imaginary j 's 2022 illustration portfolio

林婕娪 Jessica Lin 1996.08.06

jess23123@hotmail.com

imaginaryjillustration@gmail.com

2018.09 ~ 2019.12 /

Middlesex University London, UK

Master’s Degree

Childrens Book illustration & Graphic Novel

2017.09 ~ 2018.07 /

Middlesex University London, UK

Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design

2014.09 ~ 2018.06 /

景文科技大學

Jin Wen University of Science and Technology

視覺傳達設計系 Visual Communication Design

2011.09 ~ 2014.06 /

Fu Hsin Trade and Arts School

Department of Arts and Crafts

bout th gs me Ni

Jessica

also named as

林婕娪 (Chieh Yu Lin )

I’m from Taiwan

In 2011-2014

studied arts & craft in high school

In 2014-2017

did 3 years of visual communication design in Taiwan.

Sometimes I imagine myself in between traditional art and graphic design.

Skills

adobe illustrator

adobe photoshop

adobe premiere

hand drawn illustration

ink / watercolor

Language

English

Chinese Mandarin

French *bits

In 2017

I became the first from my course ro successfully apply for a Dual Joint Degree, I came to London to complete my BA in Graphic Design (Middlesex University)

In 2019

I continued pursuing a MA in Children’s Book illustration & Graphic Novel. (Middlesex University)

favorite place

London

ever since studying here

favorite color

favorite weather

an easy way to know me

hobby

ocean blue

favorite HP book / movie

I love the cold but somehow I lived in Africa when I was a baby.

my HP house

a hufflepuff secretly, but a gryffindor wannabe.

Goblet of Fire

comfort film

favorite drink

tea with extra sugar

The Help (2011)

dream pet things I just believe in tarot / mythical creatures / myths

HP charater

I wanna be

Luna Lovegood

CATS

favorite HP character

Sirius Black

favorite food

any kind of pasta

favorite song

Oblivion by Bastille

raw you D lOve What

ahandwritten diy of ahowler and anillustration of ron weasley

some of my watercolor illustrations

upclose for the first time! (with my baby sister)

Creating art from nothing is one of the most interesting things in life.

To me, illustration is like magic, you create, you express emotions, you tell stories, and you deliver feelings.

What made artists so special is that they see things differently, and create in their own way.

I aspire to become an illustrator, who can create art that has feelings, to allow people to feel, with any kind of emotions. That’s my wish.

by

I first studied Visual Communication & Graphic Design, so I’d like to start with some of my previous job’s work.

P P sters

My most recent job is working as the graphic designer for Krispy Kreme & Jamba Juice Taiwan.

There are campaigns and design brief every month, so the working pace is very fast and constantly changing topics. My favorite one is the 2021 Halloween campaign because I also get to illustrate for the special holiday packaging.

(color pencil scan)

in store window display stickers

(p.s. I was the photoshoot planner, the photos were shot by a professional food photographer)

Being the sole designer, I have to complete a set of designs each month. the set includes

POP (point of purchase ) ad

T G P sters A

This is a uni project for font design. The brief was to design a set of fonts and a poster with them based on a famous London architecture: mine was Leadenhall Building

my idea:

-triangular shape

I wanted to create a poster that looks architectural, mathematical, but with a sentence “you lied to me” to show emotional aspects.

From previous job: Jamba Juice follows a strict design guideline from US, so the designs have to meet certain criterias before approved by US team. Here are some typography layout for a poster from campaign photos.

(p.s. I was the photoshoot planner, the photos were shot by a professional food photographer and afterwards I did the photo retouch and layout design for them)

C P P sters

This is for a Taiwanses pea cracker’s 50th anniversary packaging design (I was shortlisted into top 100)

My idea is to focus on the history of the pea crackers. The company started as a noodle shop in the streets. Using an old noodle machine, the owner created pea crackers, later the company was built in a historical street in old town, with western buildings and Taiwanes traditional temples. Interestingly, the tiles in old town is influenced by the Spanish colognized era and later Japanese prints, (very very long time ago), I thought this detail was pretty cool, so I tried to focus on the tiles design.

My idea is to create a piece that not only decorates, but also allows costumers to interact / tag us / check in when they visit the stores.

in store wall art illustration drawn by me

One thing I’m quite proud of, is doing a wall art for Jamba Juice.

donut flavors (illustrator art)

theperfectmatch

One morning, I woke up thinking of a Cinderella song. (randomly on repeat in my brain!)

EARL GREY

The other day, I found a tiny bottle of earl grey perfume

I bought in London. (It’s not pink, but it smells nice!)

L’eau de parfum

夢 means The dream I wanted to try a Japanese manga bubble font

The Tudors

I was watching the Spanish Princess and I really liked the fact that all British families have their own symbols. (p.s. this is not a historical accurate design, I just looked at the stained windows design)

The middle age Inn

(I think I watched a middle age movie?)

The Crazy Tea Shop

(I don’t remember where this came from, maybe something related to Alice in Wonderland?)

P sters

Mfrom my illustration

This is my own idea for leisure design. After studying in London, I found out people are really fascinated by chinese words, thinking back to my cultural, we are brought up with stories of the Chinese Zodiacs, so I wanted to try to design with it! focus on: cultural celebrations / chinese new year / 12 chinese zodiac

The Chinese Zodiac’s story is about the 12 animals in a race. The Jade Emperor wanted to choose the twelve fastest order that completed the race to become the 12 zodiacs.

ink pen illustration (scan)

FUN FACT: my zodiac is it is said they are:

-cunning and clever (I’m probably not haha)

-hard and diligent worker (true, I’m a workaholic)

-very imaginative, never short of ideas (yep! I try my best)

-lack the confidence to promote their ideas (very true!)

The Rat came first place because it pushed the cat into the river. These are the reasons why rats are afraid of cats, (fear cats will revenge) and cats are afraid of water (was pushed into the river)

The Cat became the 13th in line and didn’t make it into the 12 zodiacs. Poor cat!

My idea is to design a book introducing the stories of the zodiacs that includes their years of birth, personalities, strengths and weakness, so that people who are interested in Asia culture can have a chance to understand our side of horoscopes and zodiac with my illustration!

They’re not a real product, but I think this idea is quite fun!

because Asians love plates

customers can choose different gifts/merchandise based on their zodiac

Another of my leisure design.

I really wanted learn tarot, and in the future, design a set.

I went to a fortune telling exhibition once and was given a random card: I got the star, so I decided to start with it.

1 2 3

The Star (XVII)

design process and some repurpose ideas

find your inner goddess

also with night version!

the great gatsby book (mock up) from my illustration

inspired by New York’s Chrysler building and it’s art deco elevator

in the movie, it talks about Gatsby waiting for the light, I suppose means waiting for Daisy.

lustration

Time for some illustration!

2020 Taipei illustration fair

In 2020, I exhibited in the Taipei illustration fair, as one of the 100 artists. It was very interesting and I get to show some of my favorite paintings.

The choice of Eden

is about three different stories, Adam, Eve and a wife that was never mentioned, Lilith in Hebrew legends, Lilith was the first woman created, equal as Adam. She was banished for disobeying Adam, she was thought to be too stubborn and difficult. Eve was then created, but also punished by stealing the fruit from the tree of knowledge.

But is this true? There are no images of god in the piece, meaning this isn’t about religion. It’s about taking your own choice. Everyone has a choice.

Maybe Eve wanted knowledge, should she be punished for her desire to learn?

Maybe Lilith thought women should be equal as men, should she be banished for not obeying? Adam could have chose to forgive Lilith, or stop Eve, but in the end, he didn’t.

In the end, perhaps Adam was confused, he love them both. He is too afraid to let go of his past love, Lilith. But he is also too repressed to tell Eve how he really felt.

Having the right to choose, but not using that power to make decision is the mistake.

A lot of my illustration is about losing and finding something In life, there’s always loss, pain, and confusion. Because I feel things so deeply, I wish to convey through my art and try to show different aspects of how I feel.

Although my paintings can be a bit sad, But then, I also have magical ones, creating a sense of storytelling with atmosphere and color contrast.

gryffindor common room / atmosphere: house pride (red), fun, curious, random

the great gatsby / atmosphere: elegant, extravagance, love and romance

atmosphere: nature, curious, pity, shy

P ojects r

Marie Antoinette

is a 16 page graphic novel book, Telling the story as a biography of the french queen Marie Antoinette and the french revolution.

The Blue Lenses

is a horror story picture book, the original story was written by Daphne Du Maurier, about a woman seeing people in the hospital all as animal forms after eye surgery.

I added some of my handwriting, to create a sense of craziness and confusion for the reader’s eyes.

Design Process was really fun, I used ink pen and tracing paper, then I scanned them seperately and edit them to layer onto the illustration, like the lenses effect.

Come Here, Little Birdie

is a project aimed for the MacMillan publishing submission, As a child, I used to imagine myself like a fariytale princess that can talk to birds, I came up with a story about how a little girl wishes a blue bird can come down from the tree and play with her. In the end, she realizes how happy the bird is, staying on the tree.

I also brought the book to 2019 Bologna Children’s Book fair for some publisher’s feedback as a learning experience.

Coming up with names that related to birds. Wanting something in summer palette.

Collecting references at the Natural History Museum, London.

Looking for the right tree in Royal Botanic Kew’s Garden.

Oblivion

My final major project, Oblivion is a nearly 200 page graphic novel. A story based on my own dream, a girl met the creature - Oblivion, it appears as whatever pleases the subject, and to the girl, it’s a cat. The girl needs to face her fears from her past, present and future. My favorite section is facing the fear of present: fear of not being loved.

This scene is about self guilt losing the love, even for yourself and your self worth. In the end, Oblivion is a bit like fear, but it’s there to guide you, remind you to face your insecurities and struggles.

B ok Layouts

These are all my leisure art/ illustrations. Illustration is a big passion of mine, I would like to give you a little glimpse of what I can produce with both illustrations and graphic design. Hope you enjoy!

Mockup ideas from my illustration

Watching Coraline as a child is traumatizing, but it’s so memorable because it’s visually appealing. I wanted to do some Coraline related art.

Coraline is a horror children story by Neil Gaiman. It’s about the 14th door in the pink palace, that links to another world, with the other mother. The other mother hunts for children to love. She uses the dolls to spy on children, usually ones that are neglected by their parents. She makes the other world more interesting, to attract the children to stay with her, and sew buttons in their eyes. (very scary)

Coraline Book mock up

S etch

because why not?

Best thing about studying in Uk, is cheap airline tickets

I try my best to draw and write when I’m traveling, memories are so important and I wish I can keep them forever. Museums are my home, and I love staying in there so much.

ThanK yOu fOr yOur tIme

I’m always open for different opportunities. Thank you for your time! Until we meet again.

One person I always thank at the end of my portfolio is a person called Aldous Eveleigh. My life drawing teacher in London, and a person I look up to, my inspiration.

Coming from a very strict art school in Taiwan, I was a very worrisome artist, always afraid of not being good enough, Everything changed when I meet Aldous. He was the first person to give me confidence as an artist. I’m so thankful of his encouragement. He made me a better artist. Lots of gratitude.