Featured Artist: Jehsee
DBH: Where are you from?
Jehsee: The Upper Peninsula of Michigan... most people don't realize it exists. About as close to " Stereotypical Canada" as you can get in the USA. Our motto is "Say ya to da U.P., eh?". Seriously. Sparsely populated, lots of woods & very cold most of the year.
DBH: What's the origin of your artist name?
Jehsee: It's just a misspelling of my very common birth-name, "Jesse". Coming up with a cool artist name (ie - "Monster Destroyer") just felt cheesy to me, but at the same time, I needed a name that made finding and searching for my art an easy task.
DBH: How would you best describe your art style?
Jehsee: I'm sure there's a word, or category for it... but I'm not positive what that is. I like fat lines, simplified details, cel shading & bold/limited colors... all mixed into a lighthearted, yet slightly-dark pin up.
DBH: Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art?
Jehsee: Tough question. I'm often not inspired... I often have to force myself to draw until I find something that inspires me enough to get excited & move forward. It rarely comes easy. Maybe that's not the answer to the right question... I find inspiration in needing money.
DBH: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world?
Jehsee: There's never been any doubt that being an artist was what I wanted to do with myself. I forced myself into a career in art by never accomplishing much else & by sabotaging myself by being a poor student.
DBH: What does a day of creating artwork look like for you and how to you start your creative process?
Jehsee: I often have to go through days of sketches/ideas before I find something I like enough to move on to the next phase.... assuming I don't scrap it completely and move on to something else. Once I have a sketch I like, the rest is cake... linework & coloring come very natural for me... it's like shoveling snow... just crank some tunes & go to town. Lately it's been talk-radio though (guilty pleasure).
DBH: What artist (either current or past) do you most admire and why?
Jehsee: I don't know if "admire" is the correct word, but I'm definitely inspired by many, many artists all over the world. A few artists off the top of my head that have inspired me greatly are H.R. Giger (for his dark sensuality), Junko Mizuno (for her cute, yet dark subject matter & bold lineart) & Vernon Courtlandt Johnson (for his polished screen-print designs).
DBH: What's the best advice that's been given to you as an artist?
Jehsee: Honestly, I've never been good at taking other people's advice... I like to figure things out on my own & make my own mistakes.
Shop all of Jehsee's designs here!