Artist Spotlight & An Interview With - Jessica Madorran
Jessica Madorran:
A freelance character designer, an illustrator, and an ardent life-long artist, Jessica Madorran's passion for art have brought to life both original and familiar characters. Jessica's educational background is 3D animation, but you wouldn't know with her resplendent repertoire of polychromatic 2D art. While Jessica no longer works in 3D, her background has given her a deeper appreciation for the complexities of visual development.
Proficiency with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop gives Jessica a platform to reach hundreds of thousands of views across the various platforms that host her work. From Instagram to DeviantArt, Jessica's work as an illustrator garners thousands of reactions from likes to comments. Her viewers are galvanized to interact with her pieces that focus less on the character's environment and more on her impressively idiosyncratic presentation of her characters through polished brushwork.
Not much is known about Jessica publicly other than her passion for raising her cats, so you're getting a rare glimpse into the life of her life, her process, and her work. To learn more about Jessica and her life as an illustrator and character developer, check out her interview and awe-inspiring portfolio below.
ARTIST INTERVIEW:
What City, State & Country do you currently live in?: Dallas, Texas, United States
What is your primary art application?: Photoshop CC
What are some of the other mediums, or applications you use?: I dabble with Prismacolor pencils and acrylic paints sometimes—of course, like any artist, I always have my many sketchbooks and trusty pencil!
What are some of your favorite reference materials?: Pinterest is my go-to for reference material. It's so easy to just type in "Victorian fashion" (or whatever topic I have on my mind) and get a ton of images for inspiration. Movie and Game artbooks are other references I use for reference and inspiration.
Do you have any artistic weaknesses that you're actively working on to improve?: Feet are one of my weaknesses—specifically toes! Toes always seem to come out weird for me. At times I'll find myself struggling on a character's feet and if I have the final say on the design (i.e. it is my own personal work)…that character will become a mermaid just to avoid drawing feet! I am always trying to improve on this weakness though, practice makes perfect (or at least better).
What made you want to become an artist?: I've been drawing since I was a child. I knew pretty early on I wanted a future in art. I also grew up in the era when 3D movies were just starting to become mainstream and when it came time to choose a career path—I decided I was going to be a 3D Artist. I graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design with a degree in 3D Animation. It was shortly after graduating that I realized I did not have the passion to be a 3D artist. Fortunately, the curriculum at Ringling College of Art and Design included a curriculum teaching its students all the steps leading up to the final 3D design, which meant I had an understanding of Visual Development and Character Design for the art industry. It was with that foundation I was able to have the opportunity to work on projects and I further cemented my love of designing characters professionally.
What are some of your favorite things to draw and paint?: I will say I find myself drawing more female characters than anything else. I have an affinity to drawing long flowy hair which has me leaning towards female characters.
What artistic accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?: One of the biggest companies I haven't had the opportunity to work with is Disney. So I am hopeful an opportunity to work with them happens sometime in the near future! I also hope to have the opportunity to create a designer toy of one of my characters.
Who are some of your favorite concept artists, or illustrators that you draw inspiration from?: I have a lot of favorite artists. But if I had to name just a few that really help inspire me when I'm having an art block it would be Alphonse Mucha, Alessendro Barbucci, Chris Sanders, Sean Galloway, Francisco Herrera, Ben Caldwell, Anna Cattish, and Lois Van Baarle. Just to name a few! Believe me, the list could go on and on! I have a huge collection of artist's artbooks and whenever I am in a slump I go to my bookshelf to choose a random one to help get the inspiration flowing again.
Did you have any professional training? If so, what schools or classes did you attend? If not, what process did you use to achieve your level of artistic talent?: Besides going to college at Ringling College of Art and Design(receiving a Bachelor of Arts in 3D animation), I also have taken a few CGMA classes online. I took the online courses when I first contemplated the idea of becoming a freelance artist. These CGMA courses were really helpful as a refresher on working character designs as well as getting me back on being in the right mindset to accept critiques on my work. It is important as a character designer to be open and willing to embrace feedback and revisions to your designs as ultimately when working for somebody else it is their vision not necessarily yours.
What is an interesting bit of personal info about yourself you could share with our readers?: I am a huge fan of the One Piece anime! I also have a pretty extensive collection of One Piece figures/statues. These figurines are actually highly detailed and help me as references for specific poses. Unfortunately, my cats also like to knock these figurines around—but it’s a losing battle that I have accepted.
What is one bit of advice you would give to an aspiring artist like yourself? Something you've learned from experience along your journey?: There is never a point where you are not learning a new way to draw or create. Be open to constant learning and to being critiqued!
Artistic achievements? This could include jobs, projects, awards, accolades, etc... Anything you consider significant in your art career. Please also include any links to process videos or anything else you'd like included!: So far my work in the industry has had me coming onto projects when they still in development. Unfortunately, none of these projects have been officially announced yet to the general public. I would love to have the ability to point to a released project and say "hey I work on that" but we still have to wait! I have tried to ensure that my own personal work is active and engaging via my personal sites even with the “real work” having to take precedence. I've released four art books containing my artwork so far. I've also just created my own Patreon last year to give people the opportunity to see more of the development and process of my characters.
ARTIST PORTFOLIO:
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