Travis magazine – 15 Minutes of Student Fame

So the impressive artwork splashed across this month’s issue of Travis caught your attention? Well of course it did. What would the point of hypnotic orange and blue concentric circles be if it didn’t demand your attention? Hell, that’s why we chose it. Out of all the images sent to us for our illustration issue, we strongly believe that this is the one most likely to make the magazine shelves pop, and have you reaching for a copy. Thanks to Scott Forbes and his mesmerizing illustration, we have successfully managed to lure you in.

Now, not only is this image printed on a bucket load of Travis magazines, but it also makes up the inaugural cover of a comic book series entitled 27. Writer Charles Soule found Forbes on a message board a few years back. The young artist posted a couple of his pieces on the forum, hoping they would catch the eye of a potential employer. Fortunately for both the writer and artist, their paths crossed and they have been in contact ever since. Forbes illustrated a previous comic book cover for Soule but because of conflicting ideas, the piece was scrapped. The two stayed in contact and in the summer of 2009, they came together to work on the series 27.

The cover was recently ranked 25th on the “Top 100 Comic Book Covers” of 2010 by IGN, and has helped Forbes gain tremendous recognition in the industry. The 21-year-old artist was born in a small town in Nova Scotia and claims that his mother is the source of his creativity. His older brother is an actor and his father is a businessman. Forbes enjoys hiding his signature in obscure places within his artwork. He also has an identical twin who shares his love for animation and all things visually creative. The brothers both attend Sheridan College, but are completing different years in the program. Forbes was a little surprised when the college accepted him before his brother, Benjamin. “I know I’m not the strongest animator,” said Forbes. “I honestly thought he would get in before me because his work is a lot more cartoony than mine. You would never expect me to be in animation. My style of work is a lot more realistic and grounded.” He believes that his work is more representative of an illustrator and filmmaker than an animator.

Forbes admires the ability of an animator to create something from nothing. His goal is to always produce a piece that will tell a story.

“I think it’s important about delivering a message,” said Forbes. “There are all these technicalities to be learned, but for the most part you want to come out knowing how to be a good storyteller.”

“I am trying to find my own look. Subconsciously I am influenced by other styles as they trickle in, but I try not to let too much in,” said Forbes. “I draw whatever comes to mind and I try not to be too influenced by others. I don’t want to purposely look at their stuff and want to be them.” Forbes admits to not being able to think outside of the box. He prefers to create realistic and proportional images with clean, ornate, and open lines. His images stand out like a sore thumb when placed next to those of his friends. Everything sits perfectly and each has a life-like feel. His style is far from a typical “cartoon”. His work seems inspired by European artists who take a more realistic approach.

This is what made the art behind 27 so difficult for Forbes. His style is clean and the writer wanted something a little more rough and edgy to complement the subject matter of the book. He produced a cover, sent it off, went to bed and woke up the next morning really unhappy with the piece. He felt that the face was too dull looking and that it lacked life. He tweaked and continued to chip away at it until it felt right. “That face,” he said while sighing and thinking of his struggles with the piece.

“A musician’s inspiration seems to come from the troubles in their life and so they often use drugs or alcohol to self medicate,” said Forbes. “The cover itself shows that the musician is withered away. It speaks of the music industry and the people who died of drug overdose and suicide.” If you look carefully at the artwork, the outer orange circle reveals a black bandage, which covers the subject’s left hand. It indicates who the musician once was, and the broken man he is today. Forbes plans to further work with Soule on the comic series and produce more tributes to those who are a part of the “27 club”. He’ll also be attending the Wizard World Comic Con in Toronto.

Forbes believes networking is essential for starting a career in animation. He encourages everyone to get their images out there and expose themselves to the people who are looking for artists. Think about it. If Forbes hadn’t posted his work on a message board, he wouldn’t have created the artwork for an entire comic series. He wouldn’t have been recognized by ign for his work, and he wouldn’t have his piece on the cover of Travis today. It all just goes to show what a little luck and selfpromotion can do for your career.