Where did you grow
up and how has this
influenced your art?
I was born and raised
in Boston and
remember many school trips to the
MFA where I drank up the vast array
of Greek and Egyptian art. It was
around that time that I became
interested in mythology, and stories
told through images.Does one person stand out as being
helpful during your early years?
In fifth grade my teacher, Pam
Purdy, encouraged me to follow my
creative path. One day when I was
focused working on an elaborate
clay frog, she shooed away the kids
who were teasing me. When I was
done, she went and glazed and fired
it. I was so proud.Tell us about your first paid
commissioned piece?
That would have been right at the
end of art school. I got
commissioned for five illustrations
for a property I’d never heard of. So
I wikipedia’ed the information,
gathered reference and made my art.
I learned a lot on this job. It was for
Game of Thrones...What’s the last piece that you
finished, and how do the two
artworks differ?
I’m constantly finishing pieces
because my work is now in the
gallery and art fair world. My digitalillustration work was client driven;
now I work in thick layers of resin
and much more for myself, even
though my paintings are still
intended to be out in the world.How has the art industry changed
since you’ve been a part of it?
There are so many corners of the art
industry. Speaking purely about
commercial illustration, I’ve seen
more awareness and support for
artists to take their business
seriously. My business partner and I
run our own course and communitydesigned to do exactly that, because
we’ve seen how even just a few
tweaks to mindset or strategy can be
a game-changer for artists.Is creating art as a career all you
thought it would be?
I didn’t think it was even possible.
I studied computer science in school
because I was pretty sure you
couldn’t be an artist unless you were
someone like Andy Warhol or Frida.
Even after a second degree in
illustration, my expectations and
experience are always evolving.
I suspect if I had firm expectations
life would just laugh at that.Can you describe the place where
you usually create your art?
I work out of the top f loor of our
house in Brooklyn. One side is my
office where I teach and run tech for
Smart School, an online illustration
mentorship programme. I also do all
my planning and work on smaller
paintings. On the other side is a sky-
lit studio where I make my larger
pieces and pour lots of resin.What character or scene that you’ve
painted do you most identify with?
Currently with my gallery work, part
of the work is finding a way to relate
to the subjects. I want to identify as
strongly with a portrait of someone
else as I would with a self-portrait.
In my illustration work, in a way I
think it worked the same. I actually
occasionally turned down jobs when
I thought the characters in the story
were espousing harmful ideologies
and I just couldn’t relate.What advice would you give to your
younger self to aid you on the way?
Draw and paint every day. Read
books about art. It’s okay for people
to know you’re giving real effort
when you fail. It will take longer
than you think, so enjoy the process
of learning.
Marc creates work in all media on and in
between layers of resin. Follow him at
http://www.instagram.com/marcscheff.A MIDNIGHT TRAIN
“This mixed media piece
represents a pivotal shift in both
subject matter and process.”THIS IS NOT A RIOT
Marc’s artwork – created
in part with gold leaf – is
taller than the artist.Part of the
work is finding a
way to relate to
the subjects
Traditional Artist Interview
First Impressions
Marc Scheff
Game of Thrones first
drew a blank with this
artist and educator...