-published my first comic this September, which I wrote and illustrated. It’s called Fritz Elwood and the Immortal Groundhog. It’s a comedy/thriller about a depressed groundhog and the exposé of the dangerous cult that keeps him alive. Selling my wares at markets and conventions has been a great experience for me recently. Speaking of, I will be selling copies of my comic, patches, stickers, prints and more at the yearly MICA Art Market! The market is December 7 & 8, from 11AM – 6PM both days.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Technical skills, social skills, and open-mindedness. I feel that these were all incredibly important for me to develop as I was starting out. Practice, practice, practice! Drawing every day and diversifying your subjects and approach will keep things new eventually lead to progress. Study the artists you like best and figure out what about their work draws you to it. Learning how to talk about art, and more specifically about your own art, is also crucial. For a lot of people, getting yourself out there is the hardest part. Once you get over that barrier, connections with potential clients and fellow creators are much more easily made. To me, keeping an open mind means exploring creatively as much as possible as you learn. Experimenting with new styles, mediums, and subject matter leads to a broader range of skills, as well as a more defined idea of what kind of work you are driven to make.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always looking for writers and colorists who would like to collaborate on comic projects! I would be interested in working within a variety of genres; comedy, drama, and horror being my personal favorites. I do write from time to time, but I much prefer doing layouts, sketching and linework. I can work with quick turnarounds if need be.

Here are some examples of my comic art: https://www.damianishaunted.com/work/comics, check it out if you’re interested. Contact me through email: [email protected]

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @hauntedillustration