Meet Ji Woo Lee | Illustrator & Visual Development Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ji Woo Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ji Woo, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Growing up, I was always encouraged to get good grades, study at a prestigious college, and secure a stable job as a nurse. I followed that lifestyle until late high school, when I took an art class for credits. It became a class that I looked forward to every day. At first, I thought it was because I didn’t need to study or think too much about the assignments given. However, I realized that, unlike my academic classes, I pushed my brain toward a more artistic approach. I was stressed about what composition I should come up with. I spent hours in frustration trying to finish my art projects. Despite all this, when I pushed myself for art, the process felt different. I enjoyed creating art, even with the struggles. I wanted to spend the rest of my life pursuing this as a career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art has a very graphic and whimsical style to it. I’ve always loved the simplicity of graphic art and I wanted to mix that element with my visual development work. At first, I struggled with incorporating my style when building on my illustrations. I studied a ton of visual developers in the field that I looked up to, but I felt as if my art didn’t match the standard style. It was then I started studying movie posters. I fell in love with the storytelling through these posters and how they convey story through colors and composition. Through these, I was able to incorporate the way I draw into my illustrations and developed my own style!

While I am a visual developer, I also love product designing! I minored in business and wanted to use my knowledge to start my own small business. I started growing interest in this field after I started my own plush project where I designed and manufactured character dolls. I wanted to create physical merchandise of my artworks and be able to bring smiles to people’s faces. If there is anything to take away from my story, I want people to know that there is so much you can do with art! Experiment with your style, see what works, and you will eventually find your own artistic voice in this field.

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?
Two things that I love are road trips and plein air painting! So if my best friend was visiting for the week, I would love to just go on a road trip with no particular designation. While we are driving out far, we would stop at places we find interesting and start painting. In between we would stop at cafes on the road and try out their coffees and rank their taste. We would sleep at motels along the way and leave early in the morning to another new location. The most fun areas for me are places I discover without a plan. It never fails to surprise me as it was unexpected. Having a planned designation almost feels like I have spoiled the surprise.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I look back at my childhood, I realize a big part of it was me reading. Specifically children’s books. I would reread the same stories continually and never get tired of them. One of the stories that really inspired my love for stories and art, was Bad Kitty, written and illustrated by Nick Bruel. My shoutout goes to Nick Bruel, as I loved his whimsical style and way of storytelling through a bad kitty. His works are a huge inspiration to me, and a lot of my illustrations were influenced by his works.

Website: https://www.stopitji.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ji-woo-lee-361166263/

Other: online store: https://stopitadd.bigcartel.com/