Jackson Free Press

Art has been in Joshua Davis' life ever since he was little. He started drawing when he was 4 years old.

"I always saw myself as a cartoonist," he says. "I would draw cartoons all the time, and that's what I loved."

Even at a young age, his art intersected with pop culture.

"I used to always watch Dragonball Z," he says. "I would record (the show) and freeze it and try to look at the screen and draw off of the screen cause back then, you know, you really didn't have computers and stuff like that."

Davis makes much of his work with pencil and Copic markers. However, he has expanded into other mediums such as clay, plaster and paint. Out of those three, he is most experienced in paint. "I've been painting since last year," he says. "I just picked up a paintbrush and wanted to expand my talent, so I went ahead and started painting."

Over the Christmas season, Davis expanded his art to paid portrait commissions. While he enjoys those, Davis acknowledges the limits one has in creating art for someone else.

"You know you have to get things done rather than drawing for yourself," he says. "I would rather draw for myself than do commissions, but commissions pay money."

Though he has branched into painting, Davis still prefers drawing.

"It's easier for me to use Copic and pencil because painting gets stressful for me," he says. "Drawing is easier because I can see what I can put down, and I know where everything goes."

Davis also has practical reasons for preferring drawing: "It's easier to blend colors with Copic markers rather than paint, cause paint is messy, and you always have to clean up more with paint rather than with pencil and markers."

In summer 2016, his senior art show was at Tougaloo College, where he recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in art. The theme was superheroes, with various superhero-themed pieces on display. The highlight of the show was a 6-foot-tall superhero figure made of plaster. He designed the figure so it could hang from the ceiling.

"It actually took me a whole year to do it so it has to be my favorite (piece of art)," he says. The figure is the largest thing that Davis has ever done and, as he explains with a laugh, "It's in my backyard right now."

Davis' favorite hero is Batman. "I like the whole darkness and detective thing."

Despite his like of the dark and gritty Batman, he emphasizes the use of color in his work.

"Colors are a big thing in my life," he says. "When you see bright colors, you automatically get happy. So I would want people to look at my art and be like 'OK, well this guy's doing this with his heart, and it's making me feel good.'"

The Jackson native has big dreams for his future. He says he wants to eventually start doing murals on big buildings.

Still, he appreciates the people he's met along the way. "I feel like if you want to do something that your heart is on or your mind is on, you continue to work on it," he says. "I've met a lot of great people this summer, this past year, that've helped me get to the point where I am now. So I thank them a lot."

Joshua Davis' art is currently on display at Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.). For more information, find him on Instagram and Facebook.