Jasmine Maddox Igniting the Spark – Seeds of the League

My name is Jasmine. I am 20 years old, and I was lucky to attend the Art Students League during high school under an internship. This allowed me to attend classes for free and earn school credits, while also honing my art skills in my spare time. It helped with my motivation and desire to continue creating art, which has undoubtedly dampened since leaving. I now work and do not have much time to draw (personal projects/studies) so I want to get back to that soon. I would love to pick up some classes at the League again whenever possible. It would ignite that spark in me that I once had for art.

I have been drawing since I was a child and only realized my skills and talent recently after attending the League (and eventually college as well.) I noticed that this is something I could be successful at if I just kept with it. It would be my dream to work for a gaming company as a concept or storyboard artist. I have a lot to learn, and I hope to be happy and content with the art I produce in the future.

In terms of this piece, it is simply a sketch I did after a long break from drawing due to personal obligations. It is a screengrab from a webcomic called Homestuck. The character’s name is Terezi. She is one of my favorites. I like her design and personality quite a lot. My desire to finish the comic and finally do a small drawing for myself is what influenced me to sketch this. I left it as a sketch for this newsletter, but when I have the time, I will complete it.

Outside of that, I draw inspiration and influence from many artists, especially from Twitter and Instagram. My identities, culture, and ethnicity tend to also inspire me to create work, but I have a hard time bringing those heavily emotional/deep pieces to life sometimes – it’s not easy! As a Black Queer artist, there is so much I can draw from my experience, to teach and show others about myself and who I am, but I want it to be done tactfully and accurately.