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[ra9zine]

Meet Jess Campbell!  One of the featured artists for the ra9zine!

What are the links to your social media so people can find you! http://twitter.com/seejesscampbell https://www.instagram.com/seejesscampbell/

What first inspired you to draw? Video games, comic books and cartoons, as a child. Media like, Spider-man, Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Cardcaptors, Digimon, Pokémon, and Cybersix; but the most important was The Legend of Zelda. I used to make comics about Link on coloured construction paper with crayons. My grandpa would help me spell words for the speech bubbles. Now-a-days D&D is a HUGE source of inspiration for me. Alongside horror movies and of course, video games. Not much has changed really. I still dream of working in the comic book industry, or designing characters for video games or movies :)

What programs do you use to to draw? I love starting my projects on paper. Nothing beats a mechanical pencil in a sketchbook. From there...I used to reply heavily on Photoshop, but since getting an iPad Pro I only use The ProCreate App. That said, I’ll never be without the Adobe Creative Suite. I use Photoshop for a lot of detailing after I finish a project, Illustrator for creating logos, and InDesign for layout.

What kind of tablet do you use? Previously I worked on a Wacom Intuos Pro, but now it’s me and my iPad Pro against the world!

What is your favorite thing to draw? I adore drawing monsters and aliens. To be honest, I love drawing my own characters. Designing a character for a D&D campaign has definitely become therapeutic for me.

How long have you been drawing for? Since I was a kid/could hold a crayon. The fridge in my childhood home used to be plastered with pictures of horses and dogs. I can’t imagine my life without art. I don’t feel like myself when I’m not drawing.

Are there any particular artists that have inspired you over the years? Oh goodness, yes! Here’s a few: James Harren, Ashley Cope, Bachan — Can I say EVERYONE I follow on my Twitter? Because it’s true.

Did you go to school for art or are you self taught? Would you recommend a formal education? I’m primarily self taught, but I did go to University to get my BA in Graphic Design. There was certainly an illustration component to all my classes, but most of my illustration/comic work is just practice, practice, practice. For jobs in Graphic Design, a BA will definitely help your chances. But as far as illustration focused work goes, I’d say just keep working on your portfolio. A formal education helps—and might be the perfect place to thrive for some people—but when it comes to the arts...It can be a tricky place to navigate. I would recommend considering formal education, but I wouldn’t say it’s at all mandatory. Everyone’s needs are different.

Do you do Commissions? Are they open? do you have a link to your commission page? I’m always happy to work on Commissions! Right now they’re closed, but I’ll post a link on my twitter page once they’re open again! :D

Do you have a website? (Patreon? Etsy? Webtoons? Youtube? Artstation? BigCartel? Tictail? etc?) http://www.patreon.com/seejessart Seejessart.com

Do you have recommendations for networking? Twitter has been incredible for me and meeting new people. I can’t recommend it enough. @ an artist, tell them how much you like their art, start a conversation. We all just want to build each other up. I’m so grateful for everyone I’ve met.

Is there anything we missed that you might want to share with your followers? You. Are. All. Incredible.

Do you have any final inspirational words or tips for your followers? May The Force Be With You All.