Artist of the week: Benoit Tardif

Benoit (aka Ben) Tardif is an illustrator based in Montreal. Benoit images are simple, effective and colorful. Often tinged with irony, his style is marked by an interest in silk screen and posters. Benoit works from traditional and digital techniques to build images that are designed to convey a specific and conceptual message.

KALTBLUT: Tell us about your creative background – when did you first start illustrating/what really pushed you to do so?
Ben: I studied graphic design at College Ahuntsic, in Montreal. Then, I pursued in graphic design at Université du Québec à Montréal where I met the fantastic Pol Turgeon who teach me illustration. He was very generous with is students. He totally gave me his passion for illustration. Meanwhile, I was designing and illustrating books covers for friends at Les éditions de ta Mère, a small publishing house in Montréal. The book covers I did were really appreciated and it gave me a lot of confidence. Later, I became co-onwner of the publishing house. I did 5 to 6 book covers a years and my work started to shine. Clients starting to called me for editorial work., that’s when I decided to make a carrer in illustration.

KALTBLUT: What medium/tools do you feel most comfortable with when creating your work?
Ben: I love to do sketches on real paper with real pen or pencil or sharpie. For reasons of productivity I draw on Ipad pro since 6 mouths. I love it more than I thought, it makes me more creative.

KALTBLUT: There is a certain irony in your work, which I love. What inspires you the most?
Ben: My generation is very ironic, we grow up watching The Simpsons. Maybe it influenced my work. I’m a big fan of Saul Steinberg and Seymour Chwast’s work. They are heroes for me. It think they should have streets or bridges that bear their name. We can find irony in their graphic languages.

KALTBLUT: You live in Montreal, how does the city influence your work?
Ben: I love Montreal a lot. I think it influence my work indirectly, I illustrated text or book cover which talk about Montreal. I also did a lot of personal work about hockey, and hockey is a real passion for Montrealers. One day, I’ll draw a book about Montreal and his hockey fans.

KALTLBUT: I really enjoyed your sketchbook. Do you doodle everyday?
Ben: I try to do at least one personal drawing in my sketchbook everyday. Usually, it’s the first thing I do in the day. It’s a kind of warm up and also a laboratory.

KALTLBUT: You’ve been working in the industry since a while and you worked for really big name in publishing, .. What advices will you give to young illustrator?
Ben: Authenticity is the key for me. Don’t try to reproduce someone else work. Be curious! Have 1 millions influences instead of 1. Perseverance is the other thing. I had very bad years financially at the beginning, but I was very happy to draw for a living. It’s a tough business, be ready!

KALTBLUT: Have you found any other work/artists to be really inspiring currently?
Ben: Jean Dubuffet, Raymond Savignac, Seymour Chwast, Saul Steinberg, Tomi Ungerer, Robert Tallon, JooHee Yoon, Jeffrey Fichier, Serge Bloch, Yann Kebbi, Brian Rea, Marc Rosenthal, Andy Warhol’s drawing, folk arts, Penguin Book cover…old food illustration, hockey goalie mask, old beer can, vintage sports photos, old tavern and pub…

KALTBLUT: What are you working on at the moment?
Ben: I’m working on my third children’s book. It will be about animals. This is the biggest books I’ll made! Should be out early in 2018. I am also illustrate for magazines and projects that I can’t talk. I have a lots of book covers to illustrate too!

KALTBLUT: What’s the smartest piece of advice you ever got?
Ben: When I was at university, I had a summer job in a bath factory. I hated this job so much. At my last day, an older colleague told me : «never quit school, I hate this job too…» I keep that in mind… and I quit university one year later (hahahaha), but now, I love my job.