Jem Yoshioka, Illustration

Spying

Jem Yoshioka — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:36:17 +0000

Photoshop

Inky Story

Jem Yoshioka — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:50:58 +0000

Coloured inks & Pencil

Crochet

Jem Yoshioka — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:01:58 +0000

Recently I have become a little obsessed with crochet, specifically amigurumi. It started when my Great Grandmother gave me her collection of crochet hooks in April and has built from there.

From the outside they might look completely unrelated to the rest of my art, but there’s something about making them that encourages me to work harder with all my projects and give anything a shot.

When I first tried to make a chain it was the most impossible thing ever. The hook was awkward to maneuver, and I couldn’t understand for the life of me how to make my work look like a bunch of well made knots rather than a bunch of tangled ones. I was ready to put the hook back down and resign my amigurumi dream. Luckily for me, there was a power cut! I spent the 3 hours that power was out learning how to make a magic ring. By the end of the cut I not only had a magic ring, I had a small pink ball of amigurumi! Awesome!

There are few things as satisfying as conquering a steep learning curve, but where would I be without my trusty friend and teacher, The Internet? Not only are there some really brilliant and inspiring works out there (I especially love Melissa Stanley’s creations), but there is a sea of helpful advice in amazing communities all across the web. Youtube especially has been an excellent resource.

I am a predominantly left-handed person. A lot of lefties end up quite ambidextrous from the necessity of this right-handed world, but not me. I try and force myself to do double-handed things (guitar, videogames, and now crochet), in order to keep the analytical left side of my brain from becoming too sluggish and sleepy.

I also begin to think in three dimensions, which is something as a 2D artist I don’t do nearly enough. My work suffers from being “flat”, I’m hoping working with something in 3D will help me with this. Crochet is great because you get to see the shape emerge as you go, rather than knitting where you have to wait until you’ve finished all the pieces to see what it will look like.

So, after 5 months I’ve gone from this to this. I can now stitch while half asleep in front of the television. The two monsterbunnies are currently my crowning achievement, being made from a Frankenstein of patterns I’ve worked with so far. Having picked up this much of the craft in this short of a time makes me feel like there’s nothing I can’t learn more about if I dedicate myself to it. I also hope that eventually I’ll be able to say my amigurumi are art pieces, rather than an out of control hobby.

Growing as an artist

Jem Yoshioka — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:08:32 +0000

Sometimes, very rarely, I can feel when I’m growing as an artist. Now is one of those times.

It’s showing itself in small ways, like figuring out how blend colours more subtly, and an awareness of the importance of fixing a stray line I would previously have ignored.

This growth has come directly out of illustrating subject matter I haven’t worked with before. I have to be more aware of what it is I’m working with, I can’t create the same kind of image with the same little mistakes. It takes me back to the building blocks of what drawing is about – observation, reference, and really seeing something in order to interpret it freshly. And that fresh material ends up improving how I deal with everything, even things I’ve drawn thousands of times before.

The Otherwalls is presenting me with a new challenge each time I sit down to work on it. From storytelling and pacing to character design and backgrounds, I’m having to think critically about every line and colour and really know that that’s where I want it, and that it’s helping me to say what I want.

It’s a step outside my comfort zone, and it is so awesome.

So! If you’re looking for a way to become more awesome as an artist, I suggest you try drawing something different!

The Pink Canary

Jem Yoshioka — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:12:44 +0000

Illustrator

Zombies

Jem Yoshioka — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:01:24 +0000

Photoshop and Painter

Dragongirl

Jem Yoshioka — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:58:36 +0000

Photoshop

Tightrope

Jem Yoshioka — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:57:05 +0000

Photoshop and Painter

Uni and Her Ukelele

Jem Yoshioka — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:55:38 +0000

Photoshop

A poster made for Uni & Her Ukelele‘s New Zealand and Australia tour.

Midnight Note

Jem Yoshioka — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:50:49 +0000

Photoshop on Sketch

A page of work from Collective Noun‘s Transmedia Noir Story, The Case of The Midnight Note

World Sweet World

Jem Yoshioka — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:47:03 +0000

Photoshop on Sketch

One Eye

Jem Yoshioka — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:43:01 +0000

Pencil on Paper

Little Robot

Jem Yoshioka — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:52:11 +0000

Made with Super Sculpey

Cat’s Cradle

Jem Yoshioka — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:45:33 +0000

Pencil on Paper

Uni and her Ukelele

Jem Yoshioka — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:40:03 +0000

Watercolour and ink on Paper