Smile, Crocodile! #2
Contrary to the comic above, I am the opposite of a pescatarian.
It’s been a whopping eight days since I started this whole newsletter journey and I’m having a wonderful time! Speaking of wonderful, I’d like to introduce you to a few artists that I look up to before getting to a couple of announcements at the end of this post.
I can’t begin to talk about people I respect without Disa Wallander, an absolute comics gem and master of mixed media. I think her work is part of what got me into scrapbooking, it’s so engaging and with such an interesting variety of materials cobbled together to make the most weird and emotionally raw work I’ve ever seen. Don’t misunderstand me, I still think her work is weird as hell and a little uncomfortable sometimes, but that’s oddly what makes it perfect. Her graphic novel, Becoming Horses, was the closest I’ll ever get to being on drugs and I mean that in a lot of ways (this is a positive review, I could not recommend this book enough).
Mateusz Urbanowicz is a Polish artist now living in Japan and has been an inspiration of mine for about six years. He was probably the first artist to truly inspire me to change how I approach illustration, and I don’t believe my work would be the same without his influence. While most of his works are without characters, they never lack charm; his spaces always have a lived in quality that feels inviting and loved. I found his work on YouTube in my freshman year of college through his DIY project videos - he’s a phenomenal craftsman alongside of being a one-of-a-kind painter. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t care much about drawing backgrounds before I began to get to know his work. Characters aren’t the only things that can tell a story and he does a spectacular job of bringing environments to life.
Jennifer Xiao is pretty damn iconic. Not to get too deep, but I really enjoy the idea of “building a brand identity”. It’s fun to design things around a theme or persona, and Jennifer Xiao as a brand has really inspired me a ton when I consider my own branding and design choices. “Simple and flat” are words that tend to be associated with corporate and wholesome in the art world, and she seems to use that corporate aspect especially to her advantage. Yes, I know she does a lot of editorial, but it makes her funny pieces funnier and I love that.
Now that you’ve made it to the end of the post, it’s announcement time.
MY IN-PERSON COMICS & COMPOSITION WORKSHOP FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS AND COLLEGE FRESHMAN WITH THE SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS IS NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!
I’ll be leading a 2 hour in-person comics & composition workshop at the Society of Illustrators on December 3rd. It’s open to high schoolers and college freshmen and requires advance registration to attend. Register here!
I also have a secret project that I can’t talk about, but good things are in the works - take my word for it! I’m going to try and make these newsletters weekly for now, and I’m excited to share more with you all next week.
Talk soon!
Jayme