👼 January Step-by-Step 👼

Due to popular demand, this step-by-step video is a traditional one consisting mostly of gouache painting and a bit of digital touch up at the end. Little did I realize how out of practice I was with my traditional media! Lately I have been working away digitally for my freelance projects (quicker, easier to make big edits, and there is, of course, the undo button). Therefore, mistakes were made. Things did not go completely as planned. It might not be completely obvious, but in my mind I was thinking oh no oh no did I forget how to paint?

Regardless, I am pleasantly surprised with the end result. Since so much of my freelance work has been environment-heavy, it's wonderful to take a break and just draw some silly little guys floating on a solid background. 

I have been unapologetically enjoying things even if they are not necessarily "on brand". Kewpie dolls, big colorful shapes, and anime elements were very much my brand in 2017. Here are two things from my sophomore year in college to give you an idea of what I'm talking about (please excuse the poor quality images!):

What I paint in this step by step is almost an homage to that time. It's like if past me and present me did a collaboration. I never truly left that style behind--I think I just built upon it. 

Can I get a little deep for a moment? As my college life progressed, I found a more naturalistic and woodsy vibe to my work(and life for that matter). I think that's probably how many of you found me. People know me as the hiker/climber/camper/mycologist. But my roots are very much in this pop-y, funky bright aesthetic. Keith Haring and Matisse were everything to me. I rejected that side of me as time went on, leaving it behind as "someone that I had matured from". I leaned hard into that woodsy feeling. 

It was only recently that I realized I do not have to be concretely one or the other. I do not have to avoid that past aesthetic just because I have grown past that stage in my life emotionally/artistically. I can be funky kewpie Jamie who uses color blocking, or I can be earth tone crunchy Jamie. I can be any mixture of the two! I can go hiking one day, watch anime the next, go fungi hunting, play indie games, have wild feral hair, or blunt artsy bangs....etc etc etc. 2021 shall be the year of being everything we want to be all at once.

Big description for an otherwise simple step by step video. I wanted to give you some background on my thought process. As always, let me know if I can clarify anything! Hope you are having the most wonderful week. 

-JG