4 After 5 Q&A: Meet Jeff

Jeff Welborn

Running Dog Sportswear/Graphic Artist

Q. The 4 After 5 art exhibit. Your thoughts. 

I think it's just a celebration of fun. We are 4 guys that make our living as graphic designers. We live by customer demand and deadlines and this collection of artwork is what we do to unwind. This art isn't created for a client or to be approved by a committee, this art is created out of sheer love of the material, we just create it for fun. It's satisfying to know that people will be viewing these pieces that haven't really been seen by anyone outside of our normal circle of friends.

Q. When did you first take an interest in drawing?

I remember drawing on pretty much every test and homework paper I got my hands on during school. No matter what subject it was, somehow Spiderman made an appearance in the margins.

Q. Your day job is a professional designer. Between work and home life, when do you find time to draw?

These days I mainly work from home, so if I'm struggling with a certain design, I'll slide over to my drawing desk and draw a bit to take a little break. I find it keeps my creative juices flowing going from design work to illustration work and back again. It's just hard to get out of the habit of thinking "undo" when I mess up on a drawing.

Sample Panel from a 4 After 5 Jam Comic

Q. 4 After 5 exhibit comprises of 4 artists. What's is like working with the other artists?

It's been a blast! We collaborate or vote on pretty much every aspect of the 4AFTER5 art. However, the most collaborative component would have to be the Jam comics. They are a lot of fun and we never know how they will turn out. I think the thing that makes them so interesting is that each of us have a very different art style. Not only different art styles but different storytelling methods and senses of humor as well. So when we work on a jam comic it goes in directions we could not have imagined because of our variety of styles. 

Q. What’s your preferred medium (pen, ink, digital)?

Without a doubt, old fashioned pencil and paper. All of my art starts with a basic pencil sketch. That method just seems to be the most direct route from my brain. My arsenal of supplies is pretty basic: a non repro blue sketching pencil, a .05 mechanical pencil, and a .03 mechanical pencil, and that's pretty much it. I don't dislike working on the computer and it does make some things much easier, but I get much more satisfaction from sitting down and creating something from scratch with my own hands. That's why I would love to learn how to sculpt.

Q. What type of art will you exhibit at 4 After 5? 

Cartoon cel shaded pieces, character designs, digital pantings and figure studies from my sketchbook.

For more info about the 4 After 5 art exhibit, visit www.4after5.com or the 4 After 5 event page on Facebook.