For this week’s inspirational post, I thought I’d post about one of the single biggest professional inspirations I’ve had thus far: James Jean. He is a famous illustrator, and he’s done the covers for Fables (and other comics) for years now as well as created lots of freelance work for all sorts of clients the world over. He has shown up in magazines, CD covers, on television, and even in Prada stores. He has now gone one step further, and started focusing on his art for himself, with his first big gallery show “Kindling” at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York.

Wolves – Fables Trade Paperback #8 – Acrylics on paper with Photoshop. © 2006 James Jean.

I was inspired by Mr. Jean quite some years ago when my friend John Fuller handed me the first Trade Paperback of Fables. I’m pretty sure I had been complaining that I hadn’t read any comics recently (but I always complain about that), and he let me borrow it to read. Obviously I was instantly hooked on the comic itself, but I also found the cover artist to be extremely intriguing. I remember examining each piece with great intensity, frankly amazed at what I saw.

Sigur Ros for Future Music Magazine – Graphite and white chalk on Rives with Photoshop. © 2006 James Jean.

It was some time later before I found his website, and really got a good idea about what he did. Up until that point, my artist goals had been… well, rather mutable in nature. I had never even known about the concept of a freelance illustrator that could do everything from magazine illustrations to comic covers until I surveyed his work, and realized that THAT was what I wanted to do with my art. My goal was set, and so began my own journey to find that career.

Swan – Acrylic, oil, and pastel on linen. © 2008 James Jean.

His work itself is delicious. Flowing, graceful lines, fascinating and unexpected color palettes, ethereal and sometimes downright creepy subject matters and presentation make for one awesome package to swallow. A lot of his images tend to hit the eye with a quick– SPLASH!, and then once you’ve taken a moment, it really begins to steep and soak into your brain. The movement and compositions of each piece are phenomenal, and really make sure the eye travels around the entire visual plane. Watching an artist grow, change, and really push his work into new territories over the years is a fascinating and wonderful experience. I personally hope he continues to inspire not only me, but other artists and illustrators, for quite some time.

Please make sure to check out his website, JamesJean.com, and his blog, Process Recess to see his artwork. He has also published a number of art books that you should check out, my personal favorite being Fables: Covers (of course!).