Catch ups #1: Lehel Kovács
Two years since moving to my home in Somerset, I finally have a wall of jolly green shelving onto which I can unpack my boxes of old work. Picking through my back catalogue is like going through old family albums, each one a snapshot of my work and life at the time I made them. I’ve been privileged to work with a huge range of writers, photographers and illustrators over the years and these collaborations really deserve better than to sit gathering dust, so I am revisiting old projects and giving them another moment in the sun.
First, I want to delve into the winter 2012/13 edition of Lost in London, now exactly ten years (ten years!?) old, and take a look at the title pages designed by Hungarian illustrator Lehel Kovács.
Lost in London’s design is unselfconsciously positive, open-heartedly eclectic, and lightly nostalgic. Lehel’s work with its rich textures, playful imagery and mid-century colour palettes was the perfect fit, and I was stoked when he agreed to create the title pages for this issue.
Ten years since that commission, I caught up with Lehel to get an insight into his work and processes.
Your style is really distinctive, often called retro and humorous. How would you describe your style, and how did you come to develop it?
Someone called it "kids pop-art" which is amusing :)
I have a particular ironic-nostalgic vision that is kind of bittersweet, and (depending on what topic I work on) I often have a satirical approach.
In general I could say that most of my work is loud and eye-catching.
You’re commissioned by art directors from a wide range of publications and nations, you must encounter very different ways of working and expectations. What is one thing you love in a commission, and one thing that drives you crazy?
I think I can call myself lucky because in the 16 years since I've been working as a freelance illustrator, I have never had such an awful experience that pops into my mind immediately.
Of course, there were some less pleasant projects, but I don't think it depends on which country the client is from. Usually, it happens with clients who are not from the creative field or didn't have too much experience working with freelancers, so you need a lot of patience in those cases.
I really like quick turnaround projects, where you only have one or two days to come up with an idea, I think this is when I can give my best. What I don't like is dealing with paperwork, contracts and invoices. And especially chasing payments :)
What would be your dream commission?
Probably every illustrator's dream is a cover for The New Yorker... But I like to live in the present and when somebody commissions me I'm doing my best to become their dream illustrator :)
If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be doing?
I have a degree in window dressing, which I think had an impact on my illustration style as well, so I can see myself doing something in that field, or maybe set designing for movies or theatre plays.