Josh Cochran draws, paints, cuts and places images for editorial, publishing, and advertising clients across the spectrum of art and design. He is currently working on a children’s book that will be published next year.

How and when did you first become interested in art and illustration?

I have always had an interest in art ever since I was really young, though I didn't know illustration existed until I was studying in college. I took an introductory figure drawing class and my professor at the time was an illustrator who introduced me to illustration. I think he brought in some super stylized painted skate decks, which blew my mind.

What was your first commercial assignment?

I went to New York after graduation and visited Steven Heller who, at the time was the art director of the New York Times Book Review. He called me a couple of days later for a job. Luckily I must have made an ok impression on him because I started to get regular calls from the Book Review soon after. 

What is your favorite part of the creative process? 

I love that moment when you’ve been working on a piece for a long time and things finally start to click into place. This usually happens somewhat late at night when you don't have any distractions, you're totally in the zone and things are starting to shape up in an interesting and unexpected way. 

How do you spend the first hour of your work day?

I usually do my emails and invoicing and boring paperwork in the morning. I try to get some of the mundane things out of the way so it clears the rest of my day for making things. 

Do you keep a sketchbook? How do you keep track of ideas for your art?

Yes. I got in the habit of keeping a sketchbook at art school but fell out of practice once I started working professionally. I would draw on loose pieces of paper which would eventually get lost or thrown away which prompted me to make a point of keeping a sketchbook. It's pretty loose and a bit ugly, but I do carry it around most days.

What is the longest-running theme in your art?

I believe I have been drawing buildings for the longest period of time in my work. I grew up in a city and now live in a very big city so it's easy to see how my environment has seeped into my drawing.

Is there any other profession you secretly wish you had pursued?

At one point in my education I studied film and animation. I have always had a soft spot for filmmaking which has been a fantasy of mine for quite a while.  

What are you listening to?

Current playlist includes: Kendrick Lamar, The Specials, Dirty Beaches, A$ap Rocky, Rhye, Elvis Presley, Autre Ne Veut, Max Richter, Drake, Paul Simon, and the Fuck Buttons.

What was the last art exhibition you saw and what did you take away from it?
I don't think this was the last exhibit I saw but it was rather memorable, James Ulmer at Beginnings Galleryin Greenpoint. He has a great line and draws these chunky figures and superheros on found paper. I bought this piece of a muscular weightlifter which not only is a really charming drawing but also coincides with my current obsession of drawing muscular people. 

What are some of your favorite places/blogs/websites for inspiration?
This particular site is truly amazing and is one of the best things on the internet http://www.vpeeker.com/

Who/what are some of your strongest influences?

In no particular order some influences include: Hokusai, Cy Twombly, Wong Kar Wai, spam, Taiwan, Wyoming, a downtrodden cowboy, my high school track team, Legos, Star Wars, Pushpin Sudios, Hergé, Mickey Mouse, Garfield, Charley Brown, the alto saxophone in a marching band, orange flavored trident, coffee, small Boston Terriers, the zombie apocalypse, rap music, Kings Quest 4, Space Quest 3, uni sushi, soon tofu soup, Bosch, William Eggleston, The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Playlab, my amazing teachers in art school, my family and peers, John Singer Sargent, salt water fish tanks, Spokane.

What advice would you give to a young artist/illustrator who is just getting noticed?
Work hard every day and try to drink as much water as possible. It's surprising how much better you can feel after properly hydrating. Also I have found that investing in a decent office chair has paid off in spades. As far as materials go, you can't go wrong with a few pieces of copy paper, a box of Tombo soft lead pencils and an electric eraser.

Josh Cochran grew up in Taiwan and California. He graduated from Art Center College of Design with honors in 2005, and immediately began working as an illustrator. Josh teaches at the School of Visual Arts and occasionally fills in as an Art Director for the New York Times Op-Ed page. In 2013, his work on Ben Kweller's Go Fly A Kite received a Grammy nomination for Best Limited Edition Packaging. He has a number of side projects, and sometimes exhibits his silkscreens and drawings in galleries. His work has been selected for American Illustration on a regular basis since his student days. Currently, Josh is working on his first children's book, New York, Inside And Out (2014). He lives in Brooklyn with his small dog Porkchop.

Illustrations, from the top down: Bergen Street. Litho crayon and acrylic on found paper. Life Reimagined. A mural done with Leif Parsons and John Malta for the AARP Life Reimagined convention in New Orleans. Seniors were given cards to write down their life goals and dreams, which we then interpreted and drew on a large wall during the event. Produced by SYPartners. An illustration from the bookCollecting Art for Love, Money and More (Phaidon).