Jean Jullien, illustrator
Jean Jullien is a French graphic designer currently living between London and New York. While working across multiple disciplines including photography, video, advertising, installation and costumes, magCulture readers will know him best for his witty illustration work for magazines and newspapers across Europe and the US.
Where are you today?
Back in the studio after one travel too many!
What can you see from the window?
A very sad looking block of flats.
Are you a morning or evening person?
None and both.
What was the first magazine you remember enjoying?
It must have been Les Inrockuptibles. My dad has had a subscription for as far as I can remember and I’ve always enjoyed reading it. It’s about culture in general, music, cinema… It’s evolved and survived and I now work for them (current front cover, above), which fills me with a bit of pride when I think that my dad gets it in the post.
What’s your favourite magazine this morning?
The amazing Popeye magazine! It’s by a 1000 years the most exciting editorial design around, in my opinion. It’s odd, playful and hyper-original. I dream of doing a cover for them!
And your favourite illustration?
It’s these ones this morning…
You studied graphic design – how did you come to be doing what you do today?
Quite organically I think. I always drew but never studied it. I gradually used drawing in my designs at school (by making sets, props, hand drawn titles, drawn elements, etc…) until my practice morphed from design with drawn elements into drawing with a design process.
Your work has graced so many magazines – is there one you’d love to work for but haven’t yet?
A cover for Popeye and The New Yorker would be fantastic. But any new magazine is interesting.
What advice can you offer people wanting to establish themselves as an illustrator?
Keep producing, look around you but not too much, and share your work.
What are you most looking forward to this week?
Going to La Rochelle on friday.
What are you least looking forward to this week?
A very heavy workload.
What will you be doing after this chat?
Getting on a call with our producers!
Photograph of Jean by Daniel Arnold