Artist Spotlight: Joshua Wiggan
- May 13
- 4 min read
By Zury Cordova
Joshua Wayne Wiggan is an electronic design and multimedia major currently completing his senior year and working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He transferred from Hostos Community College last spring, bringing with him a strong foundation in visual storytelling and digital creativity. Wiggan’s long‑term goal is to become a professor, using his work and experience to inspire others and create a positive impact within his community.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
ZC: What inspired you to start drawing?
JW: My brother inspired me to start drawing. He's really talented in realism, and when I would see his work, I felt really connected. It just inspired me to do the same. He would draw everything from superheroes to real people; there was no limit to what he could do. And, ever since then, I just picked up after him, and I knew I wanted to continue on this path. After I got involved with art, I believe what also helped keep my spark within the arts was my art teachers and professors over the years. They have had a great impact on inspiring me to continue to do what I do. Every single professor and teacher that I've had, has had their share of impact.
ZC: Are you currently inspired by any particular artist, artistic movements, or even things outside of art?
JW: I am currently inspired by Chase Conley. He's a visual artist and an animation director. I really enjoy his work. You could see that he tries to have fun with it. He doesn't try to make everything too serious. And there's a lot of character behind every design, detail and choice. He just puts his all into his art, and I really respect it. Another person who inspired me is Akira Toriyama, the manga artist for Dragon Ball Z. His storytelling and drawings are simple but satisfying. The main character's work ethic is also on another level, and that has inspired me to continue with my art journey no matter what.
ZC: What are your future career plans or artistic plans?
JW: For my future career, I know I want to be involved in art education. I want to be a professor at a college, specifically, maybe high school as well, but my ultimate goal is to be a college professor. There’s a lot that I want to do to help empower artists. I want to help encourage students to believe in themselves, to pursue their careers and their dreams, and aspire to be their best. And I think that within my goals of trying to achieve my master's and finishing my bachelor's will definitely help me reach those heights. I also want to create my own personal project without the help of a company or without being under that company. Currently, I’m thinking of creating my own film, writing and working on the visuals of a story that can resonate with everyone.
ZC: How do you describe your artistic style? How would you say your drawing style or technique evolved over time?
JW: I originally started off with cartoons, then I dove into realism, and then after that, I started mixing all kinds of styles. Then I got into more of a bit of an abstract and became more interested in patterns and textures. Currently, I'm in a space where I'm still learning something new every day with art. My favorite medium would be animation. My top three would be animation, traditional drawings, and illustrations. I really like this quote and continue to live by it: “Never limit yourself to one style.”
ZC: Can you describe your creative process from idea to finished piece?
JW: My creative process starts with feeling the emotion of what my theme is. There's a deep thinking process of writing down my ideas and breaking them down, depending on how I want my artwork to reflect my ideas. Then I sketch it out, and I would then relay it digitally. I use a reference and make sure my proportions are right. Then I'd start getting into coloring.
ZC: What advice would you give to someone who has just started with drawing?
JW: Don't be discouraged by your learning process. Don't compare yourself to others. Everyone is on their own journey, and everyone learns differently. And at the end of the day, you have a goal of what you would like to do, of how well you would like to draw. The most important thing is to be consistent with whatever medium you love. Try to put in at least 20 to 10 minutes a day of doing something within that medium, so you never lose your touch.
Zury Cordova is a sophomore at The City College of New York, pursuing a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in creative writing. She is passionate about creative expression and spends her free time journaling, writing, and painting.
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