Who Needs Friday, When You Got Ted Tuesday

'Toxic Britney' Vest £50

Not only is Ted Tuesday one of my very good friends, he is also an amazing illustrator after nagging him to death he final agreed to an interview. He is one to watch, I don't say this as his friend, I say this as someone who knows great work when I see it, his work has been featured in Dazed and Confused and was show cased at Topshop. Also when Ted said he would be creating his own T-shirts, I just had to share his talent I have always loved his kooky and quirky style and am pleased to say I have my Amy Winehouse Tee hanging in my wardrobe ...but that's another post. Forget Fridays, it's all about Tuesday for now ................

How long have you been illustrating for?

since 2006 when i realized i couldn't sing and was never going to be successful in a band. I could always draw, so stopped making music, got a shop job, and started self initiated projects like making books, printing t-shirts, emailing work to magazines (with no success) but then my work was seen by Dolce e Gabbana photographer Mariano Vivanco who saw something in my work that others didn't, and encouraged me to continue.

He called me one day to work with him for Dazed. He wanted the grainy quality from Madonna's SEX book and to fuck up his glossy photo's. The photo's existed already, he sent them all to me and I chose the ones I that I liked the most. What I did was then edited by Nicola Formichetti and they published all twelve of them which was amazing. It was on their advice I quit my full time job and just go for it. This was now 2008.

I was and still am competing with illustrators/graphic designers who have a degree/MA and so my path has been more trial, error, and being pushy to humiliation and breaking point. It took another two years to get something as high profile, which is when I worked for Elizabeth Barrett and Luke Edge who's agency (edgeandbarrett.com) do a great free magazine called Station, and were behind the London Lovebox Festival magazine that went in the Evening Standard this year.

Image: Ted Tuesday for Dazed & Confused 2008 www.dazeddigital.com

What started you drawing?

I'm lucky in that it was a natural gift, I never had to force it. I was only ever good at art in school and nothing else, I did try my best in other subjects but frustratingly was always crap. I wasn't the most verbal kid, bit fat with bad skin as well, so it was a great way of making friends and becoming popular by being the best in the arts. After all at school your a bastard to the fat nerd who's great at maths and science, not the one who is an artistic 'genius'.

Who has inspired your latest work?

Levi Miller
I'm currently collaborating with him remixing shots he took this year. As with when I worked with Mariano, I'm not present when he creates his work. We never meet over a coffee for example, and I know nothing about his creative intentions, which I suppose allows me the freedom to do whatever I want. A gallery curator saw our collaboration through a friend of mine and said Miller and I could be a new Pierre et Gilles if we keep going. Miller's work stands alone though, like art photographers Francesca Woodman or early Cindy Sherman, the pictures are black and white, featuring himself and or his friends. He won't allow himself to be photographed. Miller is not only a great image maker, but a great friend who always teaches me something.

If you could of met any of the celebrities you featured on your T-shirts, who would you choose and why?
The dead ones. I still have enough time I hope to work with the ones who are alive. Johnny Cash and Dennis Hopper I think would of given me good life tips, although I cannot call myself a fan as I don't own anything they have done, I love their image though and from what I have heard about them. I'm doing a print of Debbie Harry with Iggy Pop at the moment, I'd like to meet them now, and back when they were young for the same reasons, they came from small towns to make it, and they weren't child prodigies or anything. I don't have to be hooked on their music, but I admire the self made artists. Which is why I like Madonna. I'm the same star sign - and judging from his autobiography - i have the same outlook on life as Johnny Rotten (back in the day) so maybe I would of got on with Sid Vicious???

Ted Tuesday Tee

Susan T-shirt - Limited Edition £38

Do you have any current projects at the moment?

I currently have a new idea for a clothing line I'm developing which will move away from celebrity faces. I was inspired by the new YSL womens wear collection which is very gothic, but the main thing is a book. I've been compiling it for Concrete Hermit to sell for the past three months, but I keep changing the layout. Originally it was going to be a book on all the unknown designer/artists i either am friends with or i just liked and approached, but could not get enough interest so its basically a compilation of my work over the past two years. I need an editor though, its hard to be objective anymore on what i've done.

What advise would you give to other budding illustrator's?

Take the time to develop your own style, seek criticism and listen to it and notice what people find hot about your work, and develop being determined and yet detached for an outcome. It's true that saying - 'when you get too attached to things, money, or certain people, you screw it up'.

Ultimately don't give up when it seems like everyone is saying no. It just means 'not now', so don't take it personally. My brother who is a fashion designer gave me the best bit of advice after my portfolio was rejected by another agency, 'if you loved it, they would of too, and even if they didn't, you wouldn't care'. I was so desperate to get signed, I lost my joy and it showed in my work. So enjoy what you do.

Image: Ted Tuesday for Schon! Magazine 2009 www.schonmagazine.com

If you could met any other artist/ illustrator who would it be?

Andy Warhol - he started fires and became so powerful yet was seemingly shy

Who's your favourite fashion designer ?

There's too many. Sadly I don't own any of them, but the older designers like Galliano, Largerfeld, Gaultier, Westwood, Tom Ford - not their entire career, just certain parts. Overall Largefeld does more than just create clothes, he does photography and set design, and probably something else I'm forgetting, so i admire him

What can people expect to see on the website for 2011?

Photography. I used to do it a lot, but stopped in the past year or so. I want to return to it, and merge it with illustration like I have done with Levi Miller's work. Architectural photography too, but mainly people. I want to create projects around my friends, many who are creative as well, but it's a way of not loosing any of them and capturing them whilst I can. Were not around forever, and i've taken that for granted.

Which is your favourite piece of work, and why?

'spit' (see below) 2007 - it didn't take very long to do, probably an hour, it was one of the first images I did experimenting with mono-printing and since then have stuck with that technique but explored it. The image was an 'on the town' shot of the bass player in the band The Bravery, taken from an old NME that I then remixed. It baffles whoever sees it, and I pretend not to know the meaning and just say 'oh i dunno what i meant when i created it.'

So I hope this has inspired you, and I will be showing you all my Amy tee very soon my dears. Ted Is working on a blog too, so once it's step up I will let you know as he is such a funny down to earth guy and great to chat to.