Studio Krishka: Wednesday interview: Jensine Eckwall

photo by Patrick Duggan

Jensine is an illustrator based out of New York City. Jensine's work has been honored by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration. She was named Zankel Scholar in 2012. Here are her answers for our blog:

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Have you always wanted to become an artist? can you tell us about your first experience with art?

Definitely not. Even besides wanting to be a sailor and a paleontologist when I was a kid, I wasn’t always drawing. I was always reading and asking questions and observing. I became interested in aesthetics when I was 12 or so and it stuck. My first experience with art was anime (Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Totoro). I have no shame.

Which project has given you the most satisfaction?

So far, the series of six etching prints I made last year based on Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar

What types of books are on your bedside table?

Comics and self-help. But I need to start reading for real again.

What is the best moment of the day?

When drawing is going really well, or when somebody laughs at one of my terrible jokes.

Who is your illustration hero at the moment?

I have several. Eleanor Davis, Jon Klassen, and Carson Ellis. Not only because of their incredible work, but also the breadth of the kinds or projects they take on.

Cat or dog?

I am a cat, but I prefer dogs.

What would be your dream project?

Here’s some that I wrote down recently:

An collector’s illustrated version of The Bell Jar, an abstract and artistically progressive book for children, young adult book covers about girls in difficult situations, a series of promotional posters for This American Life, character and concept designs for an animatedshow or short film for older children about a child raised by wolves, The New York Times Anxiety Column, The lead review in Rolling Stone for Neko Case or Grimes, an editorial about women in Lars Von Trier’s films for Entertainment Weekly, a series of pieces on train-hopping teens, a magazine feature on Mori Girl fashion for Nylon, a series of scarves and bags in a custom foliage pattern for Prada, a double-page spread and series of spots in the New Yorker on the pressures placed on working women, new illustrated versions of Roald Dahl stories

Where could we find you on Friday nights?

Either working at my desk or out in Brooklyn with my friends.

If you could do any other job what would you choose and why?

Realistically, I would probably be an art director because of my eye for what looks “right” and my obsessive nature. In my dreams, I would pick music for commercials and movie trailers.

Pepsi or Coke?

Orangina.

What type of music do you play while creating?

Right now I like very bleak folk music, music that tries to sound like it was made in the early ‘60s, and European electronic industrial music from the ‘90s. When I’m stressed out I listen to terrible pop.

I listen to a lot of podcasts and NPR when I work too.

If you were a character from cartoons, which one would you be?
Gaz from Invader Zim. But like, the out-of-character fanfiction version.