Jongmee

Overview

Now based in New York, Jongmee Kim grew up in Michigan. While at college, she began to focus on painting portraits in oils, as well as pattern design, but she’s also interested in an array of creative activities including animation, binding books, printing, sewing and wedding photography.

One of her favourite things is air travel and she loves everything to do with airports and flying – even the security checks and airplane food. Naturally, she has no problem sleeping in flight. She also admits to having sudden strange obsessions. For a while it was hypnosis, and she spent ages trying to hypnotise her mother. Her latest craze is facial massage.

Training

Jongmee has a degree in Illustration from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

Approach

Drawing and inking her work by hand, Jongmee then adds colour using Photoshop. She strives for her figures to be anatomically correct, and likes to include a lot of cyan and magenta whenever she can. Influences include John Singer Sargent and John William Waterhouse.

Style

Jongmee’s style is elegant and alternative, like the artwork found in a classy graphic novel, but with a feminine touch. It works just as well in fashion, lifestyle and editorial contexts as in book illustration. In addition to illustration work, she creates surface patterns made up of carefully arranged objects, which are a touch more cartoonish than her regular work.

Client List

• Egmont Publishing
• Time Inc
• Vessel Drinkware
• Boom! Studios
• Martha Stewart