Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Wijaya.
Hi Jessica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Throughout the duration of my art education, my path wasn’t always clear to me. My dream profession often changed and went through different arcs. When I was younger I wanted to be a manga artist, when I got older, I wanted to be a fashion designer, and when I was in college I wanted to be an animator, then an illustrator. Close to graduation, I discovered that there is a role for artists who work in animation and entertainment known as concept art. Out of all the artistic professions out there I felt like it had a little bit of every art role you could think of, and they created worlds and visuals that you would normally wouldn’t see in real life. When I saw all the amazing work created by these concept art professionals, I knew that I wanted to be one! I took online classes to learn the skills I needed to break into the industry. and eventually found work as an environment artist for a webtoon series called “Kaidro: The Awakening”.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I didn’t have all the skills I needed when I had set off to find work in animation and games. I quickly understood that it would probably take some time and serious dedication to find work in the field I wanted to be in. To pay bills and get by, I had to work as a front desk assistant and take online art classes. When you are trying to break into the industry, it truly is about making friends/connections. I was so shy! I really struggled with talking to new people back then. To this day, it’s an area I still want to improve on. It would be nice to make new friends!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently a lead environment artist who is working with a team on a webtoons series called “Kaidro: The Awakening”. I contribute my skills to the project by designing sets, props and painting backgrounds. Sometimes I might even be asked to paint over 3D models or create color key paintings that are needed in the ‘Kaidro’ game and animation.
Outside of work, I create colorful anime illustrations and fan art pieces. I think people on social media recognize me more for this set of work, and I’m not bothered by it! I am glad that there are people who enjoy the work I create for fun! I also recently started selling prints of my artwork through Etsy and Conventions. I think it’s important that artists seek opportunities to create passive income from their own art. At times, I feel like we don’t talk about it enough.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Covid-19 has opened up new opportunities for online learning. During the pandemic, many concept art institutions like brainstorm, CDA, and gnomon opened up their classes to the world via online meetings for the very first time. Before the crisis, you normally had to attend these classes in person, and they were often located in the LA area. I was not located in the area at the time. So when these opportunities opened up, I took advantage of it immediately. I contribute most of my artistic growth to these classes and even found my job through one of my online instructors!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwijaya_art/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwijaya_art
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JwijayaArt?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
