Connie Kang

            How is that you came to be an illustrator?

Drawing has been a hobby of mine since I was a little girl. Following this path I started my journey of art. I went to the high school of fine arts. I drew and imitated every day. I like all of the variety with art, such as oil painting, water color, sculpture, installation, graphic, design and media. I got my BFA of art in college. I tried a lot of different type of art at that time. Finally, I decided to pick illustration as my future career.

 

      Did you go to art school?

Yes, I graduated with bachelor of art design major from Donghua University in Shanghai, China. I went to Academy of Art University as an illustration major and pursued a Master’s degree, which I successfully finished  in 2012.

 Were there 1 or more individuals that were an influence in your becoming an illustrator? 

The first illustrator I got to know was J.C. Leyendecker. I still remember the instructor showing his image, Miss Liberty to us. I was fascinated by this illustration. He had strong sensibility and could catch the subtle expressions and interesting story inside his subjects. After that, I looked at a lot of his artwork and decided to be an illustrator like him.

      What inspires you now?

I am working on an illustration series of Yakuza Japanese gangster art. I get a lot of inspiration from their tattoos. 

    Is there anything you would like to share regarding your technique or style of work?

Personally, I prefer the traditional media like oil, watercolor and  gouache.  However, I  need an effective and fast way at my work place, so I  sketch first by pencil and scan them into the computer, then use photoshop, painter or illustrator to redefined drawing and color it. I do like the Cintiq, however still prefer to use the Wacom tablet.

        What types of markets do you illustration for?

I worked as a concept artist at Disney Mobile. Before that I was in charge of character design, props, UI and background design. I would like to get into the animation feature film in the near future.

 

      Are there links to your images you would like to share?

Portfolio link is    http://conniekangarts.blogspot.com/

Video link is         https://vimeo.com/30709382

 

      Do you do other things regarding art?

I love sculpture and handcraft. Portrait sculpture and paper craft are my favorite hobbies after work.

   Do you currently have product with your 

images on the market?

I‘ve done mugs and tumblers designs with “The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf” and “Starbucks,” that sold in China.  In addition, my illustration project “Freedom” was adopted by Nokia through the HuntHaggarty, a British headhunting company. I also designed  a T-shirt with eno  which also sold in China.

 

   What is the thing you love best about what you do?

I love to design the characters in both the game and animation field. Because I like to observe people and creatures, I enjoy drawing their subtle expressions, actions and figures.