#illustrator-s

The first time I became drawn to the idea of creating art for the entertainment industry was when I saw Feng Zhu's Youtube tutorials. I didn't realize there was such a field before.

I later discovered Sparth's work, and was blown away by the beautiful images, and came to realize how much I love environment and storytelling.

I had the chance to create images with architecture and interior as the subject, and I realized how much I loved them. My experience on construction sites when I was little, because my dad was a civil-engineer, helped a lot.

After I started to put my hands on mechanical design as a subject, I also realized that I actually loved mechanical stuff too. Again, my childhood memory contributes to that.

But before all that, it was when I saw my dad play Starcraft, that my journey of becoming a professional artist began. Only I didn't know back then. Many other games after that helped shape my aesthetics in one way or another.

The same thing happened again right after Starcraft when I saw my dad watch The Matrix, and then I watched Neo Evangelion with my cousins. Then I watched The Fifth Element and Solaris. I was blown away by how images and designs (with many other movie elements such as spacing and editing) could tell so much story and create such a strong impact.

Alongside movies, animes and games, I was fortunate enough to have had great friends who shared with me their love toward illustration. I have been very fortunate that my friends love the same illustrations, animes and games I love, so my passion can continue being nurtured. 

And, I love fine art too. I find the beautiful lighting, colors, compositions and values rejuvenating. To me, it is one of the origins where all the above beauty comes from. It was and still is, and I believe it will keep being so.

Last but not least, my love towards books. I love novels and philosophy. The older I grow, the more I feel the ability to think abstractly helps me greatly as an artist. I can see from a more overall, or bird’s-eye- view perspective; analyze and feel my subjects better. Here is just a small collection I happened to have with me at this moment.

Over the next few weeks Jessica will be guest posting here and taking over our Instagram as the New Visions Featured Artist. Read her interview below and make sure to visit her website! 

Cear Tintagel

When and how did you decide to become an illustrator?

It was more the case of when I decided to become an artist. The idea came up when I was deciding which major to enroll when I was applying for college. However, not until I really started studying different types of art, did I become sure about the path of being an artist. There are many aspects about art and design that I love, such as story-telling, composition, light and shadow, structure and shape, communicating with and creating impact on audience, providing a new vision and an inspiring experience, problem-solving to achieve a beautiful yet comprehensive design, and the list goes on. There are many ways of fulfilling them, and illustration is one of the ways which I enjoy very much.

Who are the biggest inspirations for your career?

In terms of artistic inspirations, although I no longer follow their styles, Feng Zhu’s and Scott Robertson’s design logic opened the initial door for me. 

Other artists that inspire me include John Wallin Liberto, Fausto De Martini, George Hull, Sparth (Nicolas Bouvier). Ruan Jia, Donato Giancola, Kekai Kotaki, and Karla Ortiz are some artists I really admire. When I am doing more animation style, Dice Tsutsumi is my go-to inspiration.

I also really appreciate what I have learned from my instructors in my grad school, including Steven Player, Brandon Luyen, Joko Budiono, Zhaoming Wu, Zin Lim, Craig Nelson and Gilbert Banducci for both artistic and work ethic inspirations.

Tree of Life

Name one non-illustration inspiration in your career.

It is difficult to name just one, but if I can only name one, I would say it’s the world. I love walking on the streets and visiting different places. My aesthetics is best nurtured by the designs in our civilization and the nature, such as the architectures, the interior designs, the fashion, the tools, the machines, the vehicles, the lights in different times of a day, in different seasons, and the list goes on. 

If I can name one more, it would be my parents, who have great work ethic and are supportive and open-minded to their a little unconventional girl.

I really need to name one more, which is my experiences combined with my relationships with people so far. I feel that to be a good artist, one needs to be able to empathize very well and deeply.

The Critical Moment

What is the best advice you have been given as an artist?

“Artist should lead, not just follow” is one of the greatest advice I’ve gotten so far. It was given by John Picacio. He explained that it doesn’t mean that artists can do whatever, but instead, we should strive to provide visions which are better than what our clients/supervisors expect while fulfilling the requests.

What is your creative habit? What do you have to do to get into your creative zone?

In order to be creative yet fulfilling the clients’ requests, I like to browse through the references which I gathered for the particular task. If there is not a board of references yet, I look up on the internet or look into books to get references. Even if it is for personal projects, reference gathering is always the best way for me to warm up.

What music and books inspire you to create?

I love many types of musics, but most time, motivational songs or indie musics can help me see visions more easily and clearly, while pop rocks help me calm down and concentrate on a piece that’s already been started.

I also love all sorts of art books, fine art, art books of movies, video games, animations, architectures, cultures, even travel books with beautiful photography, and of course photography collections.

Enchanted 

As it relates to illustration what advice have you never forgotten?

All the unforgettable advice I have gotten so far is for being artist in general. If it has to be specifically for illustration, it must be something technical. I would say any advice about lighting, composition, and story-telling elements.

Do you see illustration as a group of individuals or a community?

I can’t really say one or the other, since, to me, a community is a group of individuals, and we share information and ideas with each other, grow with each other, communicate with each other, challenge and inspire each other. I also can’t see a community long lasting without individuality. Individuality gives a person a sense of self-worth, and only when we feel ourselves worthwhile at a right degree, we like to share and encourage others and grow with others.

What sort of things keep you involved in the world of illustration?

Envisioning an alternative reality, or future, or another world, and beautiful and impacting images. It could be in this time and space, or in other time and space. I love both beautiful, dramatic and emotional visuals and the feeling of infinite possibility.

What is your dream project?

I am doing my dream projects now in one way or another. I love illustrating/designing for projects related to future cities, or possible alien occupation in an ancient time, or alien civilization, imaginary worlds, or space colony, or alternative present or past, or experimental design styles. Nevertheless, if I can work with NASA or VR/AR development, it would be super cool.

Lake Plaza

If you could time travel what year would you go to?

Ten thousand years from now. I really want to see if humans are still there and how we are doing, and if we find some fellows from other parts of the universe.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

When I have ah-ha moments with a new technique/method, and when I have ah-ha moments for good ideas which I emotionally relate to a lot. Also, When I see the face of my audience, be it my clients, my supervisors, a by-passer, a fan, lights up, or when I read their excited or touched responses. I know that my heart and effort and ideas in the piece are being received in one way or another, and have created an impact on them.

What’s the most terrifying part of your job?

It is a little scary that when sometimes there doesn’t seem to have enough time for a task. Fortunately, if I was able to maintain good work ethic, health and time management, I usually could fulfill the request.

Love the Internet or hate the Internet?

Absolutely love the Internet. A lot of my researching work depends on the Internet, either as direct references or as a validity check.

Last Friday Chris took over our Instagram as we celebrated the Student Scholarship Competition exhibition opening and his Scholarship win. Today learn more about Chris in the interview below. 

1. When and how did you decide to become an illustrator?

At VCUarts Portfolio Day in 2009. It was my senior year of high school and I spent the day shopping for art programs that I thought I wanted to go to. VCU was the last one I went to for the day, and Sterling Hundley just happened to be running that table. When I met him and told him I was maybe thinking about pursuing illustration, he gave me the most thorough portfolio review I’d ever had, and told me exactly what I needed to know to become an illustration student. Took 3 years after that day, but it paid off big time.

2. Who are the biggest inspirations for your career?

My friends. A lot of them I used to follow on Blogspot back before I moved to Richmond. They were (and still are!) a ragtag group of creatives who focused on the work and being as dope as possible. That energy is what inspired me the most. Even now I’m glad to be surrounded by folks who are always grinding, not only to be the best at what they do, but to be the best selves they can be.

3. Name one non-illustration inspiration in your career.

Prince.

                                                                                                                 All Black 

4. What is the best advice you have been given as an artist?

Know when not to take advice—When you get advice that steers you from where you want to end up, you’re by no means obligated to follow it.

5. What is your creative habit? What do you have to do to get into your creative zone?

I have to start in the morning, or else it’s exponentially harder to get into the zone. I need quiet or ambient jams to contrast my surging thoughts before calming down to focus.  

                                                                                 Boxing Taught Me to Survive 

6. What music and books inspire you to create?

I’ve been reading a bunch of Octavia Butler lately. The contrast between intimacy and brutality are themes I want to explore in my work soon. Also recently finished Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, by Kai Ashante Wilson. His attention to detail and matter-of-fact style of world-building is really up my alley.

For music though, I’ve been playing Lil Yachty’s Lil Boat a lot. It’s really playful, well refined Atlanta trap that’s easy to rope you in. Also Chance’s Coloring Book is flames. 2016 is a good year for music. Lemonade, James Blake’s The Colour in Anything, and Kaytranada’s 99.9% were instant downloads for me.

7. As it relates to illustration what advice have you never forgotten?

“Be loose without being messy.” It was recent advice, but hearing it when I did made things click for me—I’ve had the most fun drawing loose figures in motion, or anything in motion for that matter.

                                                                                                                Fanfiction

8. Do you see illustration as a group of individuals or a community?

That’s a tough one. Illustration to me is me and my friends I’ve met from all around. The wider that net of friends, the larger the community. However, I do wish illustration at-large could be as tight-knit as comics can be.

9. What sort of things keep you involved in the world of illustration?

Knowing that social discourse can be important within the image-making profession and as an image-maker. Illustration is the most impactful tool I use to communicate.

10. What is your dream project?

I want to run an animated show or direct a feature. Along the way, I want to work on a graphic novel.  A dream project for me is one where I can have total creative freedom without struggling to eat.

11. If you could time travel what year would you go to?

2100. When people talk about the future, they talk about the state of the environment and technology. I want to see how far society has progressed. I want to know if someone like me can walk around without people locking their hovercar doors, haha.

                                                                                        Benefits of Collaboration

12. What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Knowing that my work has touched someone’s life in a very real way. Alternatively, when I go grocery shopping with money I got for drawing pictures. That’s so surreal to me.

12. What’s the most terrifying part of your job?

That moment when you send up your final draft and you wait to see whether or not there are revisions.

13. Love the Internet or hate the Internet?

Who would hate the internet?

1. When and how did you decide to become an illustrator?

I’ve had an interest in drawing since I was young; my parents set up easels in our backyard for my sister and I to paint. From that point on, I loved drawing outside and being in nature. It wasn’t always my ambition to become an illustrator, however. I spent my freshman year at UNC - Chapel Hill studying journalism before deciding I wanted to transfer to SCAD to pursue working in the arts. I didn’t know illustration was a career people could have until I applied! I fell in love with it when I took my first illustration classes in my sophomore year, and I started getting my first few jobs during my senior year in 2013.

The Pelasgian Creation Myth, an illustration for Botanica, a show celebrating the origin of our Earth, at Light Grey Art Lab.

2. Who are the biggest inspirations for your career?

One person who immediately comes to mind is Lisa Congdon. I love that she works in so many different areas, from fine art, to book illustration, to surface design, and more. She can work in many different mediums, and yet her work looks so consistent. She’s also one of the kindest people I’ve met, and she helped me out a lot when I was first starting out. I’d love to expand and work in different markets and experiment more in my personal work, and Lisa’s work is a great example of that.

3. Name one non-illustration inspiration in your career.

Nature! It’s probably no surprise looking at my work that I am into flora and fauna, but I love looking up weird plants and animals. Some of my recent favorite weird plants include swaddled baby orchids, Titan arum (the corpse plant), rafflesia, and pitcher plants. Some strange (and cute!) animals I’m into lately are the elephant shrew, the dik dik, the Javan mouse deer, and quolls.

Nature Walks, a personal piece inspired by collecting little bits and pieces of nature while walking around my hometown.

4. What is the best advice you have been given as an artist?

Don’t be afraid of rejection. Rejection is universally a horrible experience, but it’s important to know that you won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (and, personally, I don’t even like tea). I tell myself not to be embarrassed or ashamed to put my work out there.

5. What is your creative habit? What do you have to do to get into your creative zone?

I keep a pretty consistent schedule every day. I wake up, get dressed, walk my sweet shiba inu Molly (she’s an angel and just the apple of my eye), play with her in the yard, eat something for breakfast, answer morning emails, work, eat lunch, work and answer emails some more, play with Molly in the yard, and work some more. I’m usually in a cheerful mood after dog time, and that’s when I do my best creative work. I also love making lists. Lists are helpful to keep on track of deadlines, but I also have lists of personal projects I want to complete, ideas for new illustrations, and lists of inspiring plants and animals.

Lincoln's Funeral, for Smithsonian Magazine.

6. What music and books inspire you to create?

Lately I’ve been working my way through the Harry Potter audiobooks. They were such an important part of my childhood, and always inspired me as a kid. I’m on the sixth one now, and I’m dreading what I’ll do when I finish them! I also love listening to podcasts while I work. Some of my current favorites are Reply All, Mystery Show, The Light Grey Podcast, Creative Pep Talk, Invisibilia, Criminal, 99% Invisible, Radiolab, Tanis, and Lore. I don’t listen to music very often while I work, but here’s a link to a playlist I made a few years ago when I was living in Brooklyn and missing my home. Take a listen here.

7. As it relates to illustration what advice have you never forgotten?

Keep learning. It’s helpful to realize that every illustration I complete is a learning experience, and I’ll never be done growing as an artist and as a person. 

MYTH, cover illustration for Taproot Magazine.

8. Do you see illustration as a group of individuals or a community?

I’ve found illustration to be a warm and welcoming community. Although everyone has their own individual style and inspirations, everyone comes together in a supportive and encouraging way.

9. What sort of things keep you involved in the world of illustration?

I love being surrounded by beautiful and moving art, and the world of illustration is consistently providing that.

10. What is your dream project?

I’ve never worked in the book market before, and I really want to. I’d love to do a novel cover, illustrate a book about plants or animals, that sort of thing. I’ve gotten some of my dream projects from amazing clients this past year, so I’ve had to reevaluate recently and think about where I want to go next. Books seem like the next step to me.

Lyra, created for Light Grey Art Lab's show Cosmos, celebrating the illuminated night sky with constellations and astral bodies.

11. If you could time travel what year would you go to?

I’d love the aesthetics of Victorian England, like the beautiful dresses, the mourning traditions, and idyllic picnics. But I wouldn’t want to stay long, since I’d have few rights as a woman, and modern medicine is pretty great.

12. What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

I get to draw pictures for a living, hang out all day with my sweet pup, and talk about weird plants I like in interviews. Really, it’s the coolest job.

13. What’s the most terrifying part of your job?

I’m always hesitant to make long term plans for road trips, vacations, and personal projects, because it’s never really up to me when I want to take a break. I hate saying no to great projects and opportunities because I want to focus on my own thing, or go visit family for a weekend. It seems, when you’re first starting out, that you get to make your own schedule - because you don’t have too much going on. But lately, I’ve been working on client projects and surfacing every few weekends for some fresh air and, if I’m lucky, a personal piece. I shouldn’t complain, especially because I love the projects I’ve been working on and my clients are wonderful, kind folks, but I’m still learning how to budget my time and not face burnout.

Foxes, a silk scarf illustration for Spitalfields Silks.

14. Love the Internet or hate the Internet?

Love it! I don’t live closeby to many illustrators, and the internet lets me communicate and keep in touch with my friends, meet new illustrators and form lasting friendships, and share what I’m working on with the world. I’m so lucky I’ve gotten to know so many cool people via the Internet - it’s still kind of funny, when I go visit a new place and get to meet an Internet friend that I’ve never met in real life before, it’s such a weird and wonderful experience. For me, the illustration community has been so friendly and welcoming, and I love the internet for bringing me to these great people.

We are happy to announce that the April New Visions Featured Artist is Jessica Roux. Over the next two weeks we will share an inside look into her process and inspiration. Take a look at her beautiful work below and make sure to follow our Instagram when Jessica takes over for the day on April 28th! 

Elk in Nature, for Light Grey Art Lab's Animystics show.

Food, for Zest Magazine.

Coyote Love Letters, for issue 19 of Zaftig Zine, "Vitality."