Jaokim Drescher

Name: Jaokim Drescher

What are some of your earliest creative memories and what lead you into design?

I am not really a designer and work nearly exclusively with my own ideas , write my own stories so am not really an illustrator either. I make graphic novels and series of paintings.

What lead me into what I do now ? Well , both my parents are artists and I grew up in a very nurturing and supportive environment. I used to art direct my father ( a children's book author ) to make costumes for me when I was around 4—bird costumes, dinosaur costumes—you name it. I suppose that would be my earliest creative memory!

Where did you study and what were some of your first jobs?

I studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, after school I worked a lot of dead end jobs—cafe work, retail, you name it. I don't really get much commercial work.

Design work by Jaokim Drescher The Design Kids interviews Jaokim Drescher work-2

What does a typical working day include for you right now?

I typically work on really big projects( books/ graphic novels). My most recent book "Motel Universe" took me around 7 months, its 100 page story all done in full colour.

I work as much as possible, within reason, I really enjoy what I do so it isn't really work. Maybe 6 hours a day, sometimes less.

What advice would you give students starting out?

Not sure, as everyones different, it took me a long time to get used to the sacrifices necessary if you want to be committed to working in this field.

Money strain, a lack of social worth as reflected by lack of monetary compensation.

Isolation— less time spent with others, more time spent thinking (over-thinking).

* -exposure-*

Working for free—being constantly asked to do things for free.

My rule of thumb is I hardly ever do things if I'm not getting paid—occasionally I will submit drawings to a magazine because I like the magazine of its good to get the work out there, sometimes I say yes to friends.

So sometimes you have to be firm, save your time and energy for most importantly those personal projects which are worth something to you. Secondarily invest a little energy in paid work.