Episode 24: Visualising Sound
Jim Stoten aka Jim The Illustrator is a Hastings, UK based illustrator whose work has been published by the likes of MTV, Habitat, Levi’s, Urban Outfitters and The Guardian. He frequently exhibits his work in galleries around the world and teaches illustration at The University of Brighton.
Early days…
Jim studied graphic design at The University of Brighton.
“My teachers would always say that the work in the book is not as good as the work on the book.”
Illustrating for The Guardian
“People see your work in those spaces, and they kind of trust you a little bit more.”
Illustration 1: Sketchbook
“They are not really sketches… it's more like a collection of things that I either see or watch or I've heard people say or things that I say or things I half remember or imagine….it's not really a sketchbook…it's more like a think book.”
Illustration 2: Tan & Loose
“So this is like, the first piece of work that I did that really pleased me. And so I just felt like it was important to put in there.”
“Taking taking all of the things that were bothering me and drawing the solutions to all of those problems.”
Illustration 3: Sherf’s Breakfast
“This piece of work opened up another floodgate… I just did so much work for that show, and it just felt like another milestone, like I kind of changed my techniques…”
Illustration 4: Moog Poster
“The brief was about visualising the range of odd sounds and beautiful noises that the synthesiser can make.”
“Do something that looks like the sounds it can make.”
Illustration 5: Posterzine
Hand-drawn and coloured, this was created for Posterzine’s 64th Issue and it is Jim’s visual answer to what was happening around the world in the year 2020.
“It felt like a celebration at the weirdest time.”
Book Recommendation
Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
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