Veerle's blog

The journey through James' work in one of many vibes or moods. His covers are some of the most striking I have ever seen. Without further delay here is the work of James Jean.

My name is James Jean, I was born in Taiwan in 1979, but my father moved us to New Jersey where I shoveled the snow in the winter, mowed the grass in the spring and summer, and raked the leaves in the fall. Currently, I'm making art in the eternal sunshine of Santa Monica, California. Since graduating from the School of Visual Arts in 2001, I've worked mostly as an illustrator, serving such clients as DC/Vertigo, Atlantic Records, Rollingstone, Nike, Reebok, Target, The New York Times, and many others.

When looking at James' art, you're immediately grabbed by its imagination and you desperately want to find the story behind it. His work is very diverse and each character piece is an eyecatcher in its own way. I'm blown away by how he succeeds in capturing so much emotion in his work and the way he sketches his characters with perfection in anatomy and expression. Some of his work has a certain disturbing horror vibe to it. This could have something to do with his comics background. His fantasy is endless; I'm really intrigued by that. James is a true illustrator artist in the broad sense. He's a very rare talent.

Do you first sketch your illustrations on paper? Can you reveal a bit of your usual technical process? Which applications do you mainly use?

On my blog, www.processrecess.com, there are varius posts where I breakdown my process. It always starts with some loose thumbnails on paper which evolve into a single, tight pencil sketch. Afterwards, I'll create a larger drawing or painting based on the sketch, and finish the coloring in Photoshop if needed. Usually, watercolor and acrylic are used to create texture and effects.

Any special links to websites/books you use to get inspired that you would like to share with us?

A book that I like to share is Sister Wendy's 1000 Masterpieces. Two websites that I visit often are BibliOdyssey and www.meathaus.com.

What's your ultimate dream project as an illustrator?

I'd love to create a large format storybook continuing a series of illustrations I call 'Recess'.

Does your work environment have an influence on your inspiration or work?

Absolutely -- it's very helpful to have a light-filled space to work in. The environment of an illustrator can be hermetic, so it helps to be surrounded by art, while the internet is a useful nuisance that can delight and distract.

What do you do to recharge your creative batteries?

Ride my bike along the beach.

More examples at James' blog ProcessRecess and on his business website.