Takeover Tuesday with Eejoon Choi
An interview with Eejoon Choi: an LA-based illustrator and designer that loves ambient dreamscapes and cute little critters.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
Eejoon:
My name is Eejoon and I'm a Korean illustrator/designer based in LA!
Matea:
What is your background and how did you wind up in the creative space?
Eejoon:
I was first really drawn to art in middle school because I admired another student who always drew fanart of shows and KPOP groups during class. I also really grew fond of Adventure Time around the same time and wanted to draw things that people could equally enjoy! I continued to pursue art but it wasn't college, when I took an illustration class taught by Angie Wang, that I realized how diverse the creative world was.
Illustration for NPR CapRadio.
Matea:
Can you explain what makes editorial illustration different from other forms of the medium?
Eejoon:
With editorial illustrations, I think you really have to do more research to best portray a topic or a person properly. For me, the most challenging aspect is trying to find a good balance between reality and abstracting a narrative/concept into a single illustration.
Matea:
Do you have a different approach to how you tackle editorial illustration vs a motion design project?
Eejoon:
A little! I think my approach is somewhat similar but with editorials, I prioritize capturing another person's story or condensing a larger topic into one illustration. However, with a motion design project, I can break down different elements and tones of a narrative into multiple scenes that lead into one another!
Illustration for NPR NextGen Radio.
Matea:
I've noticed your work tends to have a surreal flair to it. How do you come up with ideas and stretch your imagination?
Eejoon:
I always go to classic children's books for inspiration! There's so much whimsy in children's books that's hard to find in other forms of media. The underlying warmth in each illustration is so tangible and being able to evoke such soft feelings while also being able to portray the protagonist's fears just through textures, colors and composition is a skill that I'm always working to improve.
Matea:
In a similar vein, where do you find inspiration and do you have any favorite artists that have influenced your style?
Eejoon:
I love Brian Wildsmith and Georg Hallensleben's paintings!! I also think Timothy Basil Ering's illustrations in The Tale of Despereaux left a huge impact on me as a child. I also find myself often going to Angie Wang, Jillian Tamaki, and Karlotta Freier for inspiration!.
Matea:
You've created a lot of cool work for NPR. How did you build that relationship and what's it like working with them?
Eejoon:
I applied to work on their Next Generation Radio project when they were collaborating with USC! I honestly feel so lucky that I've been able to work with them on so many projects and being able to watch budding journalists find amazing stories of people across the world!! The illustration team that we've built is so encouraging as well. The creative field can be quite daunting so having such a strong cohort of talented artists who put so much love into their craft is so amazing.
Matea:
If budget and time weren't constraints, what would be your dream project to work on?
Eejoon:
My own children's book!!! I love the medium so much and I've learned so much from them that I'd love to make my own.
Matea:
Do you have any wisdom for aspiring creatives and what do you wish you had known when you first started out?
Eejoon:
Gosh I feel like I'm still learning so much that I don't know if I have any enough wisdom to impart! I do wish I had more confidence to experiment with my art more when I was starting out. I have red-green colorblindness and it affected how I viewed myself as an artist. I was so focused on my disadvantage which made me afraid of freely letting my art look bad to learn and grow. So I guess I'd just tell everyone, including myself, to have more confidence!!
Another NPR NextGen Radio Illustration.
Matea:
Do you have any upcoming projects you're excited to share with the world?
Eejoon:
I'm working on an illustration series about my dog! My dog Lucky, who's been by my side for 14 years, passed recently. I've been grappling with this sense of loss like never before and I've been thinking of ways to channel it into my art to honor her and immortalize her forever. Because most of my work has been to capture a person's life, community, or work, I want to do the same with Lucky where you can really feel her presence and love in a series of illustrations!