Before I even knew steampunk was a word, I had a deep and passionate love for all things Art Nouveau, retro pinups and classic romantic fantasy art. So, when I came across the modern-day work of the lovely and talented Ms. Echo Chernik, I was instantly hooked on her visual Modern Nouveau style. Ms. Echo takes the old style of Mucha, blended with the sexy curves reminiscent of Varga, with a softness of a Waterhouse painting. In short, it is everything I love in spades. 

Echo has been a professional illustrator for many years, using a coined style of Modern Nouveau. Her career has spanned many mediums and many venues. Her work can be seen in gaming books, musician posters, and in multiple commercial outlets using her unique style – from tea to sneakers. When I first began thinking about a regular spotlight series of modern artists who appeal to the steampunk aesthetic, the illustrious Echo came first and foremost to my mind. Her steampunk pinups, retro illustrations, and her painstaking decorative detail to her work make her stand out in the illustrative scene. When I finally stopped peripherally stalking the artist and made contact on behalf of our readers, she happily took some time from her incredibly busy schedule between deadlines and spoke with me.

Q:  Let’s begin with the ubiquitous question, what is steampunk to you?

“Steampunk is retro-sci-fi… it’s a new way to pay homage to geniuses of the past like H.G. Wells, Jules Verne and I think some others. Technology advances so fast that it’s getting harder and harder to imagine ‘what’s next’ without some scientist actually making it reality. Pretty soon we’ll be looking back at Star Trek as alt-future. The beauty of the 19^th century was the emphasis of the entire Arts and Crafts Movement. It wasn’t enough to just invent something; it had to be beautiful too. Besides art and furniture, look at the patent drawings from that era, like the original stoplight. They didn’t just draw a machine; they drew the elegant casting of the invention showing how its beauty would fit into the existing landscape. Costumes and architecture and advertisements from that era were the best – always trying to outshine the last. Today, everything is about ‘sleek’ and ‘comforming to the lowest common denominator’ which I guess is fine. It allows the individual to define their own style – but back then, style was determined by only the most brilliant of artists and artisans.”

Q:  So would you describe your particular artistic style? What influences do you draw from?

“My artistic style is modern high art nouveau (Jugenstihl), with exotic and erotic tones but a woman’s appreciation for detail. When men draw naked women, they draw idealizations or what they want. I draw idealizations of who they are. Every woman I draw is a person, with her own history and passions. Nudity alone doesn’t define erotic. When I draw erotic, you KNOW it’s erotic. I draw the person feeling passion. While Mucha often showed more nudity than I do, my work tends to embody a little more pinup influence, and can edge over to erotic more than his.”

Q:  How were you first exposed to the steampunk subculture and at what point did you realize the parallels in your own aesthetic?

“Honestly, I saw Yaya Han in a steampunk costume while exhibiting at my first convention. I hadn’t attended a convention in years (since my RPG illustration days). Thinking she was just another cosplayer, I asked her to pose for me. I showed her my art and she got excited and we held the shoot right there at the show while my husband watched the booth. A few weeks later, the piece was done… during that time both Yaya and I each learned who the other actually was and had a great laugh about it. Here she was, the most famed cosplayer on the circuit, and here I was an extremely successful advertising illustrator with over 20 international awards to my credit. When we met next and she saw the piece we sort of bonded as professional women in this new field of fine art subculture.”

Q:  What’s your take on the steampunk subculture? Do you gain any ideas for your art from some of the costumes and props you see at the shows you go to?

“Steampunk is really about the Arts and Crafts Movement. Everything and everyone has extremely individual tastes and takes and it’s all wonderful. I take ideas from costumes that I see and make them my own… I did do one project where the art director didn’t ‘get’ it. They went to a con and bought a bunch of ‘steampunk’ items off-the-shelf and handed me photo references that were full of generic items. To the outside world, they were all exotic and new – but to the steampunk community they were all vanilla and insultingly devoid of character. I produced four detailed sketches building upon their reference creating really amazing characters and affectations – but was completely shot down and forced to render the photo almost perfectly. When the product finally came out, I heard there was a firestorm of insults from steampunk fans around the country – exactly what I tried to avoid. Just as I predicted, the overall community feeling was ‘we want fantasy, not unmodified blanks of products everyone already owns 10 of.’ I agree with all of that. Visual elements that say steampunk to me: fantastically bordello velveteen wallpaper and furnishings; old opium vials; mechanical animals; Indian influence (of all things).”

 Q:  As a successful artist working within the gaming, publishing, and commercial fields, what kind of advice would you give to artists who share your inspirations and have the drive to succeed?

“Work. Talent doesn’t make you succeed but it can be squandered. Work makes you succeed, and I’ve seen more successful average artists than you could imagine – all because they worked for it. My husband and I have each had art jobs and projects where we’ve put in 100 hours or more in a single week. I’ve been paid as little as $2 an hour for an illustration – but why did I do that? Every project forced me to learn something new, expand my skills and experiment with my style. In art school my illustration professor told us that it takes 10 years to become established as a successful working illustrator. That’s not just 10 years of drawing – that’s 10 years of learning the business, writing contracts, developing a consistent style, marketing that style, and establishing a reputation of meeting deadlines. Ten years later, almost to the day, I got my first illustration job that paid enough of my bills that I could put everything else aside. I haven’t looked back. Other advice: if you have to get a job to feed yourself (which you will), try to land one *somewhere* in the arts field. Even if it's making copies at Kinkos, there are things to learn from the jobs coming through - take the time to ask questions.”

 Q:  What are some of the designs you’ve done that you’re most proud of?

“I really like the Celestial Seasonings boxes. Mostly because it’s a landmark project (such a landmark name) but also because it shows my versatility with how I can decorate without relying on traditional art nouveau influences. (Although, it's a little embarrassing that my mom rearranges the boxes in the store each time we shop together). Of course, my three Shadowrun covers are also close to my heart because I poured my heart and soul into them. I’ve been a fan of Shadowrun for almost 20 years, and my husband and I play religiously. Also because I used those projects to teach myself a completely new style of illustration. I haven’t tried painterly realism since college, and they took WAY too long to do, but after 16 years of being an artist I proved to myself that I’m far from being stagnant or fixed in my career. If art nouveau suddenly goes out of style, while I’ll still continue to do pieces for myself, I’ll always be eligible for other things. Diversity is most important - Diversity and the willingness to grow.”

Q:  What projects are you currently working on?

“Continuing on several of my series (personal); I'm working on a series of 13 posters for a client (food based) that will be out by June; a Celestial Seasonings Box; three logos; a package design (and coordinating greeting card); *another* package design; and three private commissions.”

Q:  How can we in the community best show our support of your art?

“I have a portfolio website at http:www.echo-x.com for businesses looking for illustrations and an online gallery selling prints and giclees at http://ww.echochernik.com. I also have a Facebook page just for fans and collectors at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Echo-X-Echo-Chernik/123763912414. I do have a personal FB account for family and really close friends, but please don’t try to friend me there. I don’t post anything interesting about my art there. My appearance schedule is kept up-to-date updated on all my websites. My usual convention schedule includes MegaCon, HeroesCon, Origins, Otakon, San Diego Comic-Con, GenCon, and DragonCon. In 2011, I also plan to attend conventions in Calgary, Chicago, Hartford and others.”

That concludes our interview. But pictures do speak volumes more than words, so I’ll wrap up this piece with a showcase of some my favorite samples of her work. Enjoy.

 Doctor Q is the Media Editor for Steampunk Chronicle. He fancies himself an acoustic arranger of music and founder of the Artifice Club.