Geek This Week: Alex Fine, freelance illustrator and graphic designer [ILLUSTRATIONS]

This is Technically Baltimore’s Geek This Week, a new, regular series highlighting the work of under-covered “geeks” in the Baltimore region.
This week’s geek comes from the world of graphic design. Alex Fine is a freelance illustrator with an extensive portfolio and an equally extensive client list.
Learn more about Alex below. More examples of his work are underneath the interview.

Age/Sex/Location: 33/male/Mount Vernon
Tell us about a cool project you’re working on:

I usually work on editorial illustrations for a variety of national and international publications, but locally I’m working on a beer label for a company called Union Craft. I’m not sure how much I can say about it but there will be nods to a certain John Waters film that people here in Baltimore will most likely recognize.
What does an average day at work look like for you?
I usually wake up around 7:30 a.m. and get right to work picking up from where I left off the night before. I always start with watching cable news shows and transition into Netflix movies that I have on in the background while I work. I frequent a lot of neighborhood restaurants for lunch everyday as it’s tough to find time to make lunch. I usually work between 10 and 15 hours a day depending on my workload. I try to be done with work by the time my wife comes home, but sometimes that’s impossible.
Tell us about a workplace tradition you have.
I have my guitar on a stand next to my desk so every hour or so I can plug into a little amp on my desk and play Ramones songs. It’s great for loosening up my wrist so I can keep drawing. (Side note: It’s not always Ramones songs. Sometimes Guitar Wolf works too!)

What’s a lesson you’ve learned from your graphic design work that’s applicable to people not doing design work all day?
Being in a profession that relies on deadlines and communication, I’ve learned how far hard work and kindness can take you. There are a lot of illustrators looking for work, but once you’ve established that you are reliable and easy to work with, I believe art directors will be more likely to call you back for future jobs. This seems to be a good way to approach work in all professions.
Can you recommend someone—not from your industry—in the Baltimore scene that we should know about?
There is a local group of creative workaholics called the Baltimore Rock Opera Society. They are a DIY collective that puts on original rock operas in the city. Their next production will be a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft called “Murdercastle.” It will be showing at the Bell Foundry in the Station North area. I highly recommend checking it out.
A contact for readers who might want to reach out:
Twitter: @alexfineillos // Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexfineillustration // E-mail: alex@alexfine.com