How Jourd4n Went From Watching Anime And Drawing For Fun To 380k Followers

What got you started in creating characters?

When I first started drawing, I watched an animation series on YouTube called “Eddsworld”.  I thought the characters were really funny, so I started doodling them. I then became interested in designing my own characters in various styles. A lot of my inspiration comes from the shows I’ve watched while growing up. My Life as A Teenage Robot, Ben 10, Teen Titans, etc.

What inspires most of your original characters?

Mostly anime or Japanese animation. A lot of my characters are stylized that way just because it’s a nice simple look. They have the type of charisma and aesthetic you would expect from watching those types of shows. They’re fun to create!

How did you get started as an artist?

“Storm Son” has been a lifelong project since I was in high school. It’s a project I’ve been working on to this day, and it’s something very ambitious. Just to clarify, I’ve made other stories like “Welcome to Mellowbrook” which is a fan comic of Kick Buttowski. I’m currently working on another story called “Ji-yoon” which is going to be an original short webcomic about an alien from space disguised as a human. So, all of this other stuff is helping me get the gist of making stories in general. And when the time comes, I can fully work on Storm Son. I’ve made character sheets, concepts, and test scripts for Storm Son.

“Storm Son” is about a prince named Arashi with the unique lightning color of white, who was given the task to bring order to his world, Amra. Generally speaking, the story is going to be a reflection of my personal life and Arashi will be the embodiment of my inner thoughts. It will be shaped as a shonen manga to make it more interesting!

What would you tell other people who might be looking to make their own manga someday?

I wanted to make my own stories with my own characters because I like expressing myself through art. The idea of using creativity to convey the messages you want to tell, is something not everyone can pull off effectively. So, to those people, I’d say if you’re going to do this, put your heart into it because the amount of effort you put into something shows. Don’t just put in one hundred percent. Put in one hundred ten or even more! Also, remember what art is and what it means to you. That’s what separates the good and the great.

Tell us about Ji-yoon! What went into designing her and what do you think made her resonate with so many people?

Ji-yoon is a character I created by accident, believe it or not. I wanted to practice designing characters and her design popped out. Her hairstyle is in reference to Hatsune Miku, the popular virtual idol in Japan. She went through several changes over time. She’s a character that looks innocent but has insane strength and speed. It was a little tricky figuring out her aesthetic but, I went with something “punk rock” and colorful in reflection of her quirky and “tough girl” personality. I’ve made some short comics of Ji-yoon reading manga and playing video games. People seem to like her for her hobbies and cute look. She’s also an alien, which gives her a nerdy and mysterious undertone.

So many people have even made fan art with her! How did that begin?

When I started working on illustrations of her and posting them on Twitter, people just started making more and more fanart. It just happened. I wasn’t expecting so much. It’s crazy to think about, to be honest. I’ve made dozens of concept art and short comics of Ji-yoon. People would make art, and I’d retweet their work through the hashtag (#JiyoonArt).

What advice do you have for people who are looking to come up with their own characters?

Study from your favorite artists that have made character designs in the art industry. Some of my favorite concept artists are Kazuya Nuri and Takuro Fuse. Both of which made illustrations for the “Ace Attorney” franchise from Capcom. See what you like and turn it into your own. Analyze everything about it. It’s up to you to decide how you will incorporate that into your own original design.