Jeremy Young - Stare into Me
When you were 15, were you cool? How about humble? How about talented? Meet Jeremy Young, a digital artist from New Zealand who’s artistic talent had him winning awards as young as six. Techlife was lucky enough to sneak in an after-school interview with Jeremy. He has a ton to share, so less of me and more of him.
Techlife: How did you get started?
Jeremy Young: I have been doing digital art since 2008 but as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for designing with expressive use of colour. I won my first colouring in competition at age six and went on to win the next eight which I entered. I guess I’ve always loved colouring and design, using a computer enables me to create images which I couldn’t create using traditional drawing/painting methods.
TL: What is your main medium and why do you use it?
JY: My main medium is vexel. Vexeling is basically vector work done in photoshop. I love vexel because of the precision and clean lines which you can achieve. I prefer to vexel rather than vector because my knowledge of Photoshop is far greater than my knowledge of Illustrator. I also like it because it gives me more freedom to experiment and bring other elements in when I want.
TL: How long does it take from start to finish to complete a piece?
JY: It really depends. I will often go at my own slow and leisurely pace, working on and off on each piece. Because of this they usually take around 3-4 weeks. If I really concentrated and set myself a deadline then I could complete each one much faster.
TL: Many of your works appear to be painted, have you transferred any to canvas or even photo canvas?
JY: All of my works are made almost entirely in photoshop, I have had a few printed for family and friends but apart from that they remain solely on the computer.
Jeremy Young - Mindless Wisdom
TL: What would you define as your style?
JY: I aim to make my works vibrant yet clean lined. The structure of the designs is very minimal; I combine this with extreme colour which gives the works great impact. However I am currently working on a black and white piece.
TL: What other artists influence your work?
JY: There are really too many to name, I am influenced by countless artists I have found online, but also by famous artists in history such as Andy Warhol.
TL: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
JY: Even though I’m surrounded the beautiful landscape of New Zealand, nature doesn’t particularly inspire me. Instead, I am fascinated by objects that are man-made. I’m also inspired by other art, people and cultures.
TL: What does your studio space look like?
JY: Since I’m 15, I don’t have a studio but work in my bedroom, overlooking the sea. My workspace is a very large desk clear of everything but my computer. I also like to surround myself with art I enjoy.
TL: Why did you choose DeviantArt.com as a place to showcase your work?
JY: It is a fantastic place to meet other artists and get feedback. It has a great sense of community where you can learn from other artists and let them easily see your works.
TL: Have you had any major news coverage, journals, magazines, blogs or other media?
JY: Yes, I was featured in Advanced Photoshop magazine last year and have just done an interview for a feature in the French edition of Advanced Creative Magazine. My work has also been featured on numerous blogs, sometimes without my knowing. I often will stumble across a website featuring me through googling the names of my works and my name. I have also had three main page ‘daily deviation’ features on Deviantart.com. They were Stare into Me, We’re All Mad Here and Mindless Wisdom.
TL: Have you shown your work in a gallery, museum, festival or other public place?
JY: Getting my work into galleries has certainly been a goal of mine but I have yet to approach a gallery and see if they would take my work.
Jeremy Young - We're All Mad Here
TL: Have you done any private, public commissions?
JY: No I haven’t done any commissions. I have had requests, but previously I have been focusing on my own style and wants. If a great offer comes my way I would happily accept.
TL: Are you making a living/spending money doing this today?
JY: I’m currently a school student and therefore don’t have time to be a doing graphic design as a living. It is more of a hobby for me at the moment. Who knows where it will go once I finish school though.
TL: What do your teachers, parents and friends think?
JY: My parents are obviously very proud of me and encourage me to keep doing design work. I don’t do any ‘computer design’ subjects so my teachers are unaware of my interest in art. I don’t like to talk about graphic design much with my friends, but I seem to have gained a reputation of someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to design. Only one or two of them know that I am in magazines, etc.
TL: What are the future plans for Jeremy Young?
JY: I’m definitely going to University but I’m unsure of what I want to study. I love being creative and that will always be a part of my life but I have a broad range of interests and I am unsure if I will take a career to do with digital design. My family is very supportive of my design work but they also are aware of my other strengths, so they try to keep me broad in my choice of subjects. At the moment I’m tossing up ideas of economics, medicine or design.
TL: How could someone contact you for more information?
JY: Flick me an email at navrasmail {at} gmail {dot} com or send me a note on my deviantart: http://navras2535.deviantart.com.
