Joshua Gilsenan - Behind The Brush
Welcome to the third installment of my latest blog series called
Behind The Brush.
Today I've got the very talented Josh from Soft Nudie Jazz (SNJ) joining me on my virtual couch. I have been a big fan of his work over the last year and have gushed over his recent cafe illustrations. I'm a big foodie and coffee snob, so as soon as I seen he was illustrating local cafes around Brisbane...I was hooked! (Psst...go and find the illustration of the cafe Yolk on his Instagram...it's my favourite).
Grab a bevvie, chill out and enjoy hearing from Mr. Soft Nudie Jazz.
Hey mate, tell us a little bit about yourself! And where are you based?
What do you do? When did you start and how did you come to do what you do?
Is this currently a side hustle or your full time job? And because I'm nosey, what was your previous job?
This is a bit of a side hustle. Originally, SNJ was just a place to draw, and in some ways it still is, but it would be awesome for it to grow. My actual job is in advertising, and I used to work flippin' burgers while I was in uni.
What do you primarily use for your work? Paint, digital, ink? Why is it your preferred medium?
I primarily use Adobe Illustrator and mostly used my laptop trackpad, until recently I borrowed a Wacom tablet, which has made a huge difference! I am hoping to save up soon and get an iPad though, as this seems to be a game changer. I also enjoy painting, however I can be impatient waiting for the paint to dry.
In ONLY 3 words, how would you describe your art?
Soft Nudie Jazz.... haha. But for a real answer, I would say:
Fun
Random
Cartoonish
When in your life did you have the "I've made it" moment. I want to hear your biggest highlight in your biz so far!
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I find if I get stuck and need inspiration, I like to scroll through my photos until something stands out that I haven't really noticed and that could work as an illustration. Sometimes, it will be photos I have taken on a holiday of an interesting shop or sign, and other times it's plants, things around the house, or even screenshots of things I have seen on social media.
Alright, skies the limit...who/what is your dream brand collab? What would it be?
So many! I think it would be awesome to collab with Good Pair Days. My brother got me onto this subscription wine service. They have awesome branding and great wine.
So, I'm a massive celeb lover and get star struck easily....Have you ever had your art purchased/liked or commented on by someone famous? We need names 👏🏽 and 👏🏽 details. If not, who would you love to have your art hanging in their house?
In terms of celebs, I had the Youtuber Binging with Babish share some fanart I made of him which was awesome! Sam from Ball Park Music has also bought one of my shirts which is super cool. I even get star struck when artists such as yourself comment on my work or the places I draw start to follow me haha.
When you’re not doing your art, what would we find you doing?
Work through the week and weekends will always consist of going to cafes, pubs and most often buying plants.
Who in the creative world do you look up to? Drop their IG handles so we can stalk them:
What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Make art that makes you happy and keep trying to learn new skills. I never thought I would be able to make anything close to what I do now without just trying different methods.
ALRIGHTY now for some Quick Fire questions
Thanks sooooo much Josh for taking the time out to answer these bad boys.
Want to see more of Josh's work? Check him out below:
Instagram: @softnudiejazz
Website: http://softnudiejazz.bigcartel.com/