Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Hinkle
Hi Kevin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Being an artist has been a throughline for my entire life. From drawing on the walls of my childhood bedroom to explaining to educational advisors that I wanted to “make cartoons” for a living, the drive to be creative and expressing that creativity has always been very important to me. Being born in North Austin, I was fortunate in that my districted schools fell within the AISD Fine Arts Academy focus. Both Lamar Middle School and McCallum High School provided me with a wealth of art classes in addition to my general studies. This educational focus continued when I moved to Denver, Colorado to attend the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) in 2004.
What was certainly unfortunate for me, however, was earning my BFA in Fine Arts (with a specialization in 2D animation) in 2008 during the great recession. Not the best time to dive headfirst into an artistic career. The following decade of my life would have me explore professional roles such as retail management, community management and marketing for one of the largest toy companies in the world. It was fun, paid the bills & helped me provide for my family… but not very creative. When I was faced with the daunting reality of mass layoffs in 2017 I decided it was finally time to pursue my dream and pick up the pencil again.
Since then, I’ve poured my entire life & soul into forming my own personal brand and business as a Freelance Artist, Graphic Designer, Published Book Illustrator & Content Creator (because who isn’t in 2025?!) Although I’ve had tremendous growth in my business and ventures into self-employment, I still hold part-time jobs to supplement my income. Art has been there for me during both the darkest and lightest moments of my life. It is my hobby, my therapy, my passion and my career.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey has been anything but smooth. As anyone who’s lived the live of a freelancer / self-employed induvial will tell you- the pay isn’t that great and the hours are worse. I cringe when I start running numbers in my head of time spent on certain projects versus income or the absence of a decent sleep schedule. The uncertainness of my creative efforts and turbulent finances has caused incredible stress onto myself and family at times. Pouring everything you have into something and not seeing a worthwhile return is devastating. All the while, being forced to occupy a dozen roles you’d see at any number of other organizations. I may be an artist… but I’m also required to be a salesman, social media manager, marketer, logistics manager, copywriter, editor, PR rep, and many more I can’t recall.
Art is also very much… a luxury. When times get tough, people are gonna buy food- not a poster. Although the argument can be made it provides a worthy escape for people dealing with uncertain times, it doesn’t loosen the wallets of our patrons any more than normal. And many circles in the artistic community are a flurry with fiery discussion on the explosion of AI art, social media algorithms, copyright laws and other “end of times” topics.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I operate in the field of art & illustration – However, being a self-employed artist requires a number of other additional disciplines like content creation and/or livestreaming. That being said, my passion is firmly anchored in the process of creating and bringing both my ideas, and those of my clients, to life. I am particularly fond of character design and feel that is my strongest area of expertise and what fans & followers would know me for most. I’m incredibly proud of the work I’ve created over my career, and can’t think of a better embodiment of this, than in my children’s book series: Pro Gamer’s Guide (https://www.progamersguide.com/), which is designed to positively instill life lessons to young readers in an era of YouTubers and professional video gamers. I’m very honored to illustrate these books along side Author Brian Saviano.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My earliest advocates were most certainly my parents & extended family. Although I was firmly asked to stop coloring on the walls at a pretty early age, there were a number of other ways in which my creative passion was encouraged and supported. This took the shape of art supplies or art books gifted for special occasions or allowing me to attend more art-focused classes in my youth. In my adult hood, I’ve had support from my ex-wife, my current girlfriend, my friends, and my peers. Above all else, connecting & networking with other artists has been incredibly inspiring and helpful and I’d say dominates the mentor role today. Wandering the aisles of a comic con to shake hands and exchange business cards with another creative has yielded a number of lasting relationships. Sometimes, these conversations start online- such as welcoming a fellow artist into a live draw stream on Facebook, Twitch or Instagram. Asking & answering questions peer to peer within the creative field has helped keep me sharp and think critically about the decisions I’m making in my art and in my business. And it’s in that spirit, that I strive to give back to the artist community as often as I can and be that advocate for others when possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kevinahinkle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrhinkledraws/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrHinkleDraws/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-a-hinkle-30843192/
- Twitter: https://x.com/MrHinkleDraws
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuCmBtG9SqYtnIFljb9IGWw
