Computerlove™

May 30th, 2008

Let's Talk, Jenny Mörtsell

Capturing the nuances of expression in the human face is no simple feat. However, Swedish illustrator Jenny Mörtsell does so with a skilled and delicate hand. Living and working in Stockholm, the political and economic heart of Sweden, the 31-year-old Mörtsell balances a busy roster of U.S. and European clients who have come to adore the style of her signature pencil drawings. She has also begun exhibiting her work in gallery shows. Currently, she has an exhibition of original illustrations on display at Eskilstuna Konstmuseum, a museum located in a small town outside of Stockholm. And while Mörtsell hopes to focus her attention in the future on more gallery work, at the moment she has her hands full with projects for magazines like Nylon, Flaunt, and Good, among others. We took some time to talk with Jenny recently, here's how our conversation played out.

What first attracted you to pursue illustration?

First I wanted to be an artist, but then realized I could make a living by doing posters and record sleeves. That sounded fun, so I decided I wanted to be a graphic designer instead. After high school, I studied printmaking for some years, then graphic design, then finally I went to Konstfack where I took a masters [degree] in Graphic Design & Illustration. But It wasn't until a year and a half after I graduated [that] I got tired of trying to be a designer and went back to doing pencil drawings instead—something I hadn't been doing for years. I got [such] good responses on the things I showed other people [that] I decided to give it a go. It kind of went better than I expected.

So after your initial pencil drawings received a good response, how did you go about taking that work to a wider audience?

I basically sent out emails with a link to my website to all the magazines and advertising companies I liked. Almost noone answered of course, but a few brave ones hired me and that led to the famous one thing leads to another-thing. Having an agent which I've had for the last two years also helped a lot, especially when it comes to getting paid and getting advertising assignments.

When would you say then that you began drawing?

Like a cliché, I've been drawing since the day I could grab a Crayola.

Let’s briefly talk about inspiration.

My inspiration comes from perfectly normal things like old and new movies, music videos, books, and magazines. And my beloved friends. I also spend a lot of time wandering about on the Internet. You know, when you look for one thing that leads to another thing and suddenly you're caught up in this whole new world of influences? I like that a lot. I mostly look at other illustrators to stress me out, like "Oh my god, this is so good I need to work harder and get better." But I don't know if that qualifies as inspiration.

Can you tell me about the art scene in Stockholm?

I'm not a big consumer of contemporary art. For some reason I tend to get very provoked by artist's egos, so I try to avoid the scene. I think this has to do with all the art schools I went to. If I go to a show it's either because it’s a friend of mine who is exhibiting or for the free beer.

So I take it you don't exhibit your work too often? Or just not in Stockholm?

I have an exhibition right now at Eskilstuna Konstmuseum—in a small town outside of Stockholm—but it's my first real [exhibition]. Because I always work on a commission or two or three I sadly never have time to draw something that isn't for something or someone, and I wouldn't want to hang that up on a wall. I wish to change all that though.

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.

You've said that you really like the small details and defects that get captured in a photograph. What else do you look for in a photo when deciding whether or not it's suitable for a pencil drawing?

I don't really enjoy drawing things or environments or animals and such. So I guess I just look a lot for interesting faces.

What is a normal day like for you?

I usually start work at nine. I have a studio space at Södermalm in Stockholm. I draw, scan, send sketches and stuff; answer emails; go to meetings; drink coffee in front of the computer; read dlisted.com on my microbreaks; procrastinate doing changes in drawings clients doesn't approve of; use the clone tool to remove dust from scans; use the lasso tool with 2 px feather to cut out things; eat bread rolls in front of the computer; think about art projects I'd like to do instead of working; Facebook; listen to radio documentaries; draw, draw, draw until very late at night. The downside of working with both European and U.S. clients is my workdays can be very long.

Can you tell me about the Bravehat Collective?

It consists of four of my former classmates at Konstfack: Hanna Wieslander, Kristoffer Busch, Anna Giertz, Magnus Hansson, and later we were also joined by textile artist Ingela Nilsson. We used to share a studio and worked on a couple of commissions, the biggest one probably a graphic profile for a restaurant called Landet. Eventually we had to give up the studio cause we never got paid, and everyone kind of got occupied with their own career. But we still have a clubnight at Landet every once in a while with live artists, visuals, nice costumes, and whatever we can think of.

What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?

I have so many plans and ideas—like have a bakery that opens at noon; start an illustrated fashion magazine; make and sell organic butter; open a gift wrapping store; make choreography for a dance group from the tools in Adobe’s creative suite; start an accessories brand with common objects in expensive materials; write poetry. I wish to have at least some of them realized by then.

Related links: www.jennysportfolio.com www.familymanagement.se www.eskilstuna.se