Meet Zachary Pullen

We were lucky to catch up with Zachary Pullen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary , so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
Working from home has its challenges. My studio is on property but removed enough from the comforts(refrigerator, couch, etc) that it helps to go to work and stay there. When I’m on deadline for an editorial assignment or picture book, the focus on the task motivates me to stay in the studio. I believe the discipline is in the creative process and not wanting to let my client down.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’ve been a freelancer for over 25 years first from the Hudson Valley in NY and now working from my home state of Wyoming. I’ve worked with most of the major magazines and newspapers as well as book publishers. I have fought the temptation of digital work and rely on traditional oil as my medium. Creating artwork that enhances a story or an article is the most fun I could’ve ever imagined. Whether serious, silly, or playful I strive to add to the text with image without being too literal with the translation. The idea is what helps get me through a project both small and large. Several projects are in phases of completion in my studio at all times. Currently I have a handful of individual commissions on easels, a storyboard going for editorial revisions, and re-writes on a few personal picture books I’d like to get to the finish line. All of this before the temperature climbs enough to get outside and swing a club on the golf course.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The passion to create is probably the most important thing in my career. This passion is always there but was fueled by my time in school. Mainly my time in art school were technique, style, and persistence were taught in abundance. That education fostered a curiosity in illustration. I am constantly curious and inspired by looking to the past and current work being done in the field.

How would you describe your ideal client?
I really enjoy clients that love my approach to their assignment. I don’t really like being told what the image needs to look like. Currently I’m working on a painting where I was given a list of attributes to the character and the challenge is fitting as many of those references into a single image. Many of these are personal stories that will help bring the image to life for the viewers while other people won’t understand the reference. These details are fun to paint and add to the composition.

Contact Info:

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