EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 17 © 2016 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

85 PR: Were any other members of your family artistic? ZR: Most of my family is somewhat artistic. My dad is an art teacher and my uncle owns a design firm. My great grandfather was a landscape painter. PR: Where did you train? ZR: I earned my BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology but most of what I learned and use in my professional career came from schoolism.com , 3D Total , digital painting books, and any painting tutorial I could find on YouTube from artists I liked. PR: What were your early influences? ZR: I have always been drawn to the master landscape painters, and cartoons like Powerpuff Girls , Danny Phantom , animated movies. PR: Did drawing come easily to you? ABOVE: From a series of designs for a spookily- themed amusement park complex, revealing Zac's mastery of atmosphere, design, inventiveness and a delightfully charming sense of characterisation.