Jodie Macpherson
I am a Scottish illustrator and designer with an educational background in Architecture. I recently graduated with my BA in Architecture from The Glasgow School of Art last summer (June 2020), in the midst of the pandemic, but it had never really felt like the right creative output for me. After graduating and being furloughed from my job, I found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands to be creative without any limitations, for the first time in probably 5 years. That really gave me a lot of freedom to explore more personal and fun subject matter and styles, which subsequently lead to my illustration practice and the birth of Graphic Jod. Instagram: @graphic.jod
My work is all about taking a playful approach to the mundanities of the every day, and the ridiculousness of us as human beings. I like to create a sense of "surreal-oddness" in my work through the portrayal of hyperbolic and slightly odd situations and figures with long, bendy exaggerated limbs. The aim in that it's all a bit "uncanny valley", in that it's slightly too odd and exaggerated to be real-life but the likeness is just enough that it's still relatable. Most of my final works are created digitally, however, I'm currently experimenting with expanding into larger-scale physical outputs by combining illustration and painting with woodwork, as a means to intertwine the reality portrayed in my work with our own reality.
Where would you like your work to take you?
At the moment I'm pretty new to it all, so I would love it if I could make a career and living from my work. I'd really love to get into storybook illustration or mural painting.
Which part of your creative process do you enjoy most?
My favourite part of my creative process is definitely choosing the colours for the final piece and adding all the little details, like shadows. As fun as it is to sketch initial ideas and compositions, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing a piece all come together like it was in your head.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from almost everywhere, but mostly just from every-day life, normal people and things. I have a page of my notes on my phone and anytime I see or hear something that makes me laugh I'll write it down or sketch it with my finger, then whenever I'm lacking inspiration I'll go back to that list and usually it will spark something. I think, like most people, a lot of my best ideas come to me while laying in bed at 3 am, or when I'm in the shower or driving.
What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?
I think "Worms" by Viagra Boys. While the song itself is actually a little morbid which maybe my work isn't, what I think is comparable about it is how chill it is to listen to, yet at the same time, it has no chill at all. Viagra Boys in general are just really great storytellers through their lyrics and that's something I always try and do with my illustrations.
