jonahcohen

[jonahcohen]

"The Morning After"

My final for Joe McKendry's wintersession illustration class.

[jonahcohen]

Sketchbookin’

I’ve learned so much this past semester at RISD, and have grown leaps and bounds. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to attend, and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

[jonahcohen]

WIP for my boy Jake, an up and coming musician who is about to blow up. Check out his SoundCloud @jakevalli and keep an eye out for some dope artwork as well 😏😁

[jonahcohen]

For our RISD design studio, my classmates and I were each asked to pick a piece of literature and create artwork inspired by it. I chose an excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock, my favorite poem. In it, the central character wonders, “Do I dare disturb the universe?.” Here is my interpretation of this question.

@jayceyz

[jonahcohen]

Lil digital doodle that I’m really vibin’ with

@jayceyz

[jonahcohen]

Foreshortening w/ skeletons #art #illustration #animation #drawing #sketchbook #sketch #charcoal #skeleton #characterdesign #painting #artschool #practicepracticepractice #risd #design #character #characteranimation (at Rhode Island School of Design)

[jonahcohen]

Just wanted to share a beautiful piece of work a good friend of mine put together post Euro-trip. Really insightful and beautifully written, Is.

[jonahcohen]

Just a great example of some really fantastic storytelling.

Here’s a comic I made for today’s edition of Le Monde Diplomatique in Germany. Click to enlarge the images and read it in English, or click here to read it in German.

-Jake

[jonahcohen]

hey i'm a sophomore right now and am also planning on studying animation. it's nice to see where you are as an artist and i hope you achieve your goals because your blog helped me make my path and my goals a little clearer. so thank you!

This means the world. Glad I could help you navigate this crazy process. Keep working hard, and let me know if you have any questions!

[jonahcohen]

So, I wrote this last year, and with CSSSA decisions on the way, I thought it might ease some stress for all of the incredibly talented, deserving applicants this time around. You have my support, and feel free to message if you’d like to chat. Proud of you all.

@csssaanimation 

An open letter to my pre-acceptance/rejection CSSSA applicants.

So, pretty soon, the wait will be over. After three or so nerve-racking months of self doubt, questioning talent, looking at other applications to compare with our own, spurts of self confidence, and immeasurable amounts of stress, we will all know our CSSSA decisions by the end of the week. For some, that will mean opening a letter to find a handbook, intense feelings of happiness and an even greater sigh of relief, and for others, it will mean a huge hit to their egos, as the burden of failure falls on their shoulders and doubt creeps into their developing minds, torturing them relentlessly with the constant reminder of their inability to excel at exactly the art that they resonate with. 

When each and every one of you receive your letter, you will have a choice. When you open it, the truth of the matter is, what is inside doesn’t matter. The letter that you will receive by no means defines you or your art, whether good or bad. You do. No matter your medium, you are all artists; the ones who change the world. The ones who go against the status quo, challenge the set doctrines and ideological shackles that society is constantly constrained by. You have a purpose: You are the light in a world of darkness and negativity that humanity inhabits. Without you: The reckless, the dreamers, the risk takers, the world would be dull, unchanging, sad and boring. It would be pointless.

Whether that letter says you can go to a summer program or not does not change that. You are an artist. You are here to make a change, to make a name for yourself, to bring joy and emotion and thought to those around you. You are an artist, who’s passion confounds the majority of the world and who’s drive is unstoppable. NO ONE defines what you can do except for yourself. No one can make you who you want to become except for you. 

If you get that rejection letter, think of it as a positive. You have nowhere to go but up, and to do so, you need to always keep your head held high. Tape it up on your wall. Look at it each and every day, and don’t let it define you. Work at your craft. Work day in and day out, until no one, no organization, no camp, no school, no job, can deny you. Become the best and then some, because you are an artist. You are here for a reason, and that letter doesn’t mean shit. 

Change the fucking world, because nothing can stop you. 

You are a fucking artist.

@csssasyndey

@csssaanimation​

@calartscharacteranimation​

[jonahcohen]

יזכור

[jonahcohen]

Practicing quick, emotive portraiture with @rickgaliher (one of the most fantastic models in Los Angeles)

[jonahcohen]

Practicing portraiture with @rickgaliher (one of the most fantastic models in Los Angeles)

@jayceyz

[jonahcohen]

A few progress shots of my bathroom mirror self portrait.

I’m a lil rusty (been on vacation), but it was great to practice nonetheless, even if it’s not perfect.

(@jayceyz)

[jonahcohen]

Sometimes, things work out :)

[jonahcohen]

Character sketches for a lil story I’ve been working on. 

@artcentercomics

[jonahcohen]

So, the college application process has really taken a toll on me. I just... care... so much. I’ve worked hard, and I want to get in more than anything.

That being said, I can’t help but feel that I’ve been led down a path that is detrimental - one that allows others to decide my self worth, when I should only rely on myself for such judgement. In waiting for decisions, I’ve spent hours upon hours stressing, worrying, panicking, and its taken me away from the art I love creating so much.

So, tonight, I decided to fight these nasty tendencies the best way I know how - my art. Here are two rough draft first pages for a three page comic I’m creating on the subject. It is admittedly therapeutic for me, but I hope you all will enjoy it as well.