Jay Kim
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Where did you grow up? At what age did you start thinking about pursuing an artistic career?
I grew up in a small city called Daejeon in South Korea. I have taken interest in drawing since I was little. I used to go to a kindergarten that offers art classes for elementary school students in the afternoon. It was really fun and eye-opening since that was my first experience in making art. After watching the Disney movie Tangled, I decided to pursue an artistic career seriously, I was 13 then.
Did you go to an art school or are you self-taught? How did you develop your skills?
I went to the ArtCenter College of Design. I majored in Illustration with an emphasis on Entertainment Arts. Before school, I already knew how to draw with a digital tool and I was confident in drawing backgrounds and characters. I guess I can say I am half self-taught. I loved drawing comics as a kid, and I remembered finishing 100 pages in my sketchbook within the span of two weeks. I eventually grew up loving watching films and became an animation and movie nerd. Since then, I spent most of my time drawing fan art, but I also drew cartoons based on my friend’s stories and shared them with them. I enjoy drawing cartoons so much that I would forget about the time! I think this habit and that experience helped me develop my art skills.
Have you always been supported in your artistic path or has it been challenging to let your family and friends understand your choice?
I was lucky that my parents found out I have talent in art, and they supported my interest in it. As I grew up, I began to love animation as a medium, and naturally, I started to dream about having a job related to it. My parents were not happy about the idea at first, because such jobs had very low income in my home country. However, they eventually came around to being more supportive of my career path and recognized the passion and effort I’m willing to put in to make my dream come true. As a result, I was very lucky to attend the ArtCenter, and study entertainment art.
What was the strongest influence you had when you were growing up ( artists, movies, cartoons, comics, etc.. )?
I have loved comics and animations for a very long time, but as mentioned above, the strongest influence I had was certainly Disney’s first 3D feature animation movie Tangled. I remember the shock that I had after finishing the movie. I have wanted to be a part of a team that can make a movie like this since then.
Did you have a favorite subject to draw when you were a child and do you still have one today? If you do, what makes it so special?
Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite subject is drawing characters. I created my own original ones, but I also enjoy portraying characters from mangas, comics, animations, and movies. I really do LOVE to draw fanart! When I was a kid, I drew a lot of manga characters, and as I grew up, I spread my interest into feature animations, and then I began to draw more American-style characters. Eventually, I fell in love with live-action movie characters too, and so I started to draw in a less stylized, more realistic way. I believe my interest in all these different subjects pushed me to try different approaches to my art and forced me to develop different styles.
What part of the creation process is the most fun and easy and what part is the hardest?
Inking is what I enjoy the most. Drawing a perfect line is very satisfying, but I also like the unexpected feeling of the lines that I drew. It's fun. A few years ago I received Shi Yoon’s brushes and have been using them ever since to sketch and ink my drawings. I sketch over and over until I see the drawing that is closest to what I imagined in my head. If I’m lucky I can nail it with one sketch, but usually, it can take up to 10 or 15 tries.
Is there something that you have designed that you are most proud of?
A fanart of the Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye” music video (see above). Is a piece I did last year, but I still like it! I think it’s very “me”, and I enjoy the contrasting colors in it. The song is just great… while I was sketching this I had planned on adding John and Ringo too, but ultimately I changed my mind (I think it works better as it is).
What projects have you worked on in the past and what are you working on at the moment (if you can tell us)?
For nearly five months I worked as a background painter in a studio called Shadow Machine, for a project called “Strange Planet.” It was a wonderful experience, and as my first job, it meant a lot to me. I wasn’t expecting a background painting job, so that was a new experience for me. Then I worked for Disney TVA as a visual development artist, and I was happily surprised to be working for this world-famous company that early in my career.
Do you have a long-term career goal? What would your dream project be?
I'd love the idea of working for a major feature animation movie that lots of people will be able to experience in movie theaters. Even better if it’s in international theaters too, so my family and friends in South Korea would be able to watch it. At present, I’m really into the Marvel Cinematic Universe so it would be amazing to be part of an animated series for it (I don’t think my art style fits the superhero genre yet… well for now haha).
What advice would you give to an artist who is dealing with an artist's block? How do you boost your imagination and keep yourself creative?
In my experience, Artist’s block inevitably occurs as you keep learning and growing. It's perfectly normal and part of the process, so do not panic when you face it! It will disappear naturally, and yeah… it will come back again one day, but there is nothing to be afraid of. Usually, people's observation skill develops first and their drawing skill follows up. When there is a huge gap between these two skill levels, artists can feel like they are blocked. However, I would recommend forcing yourself and trying too hard to make the gap even right away. Instead, I would suggest taking a long break and coming back to it. When I am stuck with my work, I go to see other art for inspiration and refreshment. I often use Pinterest or Instagram collection.
Concept art, animation, illustration, comics, you name it. There are so many careers and when you are very young, sometimes you know only one thing: you simply love to draw. In your opinion, what should a young person take into consideration to make the right decision when choosing an artistic path?
I understand there may be a certain pressure to choose an artistic path very early on, and that's fine, but I believe it’s quite important not to be tied down to a singular path before exploring other paths, apart from just painting and drawing. It's always great to explore different mediums and create various kinds of art when given the opportunity. For example, you may be a creative who may not enjoy working in Photoshop and find more enjoyment in 3D modeling, rigging, etc. Explore and have fun trying out different tools, this way you can create a trial-and-error process for yourself, and eventually narrow down the artistic career in which you are gifted, and find the most fulfilling to pursue. From there, your career path will develop organically, and the rest will come next.
In your own experience, what would you suggest to someone who is inspired by your work and wants to follow in your footsteps: should they work in one consistent style, or work on many different ones?
As I discussed above, my suggestion is definitely to work on many different ones. Style adaptation is one of the skills that can help show your versatility and ability to adapt to many different shows. But on the other hand, foundational skills are equally just as important because they can prove your ability to accomplish the task. Some things we can do is go to live figure drawings or go outside for plein-air painting to improve our personal skill sets.
If you had to recommend only one art book (a comic book, graphic novel, children's book, or ''how-to'' book) to a fellow artist, what would it be and why?
To me, it's “The Art of Tangled”. Just like the movie, I personally find this book highly inspirational, with lots of insight into the animation pipeline. But what I would recommend to other artists is choosing an art book based on their favorite movie. Open the book whenever you are stuck with your goals and imagine one day your work being in one and inspiring many others as well.
Finally, where can we see your art online and get in touch with you? How can we buy your creations and support your work?
My work can be found on my personal website ( jaykimdy.com ) and I share my work on Instagram too ( @jaykimdy ). I am also working on a tutorial book with a Korean publisher that teaches you how to create character illustrations using the Procreate app! The book is almost done and will be out in 2023. For now, the publisher and I don’t have any plans to sell the book abroad, but I hope it can happen one day. Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram to get more updates!
Thank you, Jay :)
