Artist of the Week: Veronica Hebard

jason - Posted on 19 August 2009

As a fan of fiction I understand the idea of escaping, but to enter the world of science fiction is a very different story. Whether it is through the heroics of superheroes or the dark shadows of villains, the tales and images of comics and sci-fi are the ultimate escape. Artist/Illustrator Veronica Hebard understands the escape and this world, and with each drawing she creates she adds more beauty and imagery her world.

Veronica was educated at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. She has partnered with accomplished artist Andy Fish to launch RoboPicto for progressive art projects. Over the years she complied an impressive list of clients that includes Girl Scouts of America, Half Price Books, Boston Lyrical Opera and more.

Recently, Veronica was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): I am fascinated by the artistic side of your partnership with Andy Fish. How has that relationship impacted your work?
Veronica Hebard (VH): Andy is an excellent businessman as well as a fantastic artist. I inherited my father's fear of talking on the phone, which is a hurdle I have to jump a lot in finding new clients. Andy's helped me tremendously in the business end of illustration, and I think my habit of collecting vinyl toys has lead him down some new artistic avenues. We influence each other!

OA: Your work seems to combine beauty and science fiction. It's a mixture that I don't see often. How do you see those two elements working together?
VH: It was just kind of natural. For our two-person show in Boston this June, I focused entirely on stuff like Flash Gordon and 50's space age movie posters. The more I started working, the more my subject matter shifted towards girls caught in the loneliness of space. I think the pieces started looking like Stanley Kubrick's 2001 but with saturated candy colors!

OA: How do you typically work in digital elements into your work?
VH: Some of the pieces were full oil paintings that I let dry and then scanned to add in a few digital elements. I've been drawing a piece in blue or red pencil and coloring in Photoshop, trying to keep some of the grain of the paper in tact. I think combining digital coloring over a drawing or painting has to be virtually seamless. Hopefully I'm becoming more successful at that.

OA: Robo Picto is a great concept. How has it been received?
VH: Thanks! It's actually pretty young, only a few weeks old and it's been doing okay! We're excited to start offering silkscreened t-shirts, tote bags and even some custom sneakers this fall. We're burning the screens now :D

OA: You have shown mostly in New York and Massachusetts, do you and Andy plan to hit road anytime soon?
VH: Yes! Both Andy and I have been considering moving to the west coast. The contemporary gallery scene out there seems so intense, we'd like to be a part of it. And we love Rotofugi in Chicago!

OA: What's next for Veronica Hebard?
VH: Working on 40 black and white illustrations for a new humor book coming out, and creating some new silkscreen prints out of some of my recent images for shirts and bags!