Hi there!
I'm Jahton Perry
I’m a 24-year-old artist driven by a passion for illustration and storytelling. My work focuses on capturing emotion and depth, whether through the subtlety of facial expressions or the play of light and shadow. As I continue to develop my skills, I’m particularly interested in how drawing and animation can bring narratives to life in unique and powerful ways. I’m always looking for new challenges and opportunities to grow as both an illustrator and a storyteller, with the goal of creating meaningful, impactful art.
pjahton@gmail.com
jpthe1stcoming
Color & Light
In these drawings I was really trying to add shading and depth with color. Shading has always been something I found a little tricky, and shading in color even more so. In the set of drawings on the right I recreated the original image from a reference and did my best to shade the different values in black and white, Then I tried my best to recreate the same in color, trying to match different shades of blues and oranges to create shine, shading, and form.
Experimenting with water color was an interesting experience. In the portrait I tried using as little paint as possible, relying on the water to create different values and subtle shading. In the image of Aang I did the opposite, Trying to make the color bold and pronounced and using completely different colors to make it look shaded
Ink Drawings
Experimenting with ink drawing has been one of the most freeing experiences in my artistic journey. As a bit of a perfectionist, I often find myself stuck in cycles of drawing, erasing, and redrawing—sometimes leaving pieces unfinished. Ink, however, forced me to embrace 'mistakes' and focus on building form through shading and value. Without the safety net of erasure, I became more intentional with my marks and learned to work with what was already on the page, leading to more expressive and complete pieces.
Character Design
For me, the emotional aspect of a character is what makes them valuable. I strive to relate to and understand characters through their facial expressions and body language. In this scenario, I was developing a penguin character who had been separated from his family, which added a layer of tragedy to his story. My goal was to express that pain and anguish subtly through his expressions. To explore this, I experimented with capturing slight indications of the emotions I wanted to convey using a human face, then translated those ideas back into the penguin design. Making notes is a crucial part of this process; I often have a particular vision or idea that I express in words, capturing the essence of what I’m looking for in a character. However, like a dream, those ideas can fade away, and I don’t want to lose them. So, I always take notes, even if they seem a little silly—who knows, the silly note I write today may inspire the perfect character design I create tomorrow
Still Life
Still life sketches demand a lot of energy and attention, as they require careful observation and consideration of multiple elements simultaneously. These particular drawings may be a bit rough around the edges, but I believe they possess a unique charm. Whether it's capturing the chubby man playing a game on his phone or the man scrolling through Instagram after getting his coffee, there's an essence in still life drawings that I don't always find in my other work.
This portfolio represents my ongoing journey as an artist, constantly learning and refining my skills. My focus on illustration, emotion, and storytelling guides each piece, and I’m excited to keep pushing my creative boundaries. I’m eager to continue improving my craft and exploring new ways to bring stories to life through drawing and animation. Thank you for taking the time to view my work—I look forward to the next steps in my artistic growth.
Jahton Perry