Jonell Joshua: Drawing Life
Welcome to The Baram House, Ms. Joshua! Please give our readers a short introduction.
Hi! My name is Jonell Joshua and I am an illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. I was born in Brooklyn, NY, where most of my family is from and spent a great portion of my teenage years growing up in Savannah, GA, with my grandparents. I moved back to New York to attend college and have been living here since. Outside of illustration, I love plants and gardening.
Jazz Night (2019)
What are the colors, sounds, smells, feelings, or simple acts that symbolize “summer” to you?
When I think of summer, I think of joy and gathering. Being able to tend to my plants, lay out in the sun, and breathe fresh air are truly the simple things that bring me joy. I also recently joined a community garden so having the opportunity to bring life into the community, meet neighbors, and serve my community with fresh organic produce has been very special to me.
Peaches (2018)
Tell us a little bit about your artistic journey. When did you start painting and drawing and what pushed you to continue the practice until now?
I started drawing when I was very young. My earliest recollection is from second grade. I was very quiet and moved around a lot, so when I entered a new elementary school, my way of communicating and making friends was by drawing other kids portraits in the cafeteria. During this time, I also discovered my mother’s drawing portfolio from when she was a teenager and I distinctly remember being in awe of her drawing of a parrot made with colored pencil. I was truly inspired by my mother’s talent.
I eventually went to Savannah Arts Academy for high school. My Junior year at SAA was a breakthrough for me where I tapped into realism and received various awards. I always knew I had a calling for this and it was just a matter of figuring out how I could make a living from it, so ultimately, I decided to attend an art college.
Thailand Sketch (2018)
Spit-Fire
How has your experience of studying at Pratt Institute influenced your artistic career?
I would say that my time at Pratt was transformative for my work, style, and subject matter. Attending a PWI really showed me the reality of who had access to certain higher education institutions and navigating that experience as a black woman really opened my eyes to what the industry would be like. I embraced my culture and existence even more because of this. A turning point in my style was my Junior year in my Illustrated Typography class. I chose MLK Jr. day to create an illustrated holiday gif and I decided to just use tracing paper and pencil to make the animation. From there I continued to hone in on my strengths and really started figuring out what I was most inspired by, feeling even more confident of how my identity and culture was so central to my artwork.
BBOYZ (2018)
Do you sketch and doodle real life people? What inspires your drawings?
I do sketch real-life people. Especially if I’m on the subway. What inspires my drawings today is reflective of my identity. I’m geared toward drawing historically black figures and communities and depicting my own black experience and unpacking what that means.
When do you know that a piece is done? Does the process differ in all of your artworks?
Honestly, It’s really instinctual. I like to play with outlines, overlapping, and using blank space to my advantage. The less I overthink the better which is why I like drawing in my sketchbook most.
Tell us a little bit about your experience in editorial illustration. How do you make decisions regarding which editorials to illustrate for?
It’s been a tremendous learning experience so far. When an art director reaches out to me with a specific topic or article that they need an illustration for, I consider two factors: is the timing right? And is this a discussion or topic that either interests me or something that I can learn from? There is a very quick turnaround for editorial work so I’ve learned to work much faster and the style in which I draw is definitely an advantage.
What kinds of challenges have you faced as an artist? How do you respond to these challenges?
The biggest challenges I’ve faced so far as an artist have definitely been knowing my monetary value and advocating for myself. Figuring out pricing for different assignments can be very nuanced and I’ve been using the Graphic Artists Guild book to help me figure out pricing—otherwise I’d be completely lost! As far as advocating for myself, you can easily be asked to do more than what was initially asked, so it’s just learning to put my foot down more even if I’m fairly new to this.
Free Angela (2019)
Take ‘em to Church!
What are some of your recent artistic inspirations and ideas?
Some things that I’m really inspired by at the moment are buildings, especially in historically black communities. There’s so much history that can also be told through architecture and the ways in which communities gathered. I’m also really inspired by my family photos as of late. I recently inherited a box of photos of my grandparents and mother. It’s really interesting seeing the style choices, hairstyles and color palettes transform through the decades.
Jonell Joshua is an illustrator currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Her passion for drawing has deep roots stemming from a young age, inspired by her mother’s artwork, familial roots in Brooklyn, and teenage years growing up in Savannah, Georgia with her grandparents.
Today, Jonell specializes in editorial, animation, and spot illustration. She focuses on creating fun, graphic images that tell an impactful story and is moved by her culture and lived black experience. Her work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators and American Illustration International Motion Art Awards. Her clients include The New York Times, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed News, PBS: American Experience, and Civil Rights.org.