Jude Graham is currently a sophomore at Ithaca College, majoring in Art as an aspiring BFA candidate, with a minor in Graphic Design and Writing.
While working across multiple media and methods of art, I’ve come to realize that I’ve always taken a very illustrative approach to my works throughout each artistic discipline offered. I’ve always loved the process of illustration, whether it be digital or traditional, and have taken a keen liking to storytelling through such, aspiring to do illustrative work for comics and online graphic novels. Additionally, to illustration, I’m particularly drawn to graphic design, as there is a strong importance in delivering a message using graphics, visuals, and typography. This opportunity to become a BFA student opens more doors for someone who’s seeking an illustrative and graphic-based career.
In my work as a student, I’ve become especially drawn to representing fish and flowers. Of course, there’s this aspect where I like being able to create something beautiful, but it’s also telling about my relationship with nature. Creating something that is a part of nature, like flowers and fish, feels like I have a hand in creating something purposeful. Trying to create a similar beauty from nature is intricate and, to borrow a few words, extremely humbling. On a more personal note, when it comes to my more illustrative and personal work, I’m more drawn to representing the mundanity and simplicity within the solitude of everyday life, as seen in my Digital Studio final piece, Mundane Solitude. With the works I’ve completed, the physical and emotional work that goes into art is just as rewarding as the concept and the theme of a piece and is just as humbling as the aforementioned topics at hand.
Becoming an art student has brought me out of my comfort zone even outside of my fundamental classes. Amazing experiences have encouraged me to approach art differently and from multiple angles and perspectives. I believe pursuing a BFA will help me become a stronger artist and creator, and help me narrow down the broad overarching themes in my works.
Artist Influences
Kim Jung Gi: South Korean Illustrator, Animator, and Cartoonist.
Mai Yoneyama: Japanese/Taiwanese Illustrator and Animator
Alphonse Mucha: Czech Illustrator, Painter, and Graphic Artist
Thank you!