To commemorate being nominated as the top art blog in Singapore, we are delighted to have with us comic artist Indonesia – illustrator and artist Jason Jonathan!
Hi Jason! Please tell us more about yourself.
Hi! My name is JJKrokodil, I’m 22 years old. I’m a Comic Artist and Illustrator. I’ve been into art since 14 and for the past 8 years I’ve been practicing my art and illustration skills.
I just graduated from university with a degree in Arts and Design, currently I have been doing freelance jobs as an artist and writing my own comic.
We believe that you love creating creative artworks based around pastel colours? Where do you usually get your inspirations from?
Pastel colours have been my go-to colour palettes since early 2020, that is when I found my art style. I really love using pastel colours as it brings the feeling of serenity and I want my viewers to feel the same trough my art.
The inspiration for using such bright and colourful palette comes from my love of cartoons. They often use bright colours, not pastel though, but I thought it would add more to my art style if I tone the colours up a little so I went with pastel colours until now.
What made you want to practice art? How do you express yourself through art? Do you feel that this is sustainable as a career?
Anime, cartoons, and video games. I’m a huge fan of those, they are the reason I’m started doing art at all. Besides that, I also have ideas that I wanted to realize trough art.
I often express myself trough art by drawing something I like such as drawing fan arts. Other than that, I like to express my fictional stories trough art. Art helps me convey the message trough my use of colours, mood, symbolism from story perspective.
Absolutely. Now that entertainment industries like games and tv shows is getting bigger than ever, art will be needed in those industries, it’s one of the selling point of their product after all.
Let us know how you started on your journey as a comic artist in Indonesia?
It all started when I was 14, watching anime and I thought to myself, “wow that’s so cool! I want to be able to draw like that!”. So I learned from some YouTube art tutorials, traced a bunch of drawings, went into an art and design school and now here I am.
What are your favourite works? How long did you take to complete those pieces?
This is my favourite piece since early 2020. The title is “Spring Tea” which is a nod to my favourite cover singer in Youtube. This is the first art piece drawn in this art style; therefore, this piece is a landmark in my art journey. This one took roughly 5 hours to make.
What’s your plan for the near future? Where do you see yourself at this stage in your life?
I really want to work full time as a comic artist or a concept artist and do art commissions while I’m at it. I see myself is still in the very beginning of my life, there’s so much stuff I haven’t learned, and I always wish to be better than my past self so I can have a sustainable job as an artist.
How’s the art scene like in Indonesia? In your opinion, what do you wish to improve regarding the arts scene in your country?
I think here in Indonesia, art is hardly appreciated. It’s a shame that a lot of talented and creative individuals had to give up their dreams because they often told that pursuing art as career won’t get you anywhere in life.
Luckily, I’m surrounded by supportive parents and friends so I can pursue my dream job as an artist. I think artists in Indonesia need to “scream louder” trough their art and strive for their dreams. It’s your life, don’t waste it by living someone else’s dream.
Please continue to ‘scream louder’ and showcase your amazing works of art!
If you like our comic artist (Indonesia) works, be sure to check out his works on instagram @jjkrokodil_art. In the meantime do continue to stay tuned to our socials for more artist features!
