Today we’d like to introduce you to Kai Ussin.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kai. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Since I could remember, I have been more interested in art than anything. I started out drawing characters from my favorite anime, and TV shows I watched as a kid. At first, I thought it was something for me to pass the time, but the more I got into drawing I realized I actually found joy in it. So as time went on, the passion of art became stronger and later evolved into me doing it professionally.
I moved from Louisiana to Houston to pursue an art career which led me to attend The Art Institute. There I was able to understand different aspects of art that allowed me to find my way and create a style specifically for me. While attending school, I decided to give digital painting a try, and once I started, I never looked back. There are so many different digital artists out there so trying to create a style different from the rest is a challenge. With each passing day, I push myself harder to become better than I was yesterday.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As an Artist, there will always be different hurdles to jump in your career. Starting from learning the basics and trying to master them. Some in which are anatomy, values, color theory, perspective, etc. These are extremely important and hard to master without constant practice. Once you get a handle on those basics, there’s a struggle to find your own art style. Whether its simplified like a cartoon or hyper-realism as a photograph. I would consider my art as semi-realistic which is between cartoon and realism.
I feel the hardest challenge so far is promoting myself. There’s a ton of art in the world, and it’s hard to stand out from a huge crowd. This is why I attend art shows around Houston, be apart of comic conventions, enter art competitions, and seek art features. I noticed early on that fan-art gets a lot of attention. The plan was to create as much fan-art of characters I love but in my style. Just so I could get notice and grow an audience. Then at that point, when I create original characters of my own, people will become interested in them as well. This is why I have so much fan-art.
novekai – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In a traditional format using graphite on bristle board, I create semi-detailed illustrations ranging from anime characters to portraits for clients, and every so often I would use an acrylic medium. I also create logo designs and book covers for clients upon request.
However, I specialize in digital painting. That’s where my heart resides. It’s just something about taking all the colors possible and creating an image that not only pops but stands out against the rest. You can say that’s what I’m known for. Taking a simple character and turning them into something more but adding a color scheme to them that attracts the eye.
As a company, I am most proud of the progress I’ve made. The amount of time spent on training, learning, and perfecting the skills I have now haven’t been easy. There were days I questioned myself but looking back at where I started and where I am now, is what drives me.
What set me apart from others is my undying will to keep getting better. Regardless of how good I think I am at something, I feel I can always be better so I continue to learn and try new things that can make the next piece of art I create better than the last.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far would have to be seeing my artwork advertised for big-name conventions as well as featured on a published book cover.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://novekai.com/
- Email: novekai@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novekai/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Character Creator: Akira Toriyama Studio: Toei animation, Funimation
Character Creator: Kohei Horikoshi Studio: Funimation, Bones
Character Creator: Kentaro Yabuki Studio: CloverWorks, Studio Trigger, Funimation
Character Creator: Takahisa Taura, Isao Negishi Studio: PlatinumGames
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios
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