Jamille King is an anime, manga and comic artist. He is currently working on a Patreon to create a 24-page digital art book, full of HD illustrations.
1. How did you get where you are right now as an artist?
There's actually pretty cool story behind this one. It all started when I was about five or four years old, my mother was about to go the store and I loved my mother so much I wanted to tag along because I liked being by her side (she was the Goku to my Krillin, my protector), but things didn't exactly go as planned because one of my big brothers asked me to stay home with him; he wanted to show me something. When I asked what it was, he refused to tell me and instead said ''if you want to find out, you have to stay home with me''. If it had been anyone else I would've rejected the idea of not spending time with my mother and simply left with her to the store; but this was my big brother and he hardly ever talked to me, me being 5 to his 15 or 16 at the time. So I figured whatever it was he had to show must be really important and it was. It was my very first episode of Dragon Ball Z! It was the episode when Goku first arrives on planet Namek, goes koiken, beats captain Ginyu, and had his body stolen by captain Ginyu! From there on, I was hooked! This event is the most crucial event in my growing as an artist, because not only did it point me in the right direction of what type of art style I liked, it was my first introduction to anime and is (along with having fun & just drawing) responsible for the artistic improvement you see in my work today. Thank you so much for asking that.
2. Do you think it's important to have a formal education in order to be an artist?
NO, at least I never went to school for it, but if it helps you, then pursue it. I don't think anyone needs a degree stating how creative they are. Creativity is a gift, the only way you hone that gift is to train it yourself. Otherwise, you'll just be stuck drawing what everyone else draws, or like everyone else. Not to mention how expensive it can be to obtain an art degree. If you have money to spend on a degree, I recommend just buying the art supplies you need with the money you were going to spend to go to art college with. I say this because today's art industry is pretty DIY.
3. Describe a typical day for you.
I wake up and draw foras long as I can, and try to do outreach to bloggers, journalists and art lovers about my artwork. I also post to Instagram very often.
4. Who inspires you ?
My mother. Myself.
5. How important has social media been to your success as an artist?
Very. I have an Instagram following and I'm looking into Tapastic as a potential place to release my manga.
6. What has been the highlight of your career as an artist?
I'm building my Instagram following, also a fan on Instagram told me she missed my art videos on YouTube and that made me smile.
7. Have you had any career disappointments as an artist? If yes, how did you overcome them?
No, not yet, but if it has happened to you stay positive and keep working toward what you want to do. Distance yourself from social media except for when you need it because there will always be some rude person jealous of your courage to chase your dreams. Ignore them.
8. What is your dream project?
Creating and releasing my manga!
9. Do you have any advice for any emerging or aspiring artists?
Always stay kind to people and have fun with what you’re creating. Don't take it too seriously.
10. What's next for you?
I've been doing a lot of looking into crowdfunding to quickly get the things I need to create my manga series and better illustrations for my audience, but crowdfunding isn't the way to go for me. So I did some research and found a site named Patreon. It's where you set a goal (mine being $300-$700 to start) and you give awesome rewards to those who give you a fixed amount every month. It's basically working through Patreon and getting funded by your fans to do your dream job, which is what everyone who's famous does anyway so it's awesome!
My page is currently under construction but I'll be alerting everyone about across social media when it's up, so feel free to follow any of the links!
