Conversations with Joshua Cousin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Cousin.

Hi Joshua, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I lived in San Francisco for over 7 years pursuing my artistic career at school. I studied at California College of the Arts and graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Illustration. After staying in Sacramento with my family for over two years, I made a big jump and decided to move back to the east coast by myself this past October.

I am currently residing in Durham, North Carolina; my hometown. Life in Durham moves slower than in San Francisco. This slower pace provided a unique opportunity to quietly observe the world around me. In fact, I believe I’ve always been somewhat of an observer since I’m the youngest in my family.

I was born in Durham, North Carolina, and lived here for 16 years. My father has been a pastor my entire life, currently preaching at St. Andrews AME Church, the oldest African-American church on the west coast. My mother is a registered pediatric nurse, and my sister is highly accomplished having attended UNC-Chapel Hill, now teaching at Santa Clara University.

My brother, nine years older than me, moved out to attend the North Carolina School of Science and Math, a competitive high school where students lived away on campus, in dorms away from home. After, he moved away to Greensboro, North Carolina to attend UNC-Greensboro. Now he’s a musician, working constantly and traveling for performances, as well as running music lessons for people of all ages over Zoom.

All of this hard work has paid off for him as well, due to his performance at Carnegie Hall about four years ago. For most of my time in middle school, I’d felt like an only child, since my siblings were off pursuing their own educations and careers. All this alone time enabled my imagination to grow.

About ten years ago, after suffering a sprain to my left wrist during a tennis match, I discovered what I wanted to pursue. Recovery took a while. I watched television, and an animated show caught my attention: “Invader ZIM.” I loved how the characters were drawn and wanted to do it myself. I would spend hours practicing the lines and expressions of the characters.

This twist of fate led me to what I enjoy doing today. However, my world was forever changed after reading Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s “The Killing Joke.” The story, (which inspired Tim Burton to direct Batman later on), made me realize my love for comics, as well as pushed me to strive to become a better visual artist. I wanted to become a visual artist because I enjoyed the art by itself, however, when I saw the art combined with these huge, colorful, and expressive words, it was a whole new experience for me.

Had I not pushed myself, I most likely would’ve ended up in another school instead of California College of the Arts (CCA). Prior to enrolling at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA), in San Francisco, there was also my old high school, Durham School of the Arts (DSA), which I attended until 2013 before my family and I moved to California. DSA definitely prepared me for my success in SOTA.

The faculty there always supported me, whether it was my choral instructor at the time (Sean Grier) choosing me for a solo, or my visual arts teacher (Carolyn Maynard) encouraging me to keep practicing, the staff of that high school was very extraordinary, and I’m thankful for them. My experience gave me a boost in both self-esteem as well as confidence, which is something that I’m still reminded of whenever I create a piece.

My talent in visual art gives me a way to quietly comment on the world around me. It is a liberating feeling to be able to interact with other people with such different perspectives on communicating through art and using art to influence and positively affect a community. I have always enjoyed the diversity of interests among fellow artists, not only in the arts but in everyday life.

Although the art community may not agree on everything, art unites us in a common goal to respond to the world around us and leave it in a better state than we found it. That is the way my community has shaped me most—it has allowed me the opportunity to sit quietly and observe the world around me and express my feelings through my work.

My favorite mediums are charcoal and ink, though I also enjoy painting. My illustrations use shadows to my advantage. I find the use of shadows within my pieces is an enjoyable addition, as it allows irregular, dark values to encompass human forms, or create forms around inanimate objects. With this, I am able to gain a greater sense of tone, depth, and immersion within my illustrations.

The world can be portrayed through many different artistic languages, by many different artists, and it would be an honor to share my vision, as well. My talent in visual art gives me a way to comment on the world around me, and I choose to do so in a gritty format. Doing so provides me with the ability to offer subtle commentary on everything.

It is exciting to be able to interact with other people in this way, people with different perspectives and ways of communicating. I choose to communicate through my art, by using my art as a language to express my feelings and perceptions of reality. I am often very quiet, so in these instances, I use my art as a louder way to speak.

My illustrations and sketches serve as my voice. I think some people might view this as idiosyncratic—that I like to speak through my images—but for me, it makes perfect sense. I am able to make a more precise and calculated message this way.

I’m forever grateful for everything that has led up until this moment, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for both myself, my art, and my career!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While being a freelance artist is an extremely exciting experience, it certainly has its hardships and setbacks! You are essentially your own manager, so you have to make sure you’ve got a set routine because that can be a messy roadblock if you don’t have some sort of schedule.

Marketing and self-promotion is another difficult thing, at least speaking for myself. Finding galleries for your artwork can be challenging without the right connections and confidence. You really have to talk about your craft to everyone until you’re practically tired of saying it, then you’ve got to say it some more!

Lastly, a big one is a burnout. Commissions are great, creating art is even greater, but like everything you can get tired and it can feel like less of a passion and more of a hassle. To that, I say: you’re only human. Listen to yourself, take necessary breaks, it’ll still be here when you get back, and that’s perfectly okay.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in charcoal portraits and ink illustrations! Charcoal and ink are two of my favorite mediums to work with. Coincidentally, I love the level of expression you can get with either medium; both allow you to be extremely detailed or extremely abstract without losing the benefits of the message you want to convey in your illustration!

One detail that I believe sets me apart from others is my attention to the eyes. For every piece I make, especially portraits, my main goal is to capture the expression in the person’s eyes. If I’ve accomplished that goal, I’ve accomplished the illustration.

Another aspect has to be the little details. I have to pull myself away from a piece sometimes because I try to get every little follicle of hair possible, or I attempt to capture every single fold and design in someone’s shirt. That’s part of the fun to me, though! Final details are like the reward at the end of a big assignment.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
As crazy as it sounds, I get happy from the challenge each new illustration can be, whether it’s a freelance piece for my portfolio or a commission. If I can feel a challenge or come across something difficult in an illustration, I know it’s going to be a really beautiful piece in the end.

I feel like a lot of people would want to throw in the towel or start over, but I love seeing a challenge smooth itself out in the end. I’m also just extremely happy to be alive. Every day is a blessing, and this gift is a blessing. Getting to share this gift with the world every day, one piece at a time is the happiest feeling I never thought I’d be able to have.

Finally, Coldplay! I link every single crazy time of hardship in my life with one of their albums. For every piece, I’ve made, I can guarantee something from their discography was playing at some point. Their music’s the fuel and inspiration for a lot of my portfolio, and for that, I’m forever grateful for them.

Pricing:

• Comic-Styled Illustration: $200 base fee
• Charcoal Commission: Varies
• Prints: $80 base fee

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Jcousinart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_insane_mr_j/