Jenny Mörtsell Interview on Computerlove

nik.mercer — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:39:49 -0700

The Swedish illustrator, Jenny Mörtsell―represented by Family―recently sat down for a lengthy and thorough interview with Computerlove. We really love her honesty and forwardness, although that's only expected with Swedish artists, eh?

Here's our favorite bit:

Are you working on more personal work to show at upcoming exhibitions then?

At the moment, sadly, I am only drawing for money.

Your illustrations are startlingly realistic. How do you capture that realism?

I always use a photo as a starting point. Some people ask me if I do sittings. I know it's considered more "art," but I would be too nervous to have someone sit still for so long. And I what I really really like to go into [are] those details and small defects that you only have in a photograph. Like a strand of hair that is messed up, or a half-blinking eye. Those sort of things that can only be captured in a moment. Technically, I use digital images and draw while looking at the screen. That way I can zoom into details, change the contrast to see the shadings, rotate the picture so my eyes don't get tired, and tricks like that. Kind of hi-tech, lo-tech.

Be sure to check out Mörtsell's Family portfolio and personal homepage.