jes by design
jes somerville
Highly dedicated and passionate artist with strong illustration, design, animation, 3D modelling, and visual development abilities. On the lookout for challenging, enjoyable projects with the chance for personal and professional growth.
about me
Hello! I'm Jes, a generalist in the animation industry who's based in Vancouver, Canada. I've got an Art Fundamentals Certificate, a Visual and Creative Design Diploma, and a Bachelor's Degree in Animation from Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, so you could say I've studied art a little!I've been passionate about creating since I was a kid, and I'm thrilled to be working in an amazing field like animation! In between my animation contracts, I like to work on commissions and prints to sell through my shops. Some day, it would be amazing to live off of only that income, but for now I'm savouring my time making great cartoons.Every day, I challenge myself to be better than I was yesterday. I'm a perfectionist with too much determination, but I love what I do so it's never a chore. I'm looking forward to creating more great art for you today!
Curious about my professional life? Want to know more about where I went to school, the different studios I've worked at, and the skills I've learned and developed over the course of my career? Want to see a picture of me in college and judge my hairstyle? All this and more is waiting for you at my LinkedIn profile. Snoop and enjoy!
Personal Life
I was born in Alberta, grew up in a small rural town, and moved to Ontario for college at seventeen. Talk about culture shock! Then I relocated to Vancouver for work in 2015, and I have to say as far as cities go it's a great one. I've spent my time here working at several different studios, gaining skills and building on my talents. It's been rough at times, but absolutely worth it.
reels
Demo Reel
films
"Kalari"
2014
Trapped in an underground cave, a girl and her pet face a dangerous monster.2D animation. Thesis film.
"Fists of Finance"
2013
A great kung-fu master refuses to pay his bills and unleashes the math fury of his otherwise mild mannered accountant.2D animation. Head of Layout.Semifinalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards
Featured at Ottawa Film Fest
commercial
inquiries
Need an illustrated book jacket? Want a cover for your new single, or a poster for your big event? A logo for your merch, a colour palette for your brand, or a filmed tutorial for your art software - find it all here at jes by design!Personal and professional commissions are different for a few reasons. Individual commissions are meant for only personal use - you can't use a character I've drawn you as the mascot for your brand! Hang it on the wall, show it to your D&D crew, credit me on Twitter - but you can't resell my art or use it for commercial purposes if it's not a commercial commission. Find more details in my faq!
sponsorship & collabs
Got a brand you'd like me to boost? Want to sponsor an illustration or a custom vid? Are you another artist interested in collaborating with me on a project? Awesome, I'm great at teamwork!I'm pretty open to trying new software or drawing tools, especially on Youtube live. I'll review your product honestly and in my own words, but don't fret - I won't be mean.As a note, I refuse to deal with brands whose ethical views don't match my own. I also stick with what my audience wants as far as content - videos, comics, illustrations, digital paintings, etc.
I want to get to know you!
Give me a summary of the project you've got me in mind for. Try to include the time-frame for finishing, the content of the work, and what you expect to pay for it.
faq
general terms
Let's work together and make something great! I hope you're as excited as I am. First thing's first! Here are a few things you should know:
The number of corrections is not infinite. My prices are set to include a maximum of two corrections. Any more will incur extra charges of $20 per correction.
Once the product you ordered is finished, you will be sent a high-quality PDF, JPG, or PNG, whichever is your preference. The size of the piece is not adjustable, so I'm careful to get the dimensions you want in the planning stage.
When you receive the piece can vary depending on outside factors - the complexity of the commission, seasonal holidays, or personal emergencies can all slow down production. Please be understanding of delays - you are guaranteed to get what you paid for in the end.
cancel or refund
I hate to see you go! If we can't work things out and you need to cancel your order, you may not get a full refund! Be aware of a few things before you place an order:
If I am unable to begin your commission for any reason, or if you cancel the order before I begin your project, you will be fully refunded.
If I've already begun your order, you'll be refunded 40% of the order's cost. This is because I plan out your commissions before I ever start the drawing - a huge part of making art is thinking about how the end product will look and planning out how you'll approach the piece. Good art takes time and planning!
If the piece has been delivered already, or if your order is more than 60% completed, you will not receive a refund.
copyright
This part is important! Violating copyright could result in legal problems - protect yourself and me by reading this bit carefully:
I will maintain the copyright on all commissioned work.
I will not profit off of your commission, except for the money paid to me to create it in the first place.
I will always ask your permission before posting your commission to my social media, website, or portfolio.
You are free to upload the commission on social media, as long as you credit me as the artist! Tagging or linking to my profile is required.
You may not, under any circumstances, claim my work as your own, edit, sell, or reproduce my artwork without my consent, use my artwork to make a profit, or use my artwork in a commercial context. This is the big one! You could get in a lot of trouble, and I don't want that for either of us.