1. What is the best part of being Lead Artist?

It's seeing all the guys on the team producing awesome artwork. I mainly coordinate the delivery of artwork, and manage the art team as a whole. I aid in the art direction of some of the in-game elements, and all of the marketing artwork such as renders. So I get little time to create my own art for the game, so the realization of ideas through the art team.
Although you didn't ask, the worst part is having to juggle 18 artists to all hit deadline, when they just want to produce great art, in their own time.