When I finished my 3rd semester at art school, I had to go back to Korea to serve in the army for 2 years, but that didn't compromise my desire to sharpen my artistic skills. After I became a private first class in the army, I was allowed to draw and study during my free time, so every day I spent 2 hours studying anatomy..

Know your story and characters very intimately, they play off of each other. If you don't have great characters, people won't connect with or care about your story because there isn't something concrete and relatable they can attach to..

Nature and small creatures are what I like to draw most. They are special to me because it feels like you are seeing a whole world from the outside. It's a slow and calm moment where you can just watch..

As I child I loved to draw monsters, animals and include my friends, family and teachers into funny stories. These little comics always got a big reaction and I love that art has the power to shock or make friends laugh. To me, one of the most stimulating parts of the creative process is imagining the reaction of the public..

I love what I do and my job, however, I struggle a lot with stress and over focusing. Experiencing new things allow me to keep myself positive and sane. Life beyond art does not only give me new places to find happiness but it also gives me reasons to feel inspired to draw again..

I put myself in the shoes of whoever I am going to paint and I try to analyse how I could convey their emotions. I look for references to help me organise my ideas as a chef that picks up some ingredients before start cooking. Then it's all down to work, painting, fixing, painting until you get it right..

Growing up, I had a lot of fun drawing comics with my sister and sharing it with my friends, and I often got in trouble for doodling in class. A lot of people discouraged me from pursuing art. I think I’ve always known in my heart that I would end up doing something creative, so I decided to give my all into being an artist rather than trying to fit in somewhere I know I won’t be happy..

I’m sketching and doodling around a lot. Sometimes a character or story appears in the process, other times I have a specific goal in mind, it varies a lot. In the past I didn't like working digitally, but now I love it. I still do enjoy finishing things up by hand though, there's a great satisfaction in working on paper..

The initial moments are the most exciting and interesting, when you have to push yourself to explore and try to break with all you have done before. You feel like you will evolve a lot and will find a whole new style or technique that would fit great with the project.  Then comes that moment of truth..

We are in a time where so many animated shows, games, and short films are being produced. Hence, there are a lot of job opportunities out there and it is completely possible to make a living with a career in the arts. However, the question you must ask yourself is, “Am I willing to do what it takes and put in the practice to get the job I want?

Making a living with your art and creativity is possible. Today the possibilities are limitless, talent counts less than perseverance and you can learn and at any age. The most important thing is to put a lot of effort into your work, because it’s a very competitive environment and not an easy road..

I realized that if I wanted to become a concept artist, I needed much more than just knowing how to draw and paint traditionally. So I started to look for additional online educational opportunities in entertainment design..

We live in a time where information is not so difficult to get. You can find any tutorials on the internet, but getting information does not always lead to an understanding. Professional feedback helps to understand in time that something has gone wrong, or helps to pay attention to some details..

Sometimes it's more of a matter of finding the thing to work on that is important to you. If you do not feel like you are doing the right thing with your talents then it starts to eat away at you and you quickly lose your inspiration. But if you are working on something that you fell you are supposed to be doing then it is hard to lose that inspiration..

Many of my students try to apply a lot of tricks that they take from professional artists they see on the Internet, without really knowing how to use them. I keep telling them: ''You do not have to be a virtuoso technically to be able to tell a good story''. So, focus on the tools you know how to use, and try to tell a story with them..

When I see an artist that I like I try to study and break down their work in my mind. What shapes did they use to draw that figure jumping so convincingly? How were they able to make that person look puzzled with just a few lines? Things like that. I've always believed that a true artist, whether they're a painter, musician, or whatever, never stops studying..

In South Korea educational fervor and expectations are really high and going to a good university is a big thing. I was fine with that, I studied really hard and made it into a good university but.. I wasn’t happy. I realized that people should do what they really want to do, and I decided to change my path..

It's a good practice to watch inspiring works from other artists, but it shouldn't be your actual reference material. Do a proper research, whether through photos or observation. If you spend too much time looking at artworks, you are feeding your creative part with already used ingredients, and the results might end up more generic and less original..

I have always had a passion for teaching and feel I can give so much knowledge to artists. It is for this purpose that I started my school and workshops. Many of my dedicated students are fulfilling there intended dreams of working at the big studios, Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar and more. I could not be prouder..

I am an introverted person and I can’t focus on work very well when there's a lot of people around me, so I prefer to work by myself and meet with people in my free time. Of course, you need to develop a strong self discipline and be very careful about your work/life balance, but if you manage to get trough the first year it gets much easier!