Illustrate for Yourself
- Lea Sunshine
- Jul 16, 2017
- 2 min read
Who: www.kellyyah.com
What:
[In Her Eyes]
What got her into digital illustration: On Christmas of my freshman year of college (2015), my parents gifted me a simple USB drawing tablet for my computer. I drew a lot in my free time from childhood through high school with pens, markers, and graphite, but always wanted to break into digital– with programs, your hundreds of tools and colors are as portable as your laptop, and you can test all of your different ideas without fear of permanence. I had downloaded Adobe Illustrator a few months prior and had messed around with Photoshop in high school, but my knowledge of the two programs was still very limited. Now that I actually had a tablet, I was determined to learn how to use it. I became a shut-in for the rest of break, watching tutorials and practicing practicing practicing. I'm not a fan of my earlier works– but everything takes time.
Why she does it: You know those times when you start to do something, and you're just in the zone? Like you're so fixated on doing the thing in front of you that you don't feel distraction or boredom or hunger, and before you know it, hours have passed? That's how I felt and still when I'm creating. For my mental wellbeing, I need to have one thing that belongs to me– something that isn't related to achievement or career advancement. Something that I do just because I like it; something I can retreat to when I'm feeling inspired or when the world feels heavier (these two aren't mutually exclusive). It's purely a hobby– I do it when I want to and for no one else but me. And not all of my stuff is symbolic or expressive, but there come times when I have feelings I want capture somehow– I'm not skilled in music or photography or writing, so I do it in the way I've come to know how.
Artists she likes: Zipcy is a Korean illustrator I'm following. In the series she's putting out right now she captures human intimacy and delicate touch so beautifully.
James Jean has a huge body of work. A lot of it's dreamy, ethereal, dark and has such a level of detail and intricacy that shows he's incredibly technically skilled. He's voiced struggling with the balance– or choice– between commercial success and personal artistic expression. Discontent, he left the style that made him recognized to pursue other mediums before returning to his original style, but with a greater sense of perspective and balance.
Noted by blvd eye while documenting the style of street
Art: kellyyah, Main cover edit: blvd eye
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