We were lucky to catch up with Junjie Yin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Junjie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

When I decided to start doing arts, my parents just give me full support, even they think it’s just one of my many hobbies.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi, I’m a concept artist who works at Respawn Entertainment. I mainly do hard-surface designs like weapons, props and skins. I started drawing when I was very young, but neither I nor my parents took it seriously. They thought it was just a typical hobby that all other kids had. I think that a significant part of why I enjoy drawing is because I also loved playing video games a lot when I was younger. When I couldn’t play them, I would draw the gameplay of those games on paper and pretend to play them on the paper.

Until my high school years, I began to feel that drawing was more than just a hobby for me; I developed a greater interest in the artistry of video games. During my high school years, one day, I bought a gaming magazine with the cover featuring the game illustration of “Killzone 3.” I was stunned by its cool art design. That moment, I made up my mind to seriously study art. At first, I started learning traditional art, but later I found out that most game concept designs were done using digital art. After graduating from high school, I began studying Photoshop. One day, by chance, I stumbled upon ArtCenter College of Design, a school that offered an entertainment design program specializing in concept design courses. With the guidance of concept artist Prog Wang, I completed my portfolio for the school application and successfully gained admission to the college.

After four years of studying, I graduated and began sending out resumes and portfolios, but I received very few responses. However, half a year later, I received an interview invitation from Respawn Entertainment, and they were willing to give me a chance. Because of the interview, I had to suppress my nervous yet excited feelings and began preparing diligently. Upon learning that they wanted me to complete an art test, I finally saw a glimmer of hope. I felt like my destiny was in my own hands, and I was determined to give my all in this art test. The outcome was that they loved my art test very much and decided to give me an offer. It was truly one of the happiest moments of my life.

I believe a significant reason for my success in joining Respawn Entertainment is my huge love for the art style of Apex Legends, which was created by concept Artist Danny Gardner. He is an incredibly talented artist, and I have been a fan of his work for a long time. I often visit his website to study his art works. Even though he had already left the company by the time I joined, I continued to build upon his foundation and contribute to the art of Apex Legends. I am immensely grateful for his inspiring works.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes, I wish I had started learning digital art earlier. Before college, I was solely focused on traditional painting, which is quite different from digital art. Back then, I wasn’t even aware of the concept artist role, and I had no idea where to study such courses. If I had started learning concept art earlier, I believe I would be even more skilled and proficient than my current self.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Certainly, nothing brings me more joy than discovering that people appreciate my artwork. As a beginner, I was constantly learning and striving to catch up with industry experts. It would make me incredibly happy if one day I could become as skilled an artist as they are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/junjieyin
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yjthelou/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junjie-yin-0b290a20a/