Jade Spranklen AKA Sprankenstein is a born and bred North Londoner. Sprankenstein projects are hard to miss - her illustrations and animations have pushed Jade to working with the likes of Dr Martens, ASOS, Tate, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Sony and Capitol Records....and of course, Warrior Addict!!
How would you describe your art and what is it most influenced by?
My art is heavily influenced by dark folklore tales and events in history but I like to put a quirky spin on everything I do, whether it be character design or fantastical elements. I like to create work that looks otherworldly. I am not very good at drawing real-life pieces!
You have been commissioned by many cool artists including Fisher, Selena Gomez & Clean Bandit, can we ask what your favourite projects were and why? What is the connection between your art and music?
I think my favourite artist that I have worked with to date is Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on their 40th anniversary single ‘Don’t Go’ - I got to create a dark and emotional animated music video with a real heartbreaking story. I just loved it.
I also loved the work I did for Benjamin Francis Leftwich for his long awaited album ‘After The Rain’. It was a lovely process where we sat together and played through the album while Ben spoke to me about the story behind each track and the emotion of the album. It was a beautiful experience.
What was your journey to becoming an artist?
It was a journey that was definitely not straight forward! Growing up I was very academic...Further Maths, German were my subjects of choice. That was until I spectacularly failed Further Maths A-Level and had to pick up another subject. It was then I realised I had spent years doodling already and really took that as a viable option for my future!
What is the industry like at the moment? Are people still buying art? How can people find out about artists like you?
I find selling art is one of the hardest things for me as I am an introvert and being a sales person just isn’t in my tapestry. I love creating it but will hardly ever promote myself in that way - yet I still manage to sell here and there. However there is a huge market for art all over the world. I have many artist friends that have hundreds of collectors.
How are you finding being in lock down? Is it difficult to be creative in times like these or is it nice to have some time off?
Initially it was really hard. And there are still up’s and down’s which are very unpredictable...But my creativity has been flowing at a heightened rate I think! I feel much more inspired anyway.
What work are you most proud of and where would you like to be in 5 years time?
The work that I am most proud of is a video I did for Save The Children x BCGDV which tells the story of a young girl who has been displaced. I worked with the most amazing team of animators to bring that to life, it was a hard work and it paid off.
In 5 years time I’d hope that Sprankenstein Studio would have grown to become a larger animation production house, that specialises in storytelling.
Tell us about your artwork for our #warriorstep campaign, who are the warrior figures and what does the work represent?
The artwork for the #warriorstep campaign is based on the quote by Lao Tzu and extensive research on ancient warrior tribes, especially those from regions in Asia. There are representatives of different ancient warriors from places such as China and Japan. The Warriors and landscape show a figurative journey through mental health, from the beginning and the very important first STEP, all the way through to the end and recovery.
How did you create the final #warriorstep artwork?
Creating the artwork began as hand drawn sketches to map out what the characters would look like and were they could sit on the design. Then I take the final sketches in to digitally drawing them and refining. This was done using Procreate and Afinity on the Ipad Pro. Once this is done, all the assets are then taken into Adobe Illustrator and pieced together on there to create the final image.
Have you every suffered from mental health issues? If so what have you done or do you do to help to manage/overcome them?
I have had depression and dissociation for as long as I can remember - even as a child I felt like this, so in a way mental health and mental illness has been a big part of who I am now. I’ve been through many ways of trying to help this including meds and therapy. However now I have learnt to deal with it in my own way, with herbal remedies to calm anxieties. I know that if things get really bad, there is help I can get from people who are close to me and other resources. I just take it day by day and try to remember that any dark feelings will eventually pass.
How does it feel to see your artwork on our yoga mats and clothes?
Feels wonderful!
Do you practice yoga yourself? How do you feel after a yoga class?
I do - most recently! It’s been helping a lot during lockdown and with my general mood. I feel a great sense of relief after a practice.
Any top tips for someone just starting out in the art world?
Create the work you love and navigate with dignity.
Finally can you let us know where we can find you and how we can buy your artwork?
www.sprankensteinstudio.com has a link to my online store as well as my updated portfolio of work