When this Orangeville native tells old friends from Princess Margaret Elementary or Orangeville District Secondary School that he’s a professional illustrator, they often reply, “Oh yeah, I remember you used to be doodling all the time.” Stephen says he doesn’t even remember. “I guess I was just doing it without thinking about it.”

Fortunately, this creativity was never discouraged. In fact, with the help of art teachers like Gary Cooke and Glen Godfrey at ODSS, Stephen was able to develop his talent and enter the animation program at Sheridan’s Oakville campus and later the illustration program at the Brampton campus.

After working as a representative for other artists, Stephen decided to break out on his own as a freelancer. “Financially, I would have been better off working at Zehrs,” recalls Stephen, “but I did it anyway. The first few years were tough, but things are better now.”

Stephen worked for a number of design houses and departments in Toronto before “coming home” to work. Working out of the home provides all the pleasures of the quaint small town atmosphere of Erin – an atmosphere most Torontonians can only dream about (or drive to on weekends.)

Because of the Internet, Stephen is able to work with companies across Canada and never leave his studio. “I remember working on a big project for Polaroid, and I felt like I was actually part of their office.” He recalls the “old days” when design studios would reserve Wednesday mornings for artists to come in and show their portfolios. “There was a lot of leg work and the pay off was not always there. Today, it’s your Website and word of mouth that generates all your business. One contact tells another contact. Someone who has given you work in the past moves to another firm, and you start getting work from that firm. The trick is to keep busy and keep your name out there.

“When you work at home, you have to create your own structure. You have to be working by 9 a.m. If you’re not, the day can be lost. I hate those days when I have a morning appointment in Toronto. Even if I’m back by noon, the whole day feels shot and it’s very hard to get going again. The other drawback of working at home is the isolation. It’s a pretty solitary life, and you can get cabin fever sometimes. On the other hand, sometimes it’s so busy, you can never get away from it. It’s like being on call, and you know the work is always waiting for you just down the hall. One thing I really like about working at home though is the environmental aspect. I do very little driving, and I feel good about that.”

Stephen begins the old-fashioned way – at a drawing board. He roughs out his sketches on paper until he is satisfied with the general composition. Then he scans the drawing and loads it onto a computer program where he does all the detail work including colouring. The results are whimsical, fun, and as he says on his Website, “slightly edgy.”

Stephen’s illustrations have appeared in places as diverse as elementary school textbooks and on beer labels. He has worked for large corporations such as Toyota, Ford, McDonald’s, The Royal Bank, CIBC, President’s Choice and Rogers Media. Sometimes it’s just one little illustration, other times he will design and produce an entire annual report. The work that brings a twinkle to his eye, however, is illustrating kids’ books. He pulls them off the shelf and starts telling me the stories as though it was my bedtime!

Stephen loves doing these projects, but he admits there’s not a lot of money in them. “I might do one or two a year. There are so many people doing children’s books. It’s a huge market. Robert Munsch is the number-one selling author in Canada – ahead of all adult fiction writers. Children’s books in Canada are among the best in the world,” Says Stephen, “and some of the best come out of houses like Scholastic, Kids Can Press and Annick Press. They’re fun to do.”

His most recent projects have included two early readers, Home Run, the story of a boy who perseveres to master the art of hitting a baseball, and Here Comes the Parade, the charming story of a boy who cannot see the parade because of all the tall people around him, and how he eventually overcomes the problem. Stephen has also illustrated a number of informational books for kids, among them, 38 Ways to Entertain Your Babysitter, The Kid’s Guide To Money Cents, Switched On, Flushed Down, Tossed Out – Investigating the Hidden Workings of Your Home, and Lights, Camera, Action! Making Movies and TV from the Inside Out.

One of Stephen’s biggest fans is his eight-year-old son, Ethan, who sits right between us during our interview. Ethan is eager to show off his Dad’s books and explain the story lines – laughing as he points out his favourite pictures. Stephen laughs along with him, and it is clear - this “big kid” has found a career that combines creativity and fun with earning a living. n

Stephen’s website: www.quackcom.ca


So you want to be an illustrator . . .
What You Need

• You must have a high school diploma and creative ability as demonstrated by a portfolio of your work.


• You usually need a university degree in visual arts with a specialization in graphic design, commercial art, graphic communications or cartooning, or a college/other program in graphic arts. As an illustrator, you may also need additional training in your area of specialization.


• You may need experience or training in multimedia design at a college/post-secondary or technical institution.


• With experience, you may move up the ranks to become a manager or senior designer.


• Most recent entrants have a trade/vocational certificate or community college diploma, and almost 1 in 4 has an undergraduate university degree.


• Required/Related Educational Programs




• Graphic and Audio-Visual Arts


• Creative and Design Arts


• Applied Arts


• Mass Communications


• Computer Science

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