Today we are introducing you to another exciting new artist on the scene who works under his own studio name of “Lead and Lines.” My man Justin Juno has been working hard as a freelance designer in the past two years, and works hard at what he does. Here’s a little info about Justin and how he got to where he is today in his own words.

I started drawing at a young age with dreams of becoming an animator. I honestly was turning all of my home work and just about any piece of paper I could find into a comic strip, storyboard, or character. When I was in the 8th grade, I got into skateboarding and watched the “On Video – Spring 2001″ tape. It changed my life and artwork forever.

In the middle the of the video there was an skateboard artists commentary section featuring Mark McKee who displayed some of his recent work and personal favorites from his portfolio. I remember rewinding and watching this clip in my VCR so much that I ended up ruining the tape. Almost instantly my artwork shifted direction and focus. I got into High School and started to take several art classes and after four short years I graduated and moved across the state.

I started to work a bunch of random jobs from restaurants, to malls, to even the worst of them all… accounting. I worked the accounting job for nearly two years and dreaded waking up every morning to small gray cubicle with stacks of paper. I was miserable and very depressed. I knew what I wanted to do but didn’t have a clue of even how to do it. But, I was determined to figure it out. For a few months I did nothing but work and save money to serve as a cushion for bills and dove blindly into the profession. It sucked! I was working practically for peanuts just to get by and couldn’t find any work.

Regardless, I kept with it. I started designing merchandise and fliers for a lot of my friends bands and got a part time job as in-house designer for a local skate shop. The job at the skate shop didn’t last very long as it closed it doors shortly after I got there. However, the bands kept coming for work. As I worked for more musicians I found several websites that really helped me get a get more involved in the design community. I received a lot of advice and harsh critiques. Even so, I continued to network and connect/work with several bands and even brands on there upcoming releases or other creative needs. I am still doing the same thing today.

It isn’t the easiest job or even the most lucrative. I spend countless hours designing and find myself awake until the wee hours of the morning working. But, the fact that I am able to put in all of this time and still love every second of it; Means something more rewarding to me.

The truth is, as long as I am alive and happy I will be designing and creating. I still am very new to the creative community and have a long way to go, but I look forward to seeing what happens.

To see my portfolio or for information about my studio, clients, or to get a quote please visit my website:
http://leadandlines.com

Check out the full Lead and Lines Website.

Become a fan of Lead and Lines on Facebook and follow Justin @leadandlines on Twitter.