

I love old masters such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Abraham Bloemaert. I am influenced by many things, my early influences include Hergé (TinTin), Albert Uderzo (Asterix) and Vince Ray. I only freelance for friends and colleagues unless a really interesting project comes along (freelance customers include, Tricity Vogue, Professor Elemental and MrB The Gentleman Rhymer). Do you freelance full time, or do you use it more of a side hustle? Companies I have designed for include Procter & Gamble, Elida Faberge, Allied Domecq, Marks & Spencer, Vileda, British Antarctic Survey, The Body Shop, Harley Davidson, Waterstones to name a few. I now work for KAD Group who own a range of companies and I have a very diverse range of projects. I have worked all over the UK and Europe for design agencies, reprographic companies and as a self employed magazine designer. I’m from Kingston upon Hull in the UK and have worked within the design industry for over 30 years, I was a traditional graphic designer (before the Apple Mac). “I truly love seeing how smoothly they blend into each other.” If you’re wanting to see Joanne’s work at its best, take a moment with her rendition of crowds in front of the Mona Lisa, a wonderful miss-match of selfie sticks turning a recognisable (albeit frustrating) scene into something truly charming.Tell us a little bit about yourself, where are you from, and where are you now? “Now, I still paint the same way as before, with the 3D models becoming my new canvas," Joanne says. But, after delving into the world of 3D modelling, this was the moment that really “transformed” her practice. Initially, Joanne was drawn to using digital brushes with “heavy textures and details”. And what Joanne’s figures may lack in neck, they make up for in bountiful personality and character. Resulting from this approach are weird, wobbly and blocky figures devoid of any neck that appear made from clay rather than digitally crafted. This is because Joanne gives her characters more credit than most other illustrators might do: “I often believe the figures in my work know better about what’s going on than I do,” the illustrator laughs. When forming her wonderfully weird 3D scenes, the illustrator Joanne Joo will often find herself entering the headspace of the characters she creates, “anything from an old man to a wild cat sitting atop someone’s roof”.
