By Tom Rogers
Name: Julia Yellow (Huang)
Major: Illustration
Class: Fourth-year
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
District: Tell me a bit about yourself.
Julia Yellow: I’m Julia Yellow. And yes, that’s my last name. I’d rather people know the real meaning of my last name than trying to pronounce a meaningless Chinese word into something else.
Yellow is not only my family name and my favorite color, but also my race (not to be racist, but we do look more yellowish) and my attitude towards my life. Also, it sticks into art directors’ memories much much easier.
District: What events transpired leading up to your illustration being featured in the “New York Times”?
Yellow: I went on the illustration department’s summer off-campus N.Y. trip that was held by professor Julie Lieberman.
Because of the trip, all of the students got to meet art agencies, editors and art directors. And that was how I met the art directors at the “New York Times” and left my promotion card with them. Then they called me three weeks after the trip.
District: What were the guidelines for this project?
Yellow: The art director Richard Aloisio gave me a lot of freedom. I could do whatever I wanted as long as the illustration reflected a sense of “summer” and “things to do.”
The weekend art section was about what the “New York Times” critics wanted to do before the summer ends, which included exhibitions, films, plays, musics and books.
The deadline was pretty tight. They called on Friday afternoon and the sketches were due the next Monday at noon. Then the deadline for the final was Wednesday at noon. It was pretty stressful, but everything turned out well.
District: What does being featured in the New York Times mean in terms of your career?
Yellow: A blessed and great start of the career.
District: What made you decide you wanted a career in illustration?
Yellow: I don’t feel like I “decided I wanted a career in illustration.” Drawing has always been more like my mother tongue to me so it is pretty much a natural thing for me to do. Not that I am a genius and draw better than everyone else or something, it’s just that drawing is easier than all other things to me.
District: What materials do you work with?
Yellow: Mostly pen and ink with digital. I also do some collage in personal work.
District: Anything else you’d like to add?
Yellow: Illustration will never die and we will never give up!
District: An online version of the article is available at the “New York Times”. Julia’s online portfolio is available here.
