Jorja
“Jorja” is an Illustrator based project in which I depicted the music artist, Jorja Smith, through a digital, comic/ pop art style. With its use of bold colors, flat, contrast shading, and smooth line work, this piece is a fun cartoonized portrait that was as enjoyable to make as it looks. First, I used the pen tool to draw the portrait in its entirety. I started with the subjects eyes (as eyes are usually the first thing I gravitate to when drawing) and then worked my way outward, drawing the other facial features. Next, I expanded on to the facial structure, hair, and clothing. Once I completed my line work, I then moved to the live paint bucket tool or “coloring” portion of the piece, similar to how you would fill in a coloring book. In some portions of the work, I added color within lines and in other portions and shadings, especially within the face, I created shapes to create more of an iconic “pop art” aesthetic.
After selecting my desired colors, I decided to blend the bottom of the subject’s turtleneck into the background to add a little monochromatism. The last touch was applying a gradient to the background to build a hint of dimension, enabling the figure to catch the viewers attention and pop more, ever so slightly. Shown below, I created physical stickers in varying color ways which was an enjoyable way to display my work and can be placed on pretty much anything. Ideally, I would love to expand on this project and create an entire series of musicians and artists that I enjoy in this illustrated, vibrant comic style. Relating to pop culture, I think this body of work in particular would be enjoyed by a wide audience as music and art are closely intertwined, both feeding into the other.
