On The Spot: Joohyung Seo

On The Spot: Joohyung Seo

Gentle, cloudy and ethereal, they are like dreams or extended-shed childhood memories. Joohyung Seo’s illustrations merge visible storytelling with impressionist spontaneity to deliver out some of the most atmospheric art you will occur throughout. 

On the lookout at her mesmerizing works, it’s hard to think about that Joohyung has formally begun her artistic vocation only previous yr. In this week’s On The Place, the Korean illustrator tells us much more about her route so significantly – and how it all commenced with robots and pyramids.

Where do you dwell and what does your studio glance like?

I dwell in a extremely busy port metropolis in South Korea, but the good news is my neighborhood takes place to be in the quieter aspect. My studio is also my home, so the boundary involving workspace and other “living spaces” is quite blurry. It is a tiny, humble place with a messy desk, a great deal of publications (50 percent of them comedian books), and very little souvenirs I gathered from all the places I have visited close to the planet. 

It is a fantastic small place wherever I can emphasis very easily, even so it would be even superior if I could also get a cat as a studio assistant!

How did you turn into an artist?

I officially started out out as a freelance illustrator last 12 months, following graduating from faculty. As a youngster, I experienced a couple of different dream work opportunities in mind – a person of them was a scientist (I wanted to make robots), and another 1 was an archeologist, as I have been fascinated with ancient Egypt archeology because I was younger.

On the other hand, as the years passed, I recognized that what I truly liked accomplishing was drawing the robots, and that I was specifically pretty fascinated in the artwork of historic Egypt. And so I identified myself spending a great deal of time drawing and portray, and assumed it would be great to be equipped to do this for the relaxation of my daily life. But whilst I was experiencing earning artwork, I wasn’t sure if I would be equipped to make this function as a job. It took me a even though to come to a decision owing to economical concerns.

Now, as you can see, the decision has been produced. I just went for it and started off operating as a freelance illustrator. I started off out with non-public commissions, album addresses, brand models, and now I’m also running a print shop.

Airplanes

Do you paint each day? What does your standard day search like?

I test to paint most days of the week, unless of course I’m possessing wrist agony. After finding what I would argue is a wholesome and fair amount of caffeine in the early morning, I observe the plans I established up the preceding day. I commonly start out the working day by doing speedy studies or sketches, and the research subjects modify depending on what I consider I will need to enhance on, no matter whether that be anatomy, colours, and many others. Then I start off performing on any ongoing tasks and consider care of my print store orders, which consists of functioning to the publish office environment on shipping days. 

When I have much more cost-free time, I like to commence the working day by going on extensive walks incredibly early in the early morning, ordinarily for about an hour or an hour and a fifty percent. For most of the day, I attract and paint until the time will come to get all set for bed and strategy out what to do the subsequent day. And the cycle continues!

You have a one of a kind style. How did you create it?

My type is massively impressed by the artwork of Georges Seurat. His drawings have a beautiful atmospheric high quality to them and I did a good deal of research of his work as effectively as will work inspired by his type. 

I was also intensely influenced by the city wherever my higher education was situated. There were being times in the course of winter when it would get quite foggy at night time, generating my surroundings glance like fuzzy charcoal drawings. I took a large amount of images for reference and use them till this working day. 

And just after I graduated from college or university, I acquired a chance to vacation to New York Metropolis and put in a good deal of time in museums. Each day I would examine oil paintings and pastel drawings really intently and precisely referenced a good deal of impressionist paintings. I recognized there ended up many subtle shade nuances even in some thing that looked like a really tough and simple stroke, and understood there were rarely any flat pure colours in the paintings. There were at least a single or two other hues mixed in into that 1 stroke, earning the complete portray have a form of attractive feathery and lively glimpse. Every time I get started painting I often attempt to keep in mind this and integrate it in my individual work. I was also motivated by the glance of paints peeling off from outdated mural paintings as effectively as rust – I test to deliver that aged, worn out, and mysterious good quality to my operate. 

Who are the people you paint?

The two people I normally paint, who shall remain unnamed for now, are very best pals who have been separated due to situations beyond their management. I established the yellow character to be the embodiment of childhood and the other character who is typically painted with a darker color (commonly purple) signifies the changeover into adulthood. 

What are your major inspirations?

Occasionally it is publications and films I liked, other occasions it’s the need to illustrate thoughts I am obtaining a difficult time expressing through particular words and phrases. A large amount of the time it is what I notice about me, like the hues of the sky and light, as very well as the atmosphere. 

My most significant creative inspiration is, yet again, Seurat and his drawings. Some folks may well have recognized I attract a large amount of figures in profile check out and that arrives from me observing Michelle Ocelot’s Prince et Princesses religiously as a little one. I really like the graphic high quality of his films and my reminiscences of seeing Prince et Princesses most likely creep in subconsciously into my do the job.

Knight in Purple

If you could pick just one place on Earth to are living and paint, exactly where would it be?

I can’t feel of any particular cities or even countries, but I would definitely like to are living in a spot with a cooler climate. I appreciate heading on extensive walks as it allows me distinct my head and distract myself from anxiety, but undertaking that during incredibly hot and humid Korean summers has been complicated for me. As someone who is not pretty superior with warmth, a spot with shorter summers would be wonderful. The warmth listed here can sometimes be unbearable and I would love to paint outdoor extra.

Do you have any other hobbies in addition to artwork? 

I like cooking and baking. I find it quite therapeutic and meditative, specially when I’m getting ready the components (for case in point, slicing greens into good even slices) and watching their colors change as they cook. It helps me unwind when I’m having difficulties with my assignments, plus I finish up with some good food to munch on! In addition to that, I also take pleasure in reading through and observing motion pictures each time I have no cost time. 

Rendez Vous

What are your creative options for the future?

In phrases of assignments, some thing I normally wished to do is earning much more narrative-based mostly illustrations like e book illustrations and comics. I’m presently very interested in undertaking guide addresses or variant covers for comics. In any other case I just want to keep producing more art, additional produce my design and style, and experiment with much more major, darker tones.

Instagram: @jseojd_art


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