MARK LONG
Mark Long is a freelance illustrator based in London, UK, who specializes in editorial illustrations.
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CREATIVE STATEMENT
My interest in editorial illustrations began at the start of my career. I had started out with the aim of working in children’s publishing. But I found that the problem solving and fast working nature of editorial work suited my work. Over the years, my expertise in editorial has developed due to being commissioned regularly by the likes of The Guardian, The Independent and a variety of newspapers and magazines. What I love most about editorial illustrations is its ability to condense a long or complicated story into simple and bold visualisation.
I believe it’s important to understand the text—sometimes this can be a challenge when working on topics way over my head—ha ha. For me, the two most important qualities of a successful editorial illustration are keeping it simple and clear. I always try and find a few solutions to each brief before finessing my favourite.
RECENT CLIENTS
- The Guardian
- The Economist
- Mother Jones
- The Financial Times
- The New York Times
Q&A
Which publication does a great job at using illustrations?
I regularly work with The Guardian and they have great art directors that assist in making the illustration successful. And occasionally having the illustration interact with layout and type or header can be especially fun and satisfying.
What topics do you most enjoy illustrating about?
I prefer to work on light hearted topics generally. Where I have an opportunity to inject a sense of humour or fun. And especially illustrations involving animals or sport :-)
What magazine cover do you want your illustration to be on?
I think like most illustrators I would love to work on a cover for The New Yorker.