Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Tong.
Hi Kevin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
While I was taking art class at California State University Long Beach, I worked with a publisher to write and illustrate a children’s book. It ended up being a great portfolio piece that opened a lot of doors in children’s illustration, educational and for toys. I did that for a while and gradually began doing concert posters. My concert posters began attracting clients who wanted me to do movie posters, which were incredibly popular and helped bring my work before many eyes. The raising of my profile led to various projects with many clients, such as PlayStation, Netflix, Magic The Gathering, and various book publishers. Today, I continue to steadily work as a freelance illustrator for various clients.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Mostly, I would say it’s been smooth and every year, I get to do more and more exciting and rewarding projects. Throughout my fifteen years as a freelance illustrator, there were definitely struggles. Early on, a few times, I thought I would go broke, so I had to work multiple jobs in the service industry to pay the bills. Internally, my struggle has always been not repeating my work or getting too complacent; I’m always experimenting and trying new things.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Even though I work for different clients, I am most known for my screen printed posters. I would definitely say that I specialize in working with that medium. I’m proud of my body of work in general, but specifically, I am proud of a series of editorial illustrations I did for The Atlantic about prehistoric megafauna. As an illustrator, what sets me apart is my thoughtful approach to subject matter and my desire to push the boundaries of the medium of screen printing.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are so many people that have helped me. I hesitate to name some of them, because so many will be left out. I would definitely say that my art teachers in college were very inspiring and encouraging. Of particular note is Rick Reese. He was actually a working freelance illustrator while he was teaching and he taught me many of the techniques and standards I still use today.
Contact Info:
- Email: kevin@tragicsunshine.com
- Website: www.tragicsunshine.com
- Instagram: @tragicsunshine
- Facebook: Kevin Tong Illustration
- Twitter: @tragicsunshine
- Youtube: Kevin Tong
Image Credits
Kevin Tong
