The following is an interview with Bill Vann conducted by Allison Levin, UM-St. Louis, in July 2004.

Q. Have you always worked in your current profession?

A. This is the only profession I've ever known.

Q. How did friends and family react when you chose to pursue this profession?

A. My father was totally against my being an artist. I had been originally enrolled in the School of Architecture at Wash U. and had completed a full semester, when I decided to change over to Graphic Arts.

Q. What challenges have you faced in making a living in your chosen profession?

A. As a freelance illustrator, the main challenge is in marketing my images and trying to locate clients. I found that having a representative in several different geographic locations has really helped. Q. You mention that you have engaged representatives in different locations. Are these agents, or is this an informal group that speaks for one another as prospects appear? A. They are my agents who represent my work in their specific porfolios and websites. They are NOT informal groups, but rather specific people who I have associated my talents with for the purpose of obtaining work for a specified commission that is shared on a precentage basis with the agents.

A. I wasn't able to be there for my children when they were young, since I needed to dedicate most of my time building a career.

Q. As a teenager and young adult, did you ever doubt that you would be able to make a living in your chosen profession?

A. Not for one second!

Q. What advice would you give to a young adult who wants to try to make a living as an artist?

A. Learn all the traditional fundamentals FIRST...before going to the computer!

Take a look at Bill Vann's work and great tips on techniques on his website at billvannart.com. Read on to get a better picture (no pun intended) of Bill Vann's life as an artist.

Biography

(from Bill Vann's webpage, used with permission)

copyright 2004, Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis