Illustrations and Designs by Jag Nagra
October artist of the month goes to designer Jag Nagra. Jag, 29 years old, was born and raised in the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada and has been designing since her graduation from design school in Spring of 2006.
Jag is most known for her 365 design project (which we will cover below) in which from January 29, 2012 to January 28, 2013 she created an illustration a day (365 days, 365 illustrations).
You can view/follow more from Jag Nagra via the links below
Before we get to her awesome designs, Jag was kind enough to answer a few questions for us in a small interview which you’ll see below.
Where are you currently residing?
I live in a different suburb of Vancouver, where I just purchased my first home this summer!
What made you want to become a Designer?
My older brother had taken some design classes in University, and one project in particular required that he photograph my hand, and insert it into a typographic layout. I think that was the moment that I realized that this was an actual profession. People got paid to do this kind of thing? That’s when I really started thinking I wanted to do this. Before that point, I had no idea that Graphic Design even existed. I was oblivious.
What University did you attend and what’s your degree in?
After high school, I spent 2 years taking general studies at a post-secondary institute. Throughout my entire childhood, I just thought you went to University after high school, and then got a career. I didn’t understand how it worked. And so after I walked away with this diploma in my hand, I was no closer to a career than before I had started. I then applied for a Graphic Design program at the Art Institute of Vancouver without really knowing what that entailed, and ended up falling in love with it.
Where did you land your first Design related job?
My very first paid design job was working at a small greeting card manufacturer that created Christmas cards for corporate clients throughout Canada. My job was to input their pre-chosen messages to the inside of the card. It really wasn’t the most stimulating job, but I was only there for a few months since it was seasonal.
Tell us a little about Page 84 Design:
Page 84 Design started as a creative outlet for me outside of my day job. It’s a way for me to experiment, and push myself into new realms. Last year, I began a 365-day illustration project so that I could teach myself how to illustrate. That lead to getting noticed by design blogs, which then lead to people hiring me as an illustrator. So I guess at the moment, I’m calling myself an Illustrator.
I’m excited to see where I’ll go with it next, but it’s cool because it’s all up to me. I don’t need anyone’s approval before I post something or experiment with something.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
You mean when I’m not snuggling with my dogs? I have a huge passion and respect for photography. You could say that was my first love. These days, I gladly forgo my Canon camera equipment for the ease of use of the iPhone, and the ability to instantly share photos through Instagram. I’m obsessed!
Who/Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I love all things retro and mid-century modern.
What does your office look like?
I found this old solid wood desk on Craigslist that belonged to a retired doctor. It’s from the 1960’s and it’s so cool. They were moving to a new office space, and luckily I swooped it up for FREE before it ended up in the landfill. The donkey is an illustration of mine that I got printed on canvas.
What design tools/software do you use?
I use a 17″ Macbook Pro, and I would say 80% of all the work I do in in Adobe InDesign..even illustrations.
Chrome, Firefox, or Safari?
Safari
What are some of your future plans/goals as a Designer?
I continually want to create things that will exist outside of a computer screen. A few years ago, I had this panicky realization that one day I would die, and my entire career would exist only in my computer files and I would stop existing as a designer. The thought of that is what lights a fire under me every day. I want to leave things behind for people to hold in their hands.
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Now the exciting part, Jag’s designs! Obviously we won’t be able to include all 365 illustrations she created for her 365 project, but we will include a few among other projects she has done.
These illustrations are truly awesome and I like the simplistic approach, you may recognize some of these illustrations as popular celebrities, as well as animals and a variety of other types of people and characters.
Mr. T
Hulk Hogan
Danny Devito
Elton John
Mr. Miyagi
ET
Colonel Sanders
Snoop Dog
Barack Obama
Larry King
Hugo’s Hot Sauce
Jag Nagra did the branding, illustration and packaging design of a new line of hot sauce called Hugo’s Hot Sauce.
There you have Enfuzed’s artist of the month for October, Jag Nagra. Be sure to follow her on the social media links we listed above so you can view all of her past and current work.