Meet Derek Jamal Adams | 2D Animator & Manga Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Derek Jamal Adams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Derek, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve been drawing and making art for as long as I could remember. Calling it a hobby would be a major understatement. I love art and creating! I’ve always been fascinated by the ability to tell stories through animation, comics, and characters. Growing up, I was taught by my parents to follow my dreams and pursue the career that I would be happy with. I’m so grateful to have parents and loved ones in my life who encouraged me to pursue a career as an artist. By the time I reached high school, I already made up in my mind that I wanted to go to college and major in animation.

I’ve graduated from Montclair State University with BFA in Animation in 2021. Currently, I’m job searching for positions in my field while working full time with a separate job. Although I’m still seeking out a full-time position in my field, I never think twice about my career choice. During this past year, I’ve learned so much more about myself through the process and it enabled me to create a strong network of new connections and long term friendships in the industry. I’m developing a manga series with my characters as a personal project and I enjoy working on every bit of it. My biggest take away from this pursuit would be to take in each moment as they come (good or bad). You may not reach your goals during the timeframe that you desire but that doesn’t mean you can’t gain anything from the process while you’re waiting. My love for what I do is why I continue down this career path as an artist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a 2D Animator, I work digitally on my computer and drawing tablet but I also started learning 3D Animation as well last year. When working on my manga, I made the decision to draw everything out traditionally with ink pens and markers. I’m a huge fan of reading Japanese manga comics such as Eiichiro Oda’s “One Piece” and Akira Toriyama’s “Dragon Ball”. Manga and comics these days are mainly produced digitally and while I’m very proficient working in that medium, there’s a genuine feeling about drawing out my work traditionally. Since I can’t just “Ctrl + Z” to undo a physical drawing, it helped me to be less of a perfectionist with my work. However, what I’m most proud of out of all my work is developing my characters and writing their stories over the years. When I’m drawing and writing manga, I don’t think about if my manga will be as successful as other manga series out there. My aim is to tell the story that I want to tell through my art. I create my best work when I stay true to myself and pull ideas from what inspires me. I also try to write stories that I can relate to and hopefully others will enjoy them as well. My advice to anyone who’s an artist or creative with an idea that they would want to share is to just enjoy what you do. When you’re able to gather ideas and concepts from things that interest you in life, you’ll truly enjoy the art that you create and that will resonate with people as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If its something local, I think I would take them to some of the outdoor malls in my area or one of our parks. I would also take them to one of New Jersey’s beaches but one that isn’t so crowded. It’s nice to relax and enjoy the sights at the beach especially in the morning or in early in the evening. One museum that I would recommend my friends to visit would be Grounds for Sculpture. It’s an outdoor park filled with so many unique sculptures scattered everywhere. Whether you’re an artist or not there’s so much to explore there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I would like thank my mom, my dad, and my siblings for always pushing me to be the best version of myself. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without their love, support and guidance. I also want to shoutout all of my friends, love ones and connections I’ve made over the last few years. Especially the Art community from Montclair State University! It’s always great to see everyone from my school still keeping in touch with each other after graduation.

Website: https://derekadamsart.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djadamsart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-adams-1517a31b8/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJartz_

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNVKUR1FrDBzXEf0s8padcg