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ILLUSTRATIONS
 A
conversation with one of America's
most popular and recognizable op-ed artists:
Paul Kolsti
By Joe Szabo
WittyWorld: For most of our foreign readers
who are not familiar with the term and format, please explain what
an op-ed page is.
Paul Kolsti: My understanding is
that the op-ed (opposite editorial) page doesn't necessarily reflect the
views of the editors. It provides a diverse view of public opinion.
WW: How is an op-ed illustration different from an editorial cartoon?
Kolsti: Editorial cartoons use traditional
comic book techniques, bubbles, captions, and humor while editorial illustration
is a cartoon without words. In my opinion, op-ed illustrations tend to illustrate
a theme as opposed to a topic. A topic is a concrete event that will be
in the public's mind only for a short time, but a theme may last for years.
WW: You have been doing op-ed illustrations for over two decades.
Do you know how many newspapers have used your work?
Kolsti: About 100, including
some foreign publications in Belgium, Canada, China, and the Netherlands.
WW: Could you name a few?
Kolsti: Sure:The Washington
Post, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer,
The Boston Globe, NRC Handelsblad, Le Soir,
Hong Kong Standard, and the Toronto Star.
Drug War
WW: Your work is quite distinctive in both style and its originality.
How did you develop your style?
Kolsti: I didn't do my first pen
and ink drawing until I was 23. At that time I used mechanical pens. When
I started working for the Dallas Morning News in 1978, my art director,
Craig Spaulding, whom I admired greatly, said that if I really wanted
to get good at this I should start using a croquille pen (with traditional
changeable inkwell tips). My first drawings were a little awkward, but as
I used it more, I found that I had more control of my lines. It took two
to three years to get good enough to avoid sudden ink drops from the pen
onto the paper. Before that I frequently had to use an electric eraser to
remove the ink blotch and to be able to draw over the area again.
Nazi
WW: What is your secret, if any, for coming up with those refreshingly
different ideas?
Kolsti: There is really nothing special
to what I am doing. It's a combination of imagination and meditation until
the right image comes into my mind. Then, that image continues to evolve
as I start the initial sketch.
WW: Do you use visual stimulation at all?
Kolsti: I can't say that there is
a specific way I come up with a concept. I was heavily influenced by established
artists during the 70s. In fact, I imitated Brad Holland's style, as did
many, until I matured into my own.
WW: Some cartoonists such as the Pulitzer Prize winning Tony Auth,
and op-ed illustrators like Barrie Maguire, one of the most widely published
op-ed artists, draw in many different styles. Auth says that he doesn't
like to be trapped in the conformity of one style. Your work is very distinguishable.
Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? Do you find editors tending to prefer
consistency or variety?
Kolsti: No two editors are the same.
Some go for consistency, others for diversity. The editors who prefer a
variety in style, subscribe to multiple services. There is nothing wrong
to have multiple styles. But having one style is not a disadvantage either.
I developed a line technique using Freehand on the computer, producing a
high contrast effect. I have learned that op-ed editors are more attracted
to concept rather than technique. Sometimes the technique becomes the concept.
Drug War
WW: Do you see op-ed art as a thriving or dying art form?
Kolsti: In the traditional sense
I see a diminished popularity for the genre among newspaper editors. I think
it will resurrect again in a different medium with a new generation of superbly
talented electronic artists.
WW: What do you mean by that?
Kolsti: There are 18-19-20 year old
kids who are well-versed in computer programs. A new art form is emerging
with the use of new sophisticated software such as Photoshop. Kids who started
out drawing with computers, in the most part, will always have and advantage
over an older generation that started drawing on paper first. We took our
drawing skills to the machine, but the young artists' skills are born right
on the computer. It's a tremendous advantage.
WW: In your views, what direction is the art form taking?
Kolsti: I see op-ed animation coming
to the electronic media. My personal opinion for traditional pen and ink
drawing is that it's loosing its appeal under the bombardment of technological
advancement. Part of the blame is on the very stringent newspaper contracts
that came out the last few years. One-sided, unfair contracts are offered
to free-lance artists which greatly diminished the op-ed art form. That's
why you won't see much versatility in the future in the traditional sense.
The current form will eventually die off. We became highly sensitized politically.
Editors are uncomfortable with sharp visual commentary and are afraid of
offending readers. The fear of losing advertising revenue permeates editorial
decisions and the idea of free and brilliant expression becomes an unfortunate
casualty.
Gridlock
WW: Did you get reactions to your illustrations?
Kolsti: Hardly ever. I believe that
its' a cartoonists' thing. People don't react enough to illustrations to
write fan letters, though it has happened on occasion.
WW: Is there anything that sticks out as having had made an unusual
impact?
Kolsti: When you do a piece that
has an impact, you hear from people. You get an occasional letter or phone
call. You can always tell when you did a piece that reached the minds and
hearts of a greater number of people. One of the most popular piece I have
drawn was TV trash (see below). It sold over and over and over again. The
wish-bone was also an extremely popular piece.
TV Trash
Kolsti: I had kidney failure two
years ago which forced me to quit my business, Pen Tip International Features.
The combination of illness and unreasonable newspaper contracts broke my
passion to continue as an editorial illustrator. Papers want to pay you
chicken feed and keep all the rights to your work. I doubt I will draw under
this umbrella again. I can see myself painting in the future if I am fortunate
enough to get a kidney transplant.
WW: Let's hope you will fully recover. Other than painting, what do
you imagine doing in your renewed life?
Kolsti: I would like to continue
my career in newspaper graphic design. I am leaning towards page design
and informational graphics as a new avenue of creativity - without the politics.
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