©27/02/16 This Saturday’s Q&A was with illustration student...

J E S S I E    B R O A D 

What inspires your work? A desire to be expressive with my mark making, and often original, in what I do.

When do you feel most productive? Pretty late at night when there are no other distractions and the incentive of sleep to motivate towards. I'm also a fiend for doing a lot of what I'm not supposed to be doing - give me two briefs and I'll become incredibly inspired for the one that isn't due imminently.

Does being involved in the military affect your art? Not especially, but it has been an area that I can get to learn more about and so some of the themes or things that I notice there have filtered into my work, much like with my cop project last year - and the practical outcomes about individuality in the military.

How easy was it moving from your farm to uni in Leeds? It was quite a big transition in many ways, but it took me a while to realise that. I missed things like mud and grass, lol. I have also never been very good at crossing the road.

How has growing up in Scotland affected how you see the world and create art? That's a hard one to answer as I'm not sure what I could compare it with to notice the difference myself. I was incredibly oblivious of the Northern and Southerner difference that is all the rage in England. From growing up in Scotland I can appreciate milder temperatures, 15 degrees is tropical to me, and anything above 20 can and will give me sunburn.

Who are your favourite illustrators? It's always hard to pick favourites, but Sarah Maycock has been one that I have continually referenced throughout my degree. Recently I have been looking at the likes of Gustav klimt, Kandinsky and Picasso!

What is your final project about? My final project is about sharks. I think they're beautiful and impressive creatures so I'd love to learn more about them and also investigate into the reasons as to why people are so instilled with dread about them. I want to discover what might persuade people to reconsider them for the well designed creatures that they are and that are important to their ocean communities.

What is your dream job? I think the dream job would be traversing across the world and drawing lovely creatures like birds and sharks. I'd be interested in using my illustrations to help with the conservation of them.

What has been your favourite project so far? It's hard to pick a favourite, they all have their merits (and their woes). It was quite a feeling of accomplishment to write and bind a dissertation. The practical drawing project I worked on for this years COP was also an interesting and successful investigation into drawing. It has arguably brought on my abilities the most, and influenced my perspectives in terms of what I can get out of drawing.