Josh Allain

Year of birth: January 29, 1991.
Where do you live: Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, USA (Philadelphia suburb).
Your education: Bachelor of Fine Arts in General Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, USA (August 2009 to May 2014).
Describe your art in three words: Edgy, trippy, and whimsical.
Your discipline: Illustration.
Website | Instagram

Could you tell us about the primary themes and inspirations behind your artwork, particularly the influence of astronomy, music, and psychedelia?

It boils down to taste, actually. When I was child, I learned about the solar system and music in grade school. My parents even had music playing in the house. Watching The Beatles’ animated Yellow Submarine movie was my introduction to psychedelia. In my view, it was a huge departure from the Disney animated films that I had watched previously. Most of the vibrant, solid colors of the characters drew me in, and I was motivated to come up with similar imagery. And, of course, I watched a lot of cartoons on television. So during high school and college, I started applying my personal interests into my artwork. I discovered visual artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Salvador Dalí, and Alex Grey and science communicators like Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

How has your grandfather, Ramsey Lewis, influenced your artistic journey, if at all?

My grandfather (1935–2022) was masterful in his craft. He knew at an early age that he wanted to be a jazz pianist, so his parents (my great-grandparents) made sure that he took piano lessons and learned how to read and write sheet music. At the age of 21, my grandfather released his debut album in 1956 and became a massive mainstream success at 30 in 1965 with his The In Crowd album. If he could succeed in his creative passion and bring everyone together with his music, I can do the same as an illustrator.

Josh Allain | First Quarter Moon | 2022

You use a variety of mediums, including pencil, Sharpie, collage, and Photoshop. How do you decide which medium to use for a particular piece?

In high school and the first half of college, I combined pencil, Sharpie, and Photoshop in my early pieces after deciding that traditional paints, colored markers, charcoal, and colored pencils weren’t for me. It’s much easier to incorporate solid colors with Photoshop. When it came to adding collage into the mix, it wasn’t until after I tried LSD in November 2013 that I started scanning magazine cutouts into my computer and manipulating them with Photoshop filters to create the desired complex, psychedelic patterns.

Can you walk us through your creative process, from initial idea to completed work?

While music is playing, I gather source material from books, photos from the Internet, etc. and start drawing with pencil and paper as soon as an idea strikes. After going over the pencil marks in black Sharpie, I scan directly into Photoshop and add color digitally.

Josh Allain | Hazel | 2024

Your works have been exhibited in group shows since 2017. How has participating in exhibitions shaped your career and your approach to art?

Participating in group exhibitions has kept me inspired. It has shown me that there’s always room for experimentation and risk-taking. It has also given me the ability to network with a supportive community of visual artists from all walks of life.

As someone who grew up in Upper Darby Township, how has your environment influenced your art and perspective as an illustrator?

Upper Darby Township’s official motto is “the world in one place”, and I couldn’t agree more. I was raised in this diverse community, and I got along with everyone regardless of cultural differences. This aspect carried into college as well, and it’s something that I’ll hold onto until the day I die. All in all, there’s something for everyone as far as subject matter is concerned.

Josh Allain | March Somewhere | 2023

Many of your pieces have a striking visual style. How do you balance traditional techniques with digital tools to achieve this effect?

For me, it feels more natural to draw by hand with traditional materials as opposed to working strictly with a drawing tablet. I put a lot of emphasis on precision when it comes to drawing the outlines on paper.