As part of my research, I read a lot. Then I think and do a lot of sketches. I'll never go to work on the computer unless I have ideas first.
My favorite works are the ones where I get to expose what is really behind the "brands."
When it comes to my art work I would say that I am a perfectionist, although my sketchbook, and my process, is a mess.
There is a branding influence on my work. But there's nothing really new about people as brands. The only difference is the scale and exposure.
Israel is a very young country, a cultural melting pot, and unlike the structured life of the Orthodox Jews, I grew up in a non-religious part of society where people were totally open to new experiences on many levels. I learned that when things are missing, you invent them.
Imagine the first Burmese "giraffe woman"; she was probably a local icon in her village in the way she put the rings around her neck to sell her craft. Then she became a celebrity, so all of the wannabes started following her in that uncomfortable and unhealthy trend. But is that so different from Pamela Anderson? I don't think so.
Even when I illustrate multiple articles on the same person, the focus of the pieces are never the same, so I automatically get to reflect different ideas. But it doesn't mean that it's not a painful process. There are some really late nights.
I live opposite an amazing wood in London, and you can usually find me sitting there for hours and sketching. Sometimes the icon or symbol leads me to the face, but usually it's the other way around.
