James Gulliver Hancock has been obsessed with drawing since his childhood, in Australia. Never a slacker, he began amarathon drawing project when he moved to New York in 2009, which has resulted in the book, All the Buildings in New York: That I’ve Drawn So Far (Universe 2013).

As he writes in the introduction to the book, cataloging has “become an almost ritualistic undertaking, a therapy of sorts, helping me to organize the overwhelming infinity and chaos of New York into something I can know and understand.” And with each new building, he immerses himself deeper into a city that he once saw through a tourist’s eyes as a film set of pop-cultural references. In this Q&A, he reveals some of his thoughts on his experiences as an artist, here and at home.

Q: You live in New York, originally from Sydney, Australia. As an artist, what are some of your favorite things about living and working here?

A: I lived full time in New York from 2009-2012, I now spend half the year in New York and half in Australia. I love New York for the eclectic mix of everything; the people, the architecture, all mashed together. Things you see on the street or on the subway are so unexpected, you can't help but be inspired by your surroundings. I also love it for the professional encouragement, the people are so engaged with what they are making, they are so driven and confident, this can sometimes be hard to find in Australia.

However it's hard to avoid the fact that you are born somewhere, and now with a year-old son I love showing him the things I grew up with in my hometown. Things that are hard to find in New York we love in Sydney, like going to the beach, eating fruit from trees that grow in the street. Walking bare footed a lot of the time. So we are lucky enough to be torn between two such amazing places for work and life. It is hard being "bi-hemisphere" though (for a start the flight is a killer) but worth it for the inspiration I get from both places.

Growing up in Australia gives you an inherent love and relationship with the natural world, which can be hard to find in New York; although I've spent a fair amount of time upstate, it doesn't scratch the same itch as the homeland bush and beaches do. This quote from Conrad's Lord Jim might be relevant here: “Each blade of grass has its spot on earth whence it draws its life, its strength; and so is man rooted to the land from which he draws his faith together with his life.”  I think you can uproot yourself, but you'll never truly get rid of the land you were born in, it's like family, love it or hate it.

Q: How and when did you first become interested in art, illustration and design?

A: I've always been interested in drawing. I have memories of wanting to just draw in pre-school, of finding any excuse not to move onto the puzzles or the nap time. It wasn't until a few years before moving to New York that I found illustration as a career. I'd been a designer and run a gallery but after getting an illustration rep in Australia my focus really started. That coupled with moving into a New York studio at the Pencil Factory saw me fully commit to illustration. Being around inspirations such as Jessica Hische and Leif Parsons (with whom I shared a studio) really served as an MFA in illustration. Through them and the other great people in that building I met some great art directors and had my eyes opened to a whole world of creatives in many media, and things just expanded. What I think really helped me was seeing the Brooklyn type of passion, where you focus on one thing, typically a craft, and get really really into it. All The Buildings in New York was a manifestation of this, and really suited all my previous interest in obsession.

Q: Where did the idea for All the Buildings in New York come from? Are you a fan of Ed Ruscha?

A: I've been doing similar projects in other cities, such as "all the rain in London", "all the bicycles in Berlin", "all the snow in Montreal." But these were traveler’s notes that became prints that people could purchase. It wasn't until I moved to New York and I started this same idea, but took it to a new level of intensity.

I do love Ruscha's pre-Google Maps/Street View-esque books. I'd love to get my hands on a copy one day! I think this kind of urban documentation is a great way of communicating time, beyond the time capsule sort of thing. The crumbling little details and way a man might turn his collar in the corner really tells us so much about a time and place. Similarly I love those blogs that pull together odd moments on Google Street Vew for that same reason. I actually use Street View a fair bit to back up my research in the field. If I need to check an address, or look at buildings around a building I've photographed, or even check details of a building I'm drawing. It's an amazing resource that I also use when doing map projects for illustration clients.

Q: Tells us about your art/design background. Where did you study? What was your experience there like?

A: I studied in Sydney, Australia at the University of Technology. It was around the time of the CD-ROM/internet interactivity boom, so I jumped right in, making drawings and collages move at every click and telling convoluted hidden narratives via many mediums. I had some great teachers who I could talk about Eisenstein's storyboards or art brut and pulled all these influences together to make some great things. When I finished I jumped straight into a web design job and nothing ever felt quite right until I started working for myself, initially for friends and then for bigger brands, building it up every year.

Q: What was your first assignment?

A: The first job that felt real was for a friend's band, Josh Pike, which is quite well known in Australia. We did a whole bunch of drawings and animations for his first major release and it really connected with a lot of people. This guy also got a tattoo of some of the art (here’s one of many!)

Working for/with friends can be a good way to build up a portfolio and get your work seen. One hard thing about moving cities is dislocating from this. For example sinceI didn't go to a New York college I’m often on a bit of a back foot trying to get in the door. Whereas in Australia when all my University friends started getting creative director jobs they'd call me up. However this becomes irrelevant once you're at a certain level of exposure and professionally that everyone can see via the internet or other releases.

Q: What is your favorite part of the creative process? >

A: I love the middle and end. Starting is always hard and fraught with slight fear of deadlines and possibilities. Once you're up and running it can be such a great feeling of conquering everything. Such confidence, and then finishing can have such an amazing sense of achievement. It could be a small one-day project or months of work, the same rush can apply. Sometimes you're left with a piece that you can't help but look at again and again, like a newborn baby. Then a few weeks later you're over it, and you want to do it again. The creative process is like crack.

Q: Who and what are some of your biggest influences?

A: I keep a tumblr of some of my big influences as they change quite a bit. However I think there is a consistent tension between my love of messy people like Quentin Blake and technical things like model making and spirographs. I think this tension plays into my work a lot,

Q: What are some of your favorite blogs/websites for inspiration?

A: I was addicted to a whole suite of blogs for a while, but I've tried to stop looking at them too much now, and get on with making my own content. It can be a horrible sense of jealousy looking at other people's stuff too much, so I try to just use it when I'm totally stuck. Some of the ones I was addicted to were VVORK, But Does It Float, Kotteke.org, The Fox Is Black.

Q: Have you ever had a creative block with a deadline looming? What do you do to get crackin’?

A: I do get these, and I sometimes call friends, or talk to people in the studio about it. But if you find yourself really panicking I think it's best to go out, ride your bike around and see what inspiration you can pick up. Some people I know take naps as a way to play with their brain and get ideas out, others trawl the internet, I guess I do a bit of everything, but mostly just sketching without any inhibitions is the best, doodling you might say.

Q: What was your biggest mistake and what did you learn from it?

A: I remember an early job I did, for a little company, and they asked for a few changes to the sketches, and then decided to start from scratch after that. I decided to stand my ground and say they owed me a portion of the fee for work so far. I kind of burnt the bridge. Looking back I probably was a bit harsh seeing as they were a small creative company who I would like to of stayed on good terms with. It's a fine line between not getting ripped off and being a hard arse. Through experiences like this I think I've got a good balance now though. Being nice usually wins.

Q: What advice would you give to a young illustrator who is just getting noticed?

A: Obsession has played a big part for me in getting noticed. Being focused on certain things, and doing them consistently over long periods of time. I think the diary entry process [in All The Buildings] shows potential clients a lot about who you are and your commitment to your work. The internet obviously plays a big part, setting a self initiated project and once it gets full enough sending that on to people that run blogs, this can be a great way to kick it all off.

You can meet James Gulliver Hancock in New York this week, first at a book signing for All the Buildings in New York this Thursday, 5:30-9 pm at Rizzoli Bookstore, 31 West 57^th Street, NY, NY. RSVP.

The book tour continues on Friday, May 17, 7-9 pm with a drawing party and book signing (with Brooklyn Beer) at Bookcourt, 163 Court Street, NY, NY. RSVP.

And on Saturday, May 18, there’s a book signing/residency 1-3 pm at Brooklyn Art Library, 103A N. 3^rd Street, Brooklyn, NY. RSVP.

Next week, Poketo will host a reception and book signing, May 23, 7-10 pm. 820 East 3^rd Street, Los Angeles, CA. RSVP.