This week, we talk to GDG's Jean Kang, one of our Los Angeles based members! Jean helps oversee wholesale operations of all our group books & projects to vendors, so she is definitely a GDG super-star for sure! Jean also had some sizzling pieces in our Bitter/Sweet show. Keep an eye out for more of her amazing artwork in upcoming shows and in one of GDG's many upcoming projects!
Welcome to the Girls Drawin Girls Spotlight, Jean!
1. What's your name?
My name is Jean Kang. :D
2. Where are you originally from, and where do you live now?
I am from Los Angeles and I still live in Los Angeles!
3. What do you do for a living when you're not drawing sexy pinups?
Currently I'm a freelance artist, but I've pretty much been a jack of most trades in the animation industry. I've done character designs, prop designs, background colors, storyboard revisions, clean up art, etc. I've also done production assisting and asset management, less fun but very educational.
4. What's your favorite medium to work in?
Pencil and paper. Nothing can beat pencil and paper. Except maybe pencil and post-its.
5. Why do you think the pinup girl has such a timeless, wide appeal?
For a number of reasons. I think pinup girls represent sensuality and seduction but in a teasing sort of way, and that is fairly timeless. Even times like now when things are fairly out in the open with like... celebrity sex tapes or porn, people still love pinup girls because they're delightfully teasing yet in a classy manner at the same time. I also think that they can be fairly feminist, which could be taken as a strange thing to say, but pinup girls are extremely liberating because they're openly sexy and own their own sensuality.
6. Define what "sexy" means to you.
Hmm, that's tough. I think "sexy" to me really means to have the confidence to be yourself. There's a line I love from a Neil Gaiman short story called 'Chivalry' "...to have men smile at her just because she is herself and happy about it." It definitely sums up the joy of having confidence in who you are and how it makes someone desirable.
7. What's your biggest goal/ambition as an artist?
I want to 'make it' in the animation industry, which I'm not quite sure what that is yet. I guess my goal at the moment is to try to keep going until I don't have to take projects that I don't want to work on and be able to work on things I do. I really love action animation so want to gear my career in that direction so my goal is to get there, and then once I get there, to succeed there.
8. Why do you like drawing ladies?
Ladies are so much fun to draw! I like drawing men too but I have easier time drawing ladies, maybe because I'm a lady and I know where all the parts go and how they move. I also really love drawing curvy ladies due to an amazing figure drawing model who takes her inspiration from wonderful organic things like twisted tree trunks or cliffside, rather than inspiration from other people.
9. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Definitely to Japan because their animation industry has been a huge source of inspiration for me for a very long time. I'm also very interested in the culture and the history there. I would also go to England, especially London, and visit places where Oscar Wilde, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.M. Barre, and many other authors have lived, written and gained inspiration from.
10. Name three artists who have influenced you and/or you admire.
Hayao Miyazaki, Bruce Timm, J.H. William III... I want to keep adding more!
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Thanks Jean!
And don't forget to check out her pin-up artwork at
