Meet Silvia Jimenez | Illustrator & Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Silvia Jimenez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Silvia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I believe the main reason I decided to pursue art is because it has always brought me so much joy. Since childhood, I’ve loved doodling in the corners of my notebooks, coloring, and crafting handmade cards for my loved ones. I have such fond memories of drawing comics about my friends and family, always trying to capture the funny moments we shared.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I believe I’ve come a long way to reach my current artistic career. Even though I define myself as an Illustrator and graphic designer, I actually have a degree in Architecture. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to try different areas of architecture and while I enjoyed it for the most part, ultimately, it didn’t feel like I was following my passion. After this realization, I decided that I needed to rediscover myself and reconnect with the joy of creating. It was truly challenging at the beginning, but eventually I began taking drawing and comic classes, opened my Instagram account (sividraws) and sought inspiration by following other illustrators. More determined to find my path I obtained a graphic design diploma during the pandemic, which opened doors for me to start a career in design.

To be honest, at the beginning my art wasn’t up to my own expectations, and it wasn’t until this past year that I looked at my art and I was happy to say: “Wow, I actually made this!”. And that’s something so hard to say for someone who is a perfectionist. This new boost of confidence gave me the initiative to try new mediums, new art materials and more importantly start selling my own designs at art events.

I would say the characteristics that define my art are the vibrant color palettes, unique character designs and portrayal of cute animals. I Illustrate both digitally and traditionally, but lately traditional painting with Gouache has been my go-to. I love to paint and capture little moments of my characters like they come from a book or a movie. I get inspired by a lot of children’s book illustrations because of their carefully crafted art to deliver meaningful messages and hope to one day illustrate a book of my own.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a fun long weekend, I suggest spending one day in Tijuana and another in San Diego. On our first day in Tijuana, we can start with breakfast at the restaurant Sabor a Mi, which I recently tried for the first time and loved. Then, we can visit CECUT, a very iconic museum, where we can explore galleries and maybe watch a movie. A visit to Ave. Revolución is a must, as it’s filled with souvenir shops called “curios”. My grandparents used to own a store in that same street, so it holds a special place in my heart. We can also explore the alleys like Pasaje Gómez, Pasaje Revolución, and Pasaje Rodríguez, where we can immerse ourselves in Tijuana’s artistic community and find vintage shops and local artist events. For lunch, we can grab something light at Etéreo Panadería or enjoy some tasty tacos al vapor in La Especial.

In San Diego, we can start the day at 85C Bakery Cafe for some delicious coffee and bread. Then, we can head to Balboa Park to explore the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum, which is especially beautiful this season. If we have extra time, we can check out some galleries. Afterwards, we can take a stroll in Little Italy and stop by Blick Art Materials to buy even more art materials. We could finalize the trip by eating burgers at In-N-Out.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly, I’d like to give a big shout-out to my husband, Moises, who has always supported me in all my decisions and has been by my side every step of the way; he really makes this journey so much easier and fun! Also, I’m really thankful for the love and support of my friends and family; it makes me happy to see them cheering for me at events.

I also want to recognize the amazing artistic community of Tijuana-San Diego for creating such a respectful space that supports and showcases local talent. Events and platforms like Sticker Palooza in Tijuana and SketchbookClub Tijuana really helped me overcome my fear of sharing my work.

Finally, but certainly not least, I would like to give a big shout-out to my coworkers @suamilk, @reereeh.jpeg, and @jvillasenorx. I look forward to creating with you in our little drawing club.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sividraws/

Other: sividraws@gmail.com