We recently connected with Gab K De Jesus and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gab, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

A few years ago, I came to art school (SCAD) to pursue illustration. For international students, we are not allowed to do freelance work, making it difficult to build a credible portfolio.

As a graduating student, I wanted to show art directors and employers that I was professional. But it was like the job hunt joke: this entry-level position requires three years of experience.

Turns out, there are plenty of ways you can show both your creativity and your professionalism. As I found my artistic voice and became more vocal about being an artist, more opportunities came in. Although they were unpaid, having my art attached to a project/name (as opposed to self directed) gave the work more weight and credibility. Here are some things I suggest.

Begin within your existing network. A lot of my biggest opportunities came from friends who weren’t aware I was an artist. I’ve done art for senior animation films, storyboard pitches, and video games.

Start reaching out to organizations and volunteer groups. Many of them need editorial illustrations and graphic designs to help them achieve their missions. I’ve made it a habit to email non-profits and offer my illustrations. Now, I’m working with one that resonates with my passions!

Show your understanding of briefs and professional workflows. Even if you aren’t working with real art directors, you can emulate the production workflow and show your professionalism. Look up professionals working in the companies you like, and study how they present work in their portfolio. How do they mock it up? What aspects of the project do they highlight? What problems did they solve? Thinking of your art along the business context will elevate your portfolio above the competition.

And finally, shout it from the hills. You have to be your biggest cheerleader, otherwise no one will know what you do. Share your successes, and invite others to come along your journey as your hard work pays off. This helps build relevance; more people will reach out to you when jobs come up.

Put all these together, and you’ll soon have a portfolio you’re confident to present to any interviewer.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Gab K De Jesus, I’m an illustrator who loves working with written works and finding interesting ways to visualize everyday ideas.

Honestly, I didn’t grow up considering myself an artist. As a kid, my mum would pay me 25 cents for every book I read (I’m sure she owes me a million by now). Naturally, I grew up interested in science and technology, convincing myself I would become an astrophysicist. I became a computer scientist instead.

It was a good 4 years. I found myself leading software development teams, teaching programming, and hosting events with dozens to a hundred participants. It certainly honed my self-learning skills.

But throughout my years in high school and university, I found myself drawn to art (hah!). It didn’t feel like “wow, I love art and wish my parents would let me do that instead”, but “wow, I suck at drawing, I gotta get better”. I vividly remember my annoyance at the “art kids” who could bust out drawings without a sweat.

After graduating computer science, I took a leap to study my second bachelor’s in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Instead of a few art kids, there were a lot of them. I felt untalented. Held back by my logical thinking and STEM background.

So for a few years, I stumbled around. All my artworks were over-done, with the belief that only perfect artworks would make me an artist. It was only recently that I embraced my analytical nature, and turned to editorial and conceptual illustration. Now, I focus on taking written works and adding emotion & visual storytelling through illustration. Talk about putting both sides of the brain to work!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I used to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of contests, organizations, and creative groups that were staples in the illustration industry. I only recently started engaging, which is a shame because there are a lot of fun opportunities to be had!

Instead of thinking of all the organizations out there, start by getting familiar with them one by one. As you start following their socials, newsletters, and events, you’ll naturally start expanding your network. For example, a quick google search for ‘illustration organizations’ or ‘art call-for-entry’ yields a dozen opportunities.

Joining contests and calls-for-entries is a great way to add credibility to your art, and keep you up-to-date on industry happenings. When you study how illustration is being used and presented professionally, it’ll widen the gap between your current work and your art taste, giving you new horizons to strive for.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

How we see the world in new ways everyday. The artist lense is always looking at things around us and deconstructing them, finding new ways to consider everyday objects. Something as simple as a bag of chips can be a journey in lighting, color, meaning, symbolism, and so much more.

I think making art also empowers you to make things happen. You have a vision, a way of seeing the world, that you can’t help but turn into a real thing. It’s a really inspiring way of living.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gabkdejesus.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabkdejesus/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabkdejesus/

Image Credits
Jacky Lo