Jenn, from the Zazzle Store jennsdoodleworld, was kind enough to answer some questions about her artistic style and her time at Zazzle. Check out the interview below and don’t forget to check out her store jennsdoodleworld!
Zazzle: Give us a brief bio; where are you from, when did you starting making art?
Jenn: I am from Lakewood, NY. I have been making art ever since I could hold a pencil. I’ve been drawing cartoons all over my school notebooks since I was a small kid. It’s what I’ve been doing for fun all my life.
Zazzle: How would you describe your style?
Jenn: Whimsical, fun, cartoony, humorous… sometimes kawaii (Japanese cute style).
Zazzle: Any artists you look up to when it comes to designing?
Jenn: Let’s see… I really appreciate the artwork of the Hallmark Shoebox illustrators. Sometimes I check out the Shoebox blog for inspiration. I also like a lot of Children’s book illustrators. Sometimes I’ll buy children’s picture books just to study the art. One I bought recently is called My House by Delphine Durand. All of her art is amazing. I also admire a long list of cartoonists. George Booth, Sergio Aragonés, and Roz Chast are a few I love, and have bought collections of their books.
Zazzle: What is your favorite Zazzle feature? How do you use it?
Jenn: My favorite feature is that the customer can add custom text or images. It makes it possible to sell invitations and business cards, and I love it that people can add their own text to greeting cards. I’ve used the feature myself when I bought some Christmas cards from other sellers.
Zazzle: What has been your favorite design you’ve created, and why?
Jenn: It’s a tossup between sushi shoes and the owls wedding invitation. I guess I’ll go with the owls. I designed it in Starbucks, and got feedback from the staff there while I was working on it. They liked it and laughed and said, the groom looks like, “Oh crap! I’m getting married!” That’s the effect I was going for, and I sell a lot of these!
Zazzle: What got you interested in selling your art on Zazzle?
Jenn: I was looking for a place to self-publish my art, and had heard very good things about Zazzle. I saw some great reviews about the quality of the products and print quality. My experience with Zazzle both as a seller and a customer has been great!
Zazzle: What tips can you give someone who is just starting out on Zazzle?
Jenn: Find your niche. I started out focusing on t-shirts, and then found most of my art is better suited for greeting cards and invitations. The competition may seem overwhelming, but if you can find your niche, a theme that people can relate to, you will make sales. Also, create designs that the customer can personalize. It makes it worth it to buy online & pay more than you would at a department store when you can customize the product exactly the way you want it.
Thanks Jenn!
