I got into painting a few years ago while feeling creatively parched (more on that below). Most of my art is stylized digital illustration, but I like experimenting with mediums and styles, and am always itching to learn more.
Here are some select works. I have a fuller set on ArtStation, and I post work, process, and WIPs most frequently on IG.
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It was 2016, and I was spending most days running global merch channels for Riot and nights grinding Ranked as a silver-tier scrub in League of Legends. While my day job and after-work activities connected me with great people and communities, I lacked a way to creatively express myself. I got to scratch the itch sometimes when doing graphic and UX design at work, but hadn’t painted or played around in Photoshop for fun since high school. Since I was busy and traveled often for work, investing in a tablet setup at home for digital painting didn’t seem prudent.
Then, a couple of things happened. First, while making personal [OKRs](https://www.whatmatters.com/faqs/okr-meaning-definition-example#:~:text=OKRs stand for “Objectives and,encourage engagement around measurable goals.), I realized how important cultivating my creative capability is to my long-term goals. In my Q4 2016 personal OKRs, I committed to sketching or designing something daily. Even if it was terrible (which it often was), what counted was doing something every day and reflecting at the end of the quarter if painting energizes me (turns out — it does!).
Second, I found Procreate on the iPad, and it — in combination with the Apple Pencil — made it easy to paint where ever I happened to be. I’d tried other drawing apps, styluses, and even physical sketchbooks, but nothing worked quite like this set of tools in lowering the friction for me to create.
Now, it’s been years, and I can’t believe there was a point in my life when I didn’t make art regularly. I’ve come a long way in that time, and still have infinitely more to learn and explore.
The OKR that kickstarted my art journey.
Most of my work is in digital illustration. When I’m taking a break from color, I also enjoy making monochrome vector illustrations of floating islands, mountains, and cityscapes.
I’m more drawn to painting environments and landscapes than creatures or portraits, but I’ve done select commissions of both.
When working with a traditional medium, I prefer ink and watercolor. In the last year, I’ve also started to use acrylics more by painting coastcard-sized landscapes and larger abstract pieces.
My style evolves with every series I explore, and I’m inspired and influenced by a wide range of artists — like Mimi Chao, Sam Yang, Andry Rasoahaingo, Angela Hao, Olly Moss, Nikita Busya, Michal Sawtyruk, and Will Finch, along with the artists and visual designers I had the pleasure of working with at Riot and Phoenix Labs.