Interview with Cherif Fortin

From the Website:  Cherif Fortin is a Chicago-based photographer, illustrator, graphic designer, firefighter and former romance cover model.

As a photographer, Cherif specializes in advertising, editorial, and portrait work, and his client list includes such notables as NBC Television, UPN Television, Nielsen Media Research, Abelson-Taylor Inc, Accenture, Arthur Anderson LLP, BASF Corporation, Delnor Hospital, Duff & Phelps, HUB International, and RSM Mcgladrey.

As an illustrator, Cherif’s digital and traditional artwork has been commissioned by publishers the world over, including Random House, Genesis Press, Harlequin Books, Kensington Books, Dorchester Publishing, Penguin Group (Putnam), and Medallion Press. His work can be seen on the covers of millions of books in North America, South America, Europe and Japan.

Cherif is also one half of the creative team known as Fortin & Sanders (along with mentor and famed photographer/artist Lynn Sanders), writing and illustrating romance fiction. Their credits include Passion’s Blood, Medallion Press, 1998 & 2008, Ellie and the Elven King (with Helen Rosburg), Medallion Press, 2002, and There be Dragons (with Heather Graham), Medallion Press, 2009.Fortin & Sanders’ work has been featured in the pages of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, the National Enquirer, Art & Business News, Publisher’s Weekly, London Times, Chicago Sun Times and in the Passion’s Flame (2002) and Men of Romance (2005) calendars.

Cherif sums up his creative philosophy with the conviction that, “all art is artifice; created to enhance a desired effect. Whether the tool at hand is a camera, a paint brush, or a computer, what matters ultimately is the final image and how well it communicates the intended effect.”

Cherif is available for photography, illustration, and graphic design work. To inquire, click here. International assignments are welcome.

Hi Cherif and welcome to The Reading Café.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us about yourself?

Cherif: Currently I enjoy two careers: I am a full-time firefighter for a busy suburban department near Chicago and also a freelance illustrator/photographer. I’ve been a fireman for 9 years and an artist since, well, forever. Prior to working as a firefighter, I worked as a stunt performer for a medieval-themed dinner show company called Medieval Times. This lasted 12 years and my duties included sword fighting, horseback riding, and training of both horses and stuntmen. In 1993, Lynn Sanders and I started a commercial art and photography studio which has been in business ever since. We’re known as Fortin and Sanders and we provide a variety of services including book cover illustration, design, high end portraiture and event photography.

Click Fortin and Sanders for website

TRC: Currently you are one half of the writing and illustrating team of Fortin and Sanders. What sparked your interested in illustrating and graphic design? Have you always had a talent for design work?

Cherif: I’ve always been into art, ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon. Early on I was especially fond of drawing cartoons like the ones in the Asterix and Tin Tin books my uncles had lying around. As I grew older, my influences broadened, and I fell in love with the works of the great illustrators. It wasnt until my early twenties that I realized I could possibly make a living through art.

TRC: What is your role at Fortin and Sanders? Is most of your work a collaborative effort?

Cherif: I am co-owner of the business, along with Lynn. My main job is to work as a photographer and illustrator, but being that it is a small business, I also do a little bit of everything else: marketing, sales, promotions, etc. The majority of our work is done as a collaboration, but Lynn and I both do a lot of our own solo work. For example, Lynn is currently working on developing her own line of children’s books and I am doing my own series of fantasy/mythological paintings. Meanwhile, we are both collaborating on a couple of portraits and some new book cover illustrations.

TRC: What challenges do you face as a graphic designer and illustrator? How do you handle the pressure and difficulties of a deadline?

Cherif: I think the biggest challenges are the non-artistic ones: finding clients, marketing the studio, keeping up with changing trends in the industry, etc. Being a freelance illustrator/photographer is as much about being a business person as it is about being a creative artist. It can be hard balancing both sides of myself.

TRC: Would you please tell us about one of your most surprising or interesting photography shoot?

Cherif: There have been many interesting shoots over the years, it’s hard to pick just one! On a photoshoot in Texas, we once had two Andalusian stallions escape from the handlers and run free in a National Park for two hours. That was surprising to say the least. On the same shoot, I leaned against a tree wearing only a loincloth and discovered the joys of fire ants running up my back side! Probably my favorite shoot of all time was for an illustrated book project we did called Saracen featuring models Stacy Walker and Patrick Lambke. We worked for a couple days near Haystack Rock in Oregon riding horses in the sandy dunes and in the ocean. It was amazing.

TRC: Do you have a favorite piece of work/art/photograph and where may we see it?

Cherif: Honestly, I dont have just one absolute favorite. There’s different things I like about many of our paintings. The book covers I posed for opposite my wife Dawn are definitely among my favs, both for personal reasons and because I think they were some of our most visually successful illustrations. They include the covers of Virginia Henley’s A Year and a Day and Teresa Medeiros’s Charming the Prince. You can see them at my Website ; On the technical side, I am most proud of the illustrations we did for our latest project, an illustrated book app for the iPad titled Angelique. It’s the first time I produced a book using 100% digital painting techniques and I’m pretty happy with how it all came out.

TRC: From where do you get your inspiration?

Cherif: I find ideas have never been a problem, it’s the execution that can be tricky! For me, ideas come from everywhere: literature, art, movies, comics, video games, magazines, conversations with friends, etc. I try to stay inspired by keeping in touch with other artists online, visiting art blogs and forums, and I keep an “inspiration” folder on my pc in which I put works that for one reason or another catch my eye. It’s at well over 2 gigs in size currently, and I add to it nearly every day. If I find I’m blocked for new ideas I just rummage through that folder a little and in no time my juices start flowing.

TRC: At The Reading Café we first became aware of you as a cover model for numerous romance novels. Do you know on how many covers you have appeared? Do you remember your first cover on which your image appeared?

Cherif: My first cover was for author Marsha Canham’s book, Pride of Lions. I remember it well because Marsha was instrumental in getting us the assignment from her publisher. I cant say how many covers I’ve appeared on, because many of my paintings have been sold to secondary markets in Europe, South America, and Asia, and I dont always see the finished application. If I had to estimate, I would probably say it’s in the neighborhood of several hundred.

 

TRC: Are you still active in the romance cover industry? Photographer?Designer? Model?

Cherif: I am still active in the romance industry as an illustrator. I continue to work for publishers and authors doing art for book covers. I love doing covers and I hope I can stay an active part of the romance publishing world for years to come.

TRC: From the covers on which your image has appeared, which is your favorite and why?

Cherif: Probably the cover of Blood of Roses, by Marsha Canham. Not sure why, there’s just a wistful quality about it and I think it was a flattering depiction of me 🙂 Also, any of the images from our book, Passion’s Blood.

TRC: What do you feel is the most important or interesting aspect of the romance cover industry?

Cherif: Well, there are a lot of things about the romance cover industry that have surprised me. When I first got involved, I didnt expect the genre to be so enormous. Romance is truly a driving force in the market place. I also didnt realize how integral art is to the genre: readers love and expect good art, which is awesome. The most pleasant surprise by far was how genuine and welcoming the community of readers is. I have made many excellent personal friends over the years through my exposure to the romance industry, and I cant say that about every arena of my work.

TRC: The romance cover model is the epitome of the hero or heroine within the pages of the storylines and many readers use the image as a reference to the character image. How important do you feel the cover images are to the storylines and do you believe that a cover can make or break a book sale?
Cherif: I think there are a lot of reasons why a given book will fail or succeed, some of which have nothing to do with the cover. Having said that, I do believe cover art has a special responsibility for a book’s success because it has to make that critical first impression. The unfortunate reality is that if the cover art is weak, many buyers won’t take the time to investigate the book further. Artists who want to break into this field have to realize the importance of the work they are doing and the number of people who are counting on them, not to place undo pressure, but to foster due diligence in terms of research, execution, attention to details, etc.

The art is also important to the fans. Fans love it when the art captures the feeling of the book and the characters. When the art is out of place with the story, readers remember and authors hear about it (sometimes for years). Some of the responsibility for getting this right lies with the editors and art directors, but if direction has been provided, a good artist will make sure to capture every detail.

TRC: Nude photography is sometimes a controversial aspect in the modeling industry due to the nature of the photographs. Some photographs are sensual but others border on pornographic. What is your opinion regarding nude photography? What advice would you give to upcoming and new models in the industry?

Cherif: There’s virtually no call whatsoever in romance for a model to have to pose completely nude. Partial nudity on set is sometimes expected, but the final images will almost always suggest nudity (rather than show it). If a romance industry photographer insists a model pose nude, I would be suspicious. Like everything else in life, use common sense and dont be afraid to stand up for yourself.

TRC: Are any of your children interested in a modeling career? What advice would you give regarding the modeling industry?

Cherif: So far, none of my kids has expressed an interest in modeling, though all three are artists. Best advice I have for all models is plan for a future after modeling. It comes way too soon.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Cherif: I am working with author Madeline Hunter on her brand new website. She wants the site to be something very special for her readers, and I am doing a ton of original, hand-painted artwork trying to capture the mood of her books. Can’t say more than that at this time, but stop by Madeline Hunter and to check it out!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Cherif: Thank you very much for including me at The Reading Cafe. Anyone who wants to keep in touch with me can do so via my website HERE or through facebook HERE . See you online!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Sushi

Favorite Dessert
Chocolate anything

Favorite TV Show
Dr Who

Favorite Movie
LOTR, Excalibur, Conan, Dune, 5th Element, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing (John Carpenter version), etc. Love fantasy and scifi.

Last Movie You Saw
The Hobbit

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Both!

Favorite Dream Car
Dont care. Something with lots of vowels in the name.

Do you have any pets?
10 month old Doberman named Shogun.

TRC: Thank you Cherif for taking the time to answer our questions. You have an amazing repertoire of covers, designs and photographs. We wish you all the best.

Cherif: Thanks!