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3DTotal: Hi Jeremy. Thanks for agreeing to do this interview for 2DArtist; it’s great to have the opportunity
to chat with you. Starting simply, can you tell us a bit about yourself, and the path which has led you to where we find you today?
Jeremy: It’s a pleasure talking with you. Well, I was born and raised on a farm in north eastern Kansas. Farming, however, just wasn’t for me. So once I finished up high school, I found myself headed to the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), which I attended until sophomore year. At that time, I was really frustrated with the school and the lack of focus on illustration, so I decided to switch gears and I headed to the east coast to attend the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art (JKS). And that has probably been one
of the best decisions I ever made. Joe Kubert believes in learning through work and I think that I probably did three times as much work in the first semester out there than I did in the entire first two years at the KCAI. If I hadn’t attended school there, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now. I stayed at the JKS for two years, at the end of which I took a year off school. I freelanced a bit doing some work in the role-playing game industry, then I ended up going back to the KCAI and finishing out my BFA in design/illustration in 2004. I’ve been freelancing ever since. |
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3DTotal: I’m curious; does the childhood that you spent on the farm ever find its way through to your artwork? If so, is it a subconscious thing – memories, feelings, moods, colours, or do you prefer to keep a certain distance between your personal thoughts/feelings and your art? With all this in mind, where do you mostly seek your inspiration from for your artworks?
Jeremy: I think so. Growing up in Kansas, there was always a lot of wide, open space. I grew up with fields all around and no neighbours (well, my Grandparents lived across the street and I had cousins down the street, but no other kids). Just the wide open space, grain fields, and various hedge rows. I think you can see some of that in my work. I love large, open spaces. I like a lot of depth in my art and just the feeling of environments. In fact, I love landscapes in general. I think that could be inspired by some of the environment I grew up around. So, with the work I do, I have a large reference library of environments to help inspire me. I love mountains and trees especially.
3DTotal: I was reading your interview on EmptyRoomStudios.com, and did a bit of research into the first comic which inspired you to become an artist: X-Force #1, by Rob Liefield. It seems Mr. Liefield’s X-Force has had some trouble standing up to the critics! But, what was it about this comic that initially inspired you, and why?
Jeremy: Honestly, it wasn’t really the quality of the art in the comic; rather, it was the comic itself. I hadn’t had much exposure to comics before that. So seeing and reading that really left a mark on me and made me want to pursue a career in comics and illustration. |
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3DTotal: Ah, I see! How do you feel about web comics? It seems that, even in this digital age, there is still a longing to hold and feel artwork in a material form. Where do you stand on this, and how do you think the future looks for comics and magazines?
Jeremy :I love web comics. I think web comics are a great idea and could really be good if executed well. The potential audience is incredible! You could potentially reach people on the other side of the world, when before with small press comics, you would be lucky to get your work out locally. But, I do think that there is value in the printed product. I also still love to hold the printed book in my hands. Of course, if you are extremely successful with your web comic, the potential to go to print and do well is there also. As far as the future, I don’t believe that print will ever be replaced by a digital counterpart. |
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3DTotal: Looking at your portfolio, on www.jeremymohler.com, I can see you have a fantastic eye for colour, and you obviously know how to work it to get the very best out of your imagery! At what stage do
you “decide” on your colour scheme for your latest piece, and how important is getting it right for the success of the image? Do you have any tips for artists our there who are experimenting with, and
working on their understanding of, colour?
Jeremy: Thank you, Lynette. I always find it surprising when people comment about my color work. I’ve been doing color work professionally for a while now, but I didn’t start out planning to do color. I’ve
always pictured myself as more of a pencil artist rather than a color artist. Generally, when I am working on the drawing for a piece, I have an idea of the color scheme that comes together in my head. It usually depends on the setting, time of day, lighting, and the mood I want. And with color, it’s extremely important to get it right for the piece to be successful. Bad colors can really screw up a solid drawing. As for tips, make sure you have a solid understanding of lighting and form. It doesn’t matter if you are using a fully painted style or a more cut style (like I use), if you don’t have solid lighting in your piece, it’s probably
going to fail, or at the very least it won’t carry that dramatic punch you might want it to. Honestly though, there really is no method to the madness. I just work on the piece until I feel like the piece works or
I’ve hit the deadline. I don’t think I’ve ever done something the same way twice. I’m also always looking around at art from some of my favourite artists or seeing what is being done by my contemporaries for ideas on how to handle a new color scheme. And never undervalue a good critique from a friend,
whether they are an artist or not. |
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