We recently connected with Kimberly Zamlich and have shared our conversation below.
Kimberly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I am very blessed. Through education, perserverence and building skills I have managed to keep a career as a creative. I got my design/illustration degree from San Jose State back in 1989 and at the time it was only $3.000 a year for tuition, the cost of dorms and meals at the commissary. By the time I graduated, there was a recession and there were very few art jobs. But soon, computer gaming was budding and that employed a lot of graduates. I started when it was so very new~computer art was low rez! And within a matter of months, we went to hi rez and literally had to re do the artwork. We drew with the mouse; the stylus came later and it took us awhile to trust it, as it crashed our computers every five minutes! My first job was with Stormfront Studios in Marin County. When I graduated I had to do a lot of office temp jobs until I got the interview with Stormfront, about an hour away. The interview lasted 4 hours and I knew they were interested. I had no computer experience. The games that were popular were Doom and a little later Tomb Raider, which proved that a hot, athletic herione could capture a new game audience. As a young artist, from day one, you always wonder if you are talented enough to keep a job. All around you are more experienced artists who know so much more than you and can do so much more…you either sink or swim. As for major steps and milestones that can speed up the process, there really is none. Everything you learn, everything you experience comes at a time when you either need it or you are ready. To be an artist is a journey and you are where you are supposed to be. Life takes time to process, to digest, to marinate and there is no rushing. BTW Stormfront Studios is now defunct. It had a great run for about 25 years which is a long shelf life for a small independent game company. We did titles like Tony LaRussa Baseball, Old Time Baseball. The owner was a big fan of baseball and Tony LaRussa was something like the Chairman of the Board.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was always drawing. You could say I was born with a pencil in my hand. So it was natural to pursue drawing and try to make a living doing it. I knew what I wanted to do. At first I just did not know how to get there. I started at Stormfront Studios and was there for about four really fun years. Then I heard about Disney hiring for drawing, so I applied, was hired, and moved to Southern California and did clean up for feature film for about 5 years. The first year I applied, I was rejected. You could only apply once a year, so I applied again (there is a story about this also, long story short, I contacted a guy who got in ahead of me and I asked to see his portfolio and he was generous about his advice. I did what he did and more and was hired at a time they were not looking for any more clean up. But I had to have a top notch figure drawing portfolio which took me a year to shore up). Curiously my boyfriend (now my x, hahaha) got in before I did, in Disney Consumer Products and I made the decision to leave Stormfront and get to LA where I could apply to Disney there. In those days, Disney preferred you live locally. So we packed up everything we owned, rented a van to haul our stuff. I told him it was only a matter of time before I got hired. I just felt it. With everything packed into the van, my parents helping, the last thing to do was to rip out the phone cord~once done no one would ever be able to reach me again at this number. As I was about the pull the cord, the phone rings. Out of curiosity, I answered. Who the heck was calling me at 6:00 pm on a Sunday? I can’t remember who the director was, but he says “Welcome to Disney Florida!” Back then there were 2 studios, one in California and one in Florida. He said “I just wanted to get the jump on hiring and let you know we want you here” I gulped. I said “Sir, I just got engaged as we are literally just about to drive to LA…are they hiring in LA?” “No…but I will forward your portfolio to California…” And they did take me! I was one of the last hired in that round…
I am an illustrator and now a designer. I design collectible pins for Disney and Hardrock Cafe for a small studio in Burbank fulltime. I started off as a game artist at the very beginning of game art, before it took off. I migrated to Disney after 4 years at Stormfront Studios in Marin County, drew characters in the clean up dept, worked at MGA Entertainment, then did several years of freelance for Disney Consumer Products.
I find that artists are either Photoshop or Illustrator people. I am a PS person myself. In 2011 I was asked if I could come in and train with Disney’s Digital Art Team, April and Robert, two of the best character art inkers on the globe. They knew I could draw the figure, which is what they were looking for. They needed to train an artist to ink Princesses and for that, you would need to draw figure. It was like a boot camp, for 6 months on site I was schooled in inking and princesses are the most complex inks they have. I had minimal experience in Illustrator which was a perfect scenario. Robert told me “It’s going to take 2 years to get comfortable with the software, then it’s going to take 2 more years to get really good.” I stayed with it. They both were great teachers and that is somewhat rare in my experience. I find it interesting that both were lefties~people who work in Illustrator tend to be a bit OCD and quirky. I am a righty. Robert definitely fits the stereotype; April was amazing because she could do traditional and/or digital really well and unfortunately she passed early succumbing to cancer. I still talk to her daily. I am now both~and what sets me a apart is my ability to draw traditionally. Being open to learn new software and the ability to draw has kept career opportunities open for me. We inspire our own fortune.
To design a character pin, you need to know who to draw, how to design, you need to know Photoshop and how to ink in Illustrator. Pins are surprisingly technical by the time the ink goes to the factory and because they are so small, it comes down to problem solving on how to get the details in there or how to simplify the design to it’s essentials in order to have it successfully produce well enough to satisfy the expectations of the client. I am still learning.
My brand is to create appealing characters which emotionally connect to an audience. In addition to my full time job, I am starting a pin company of my own. It is liberating to create the characters I like and to have the final say on the final art. You can find me on IG: (for illustration; the pin IG has not been created yet).
I have the ability to draw the figure and animals. I am more character artist these days and what sets me apart is drawing a character in different situations, different attitudes, different emotions. What’s the story? I often do this without reference.
I am in the process of creating my own business designing my own pins. They will be one inch quality premium pins that you will not find anywhere else. I focus in on appeal and design, wearable pins for the lapel. I was surprised when I was looking for a one inch cute pony pin on Etsy and could not find one that was not a copied Disney pin. My friends and colleagues were encouraging me to create my own. Most designers create 1.75″ to 2″ pins which are cumbersome to wear ( a lot of pin collectors collect~not so much wear the big pins). I wanted a pin that you can wear on a lapel. I am surprised how hard it is to find a pin that I consider appealing. Pins are really hot right now and anyone can get them produced~but it is much harder to find a pin that is well designed, original, and thought out.
It is going to be a challenge working a full time job and building this business. It’s like trying to get a jumbo jet up into the air…
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
To be a creative is agony and ecstasy. Creatives tend to be emotional and through out the career, there are giant dips and giant ascension. As a creative you get hired and fired constantly~especially in these times. Careers used to last 30 years about 30 years ago and then it went down to 10 years, 5 years…and now you are lucky to hang in there for a year. It is a tough industry now if you want to have and raise a family. There is no loyalty and it has become so impersonally corporate. I was so fortunate to work at Disney Feature Films when I did. I find that the rewarding aspect is: If you do something passionately for 50 years you become a master; you get good. Unfortunately, this is becoming more uncommon, to find someone who has become a seasoned sage in their passion. I admire anyone who would rather restore an old car to collector perfection instead of sitting in front of Netflix. I admire anyone who can take a discarded object and make it into a functional work of art. Knowledge and experience is gained by doing something over and over and doing it better and better. If you are a true creative you do it out of passion, it’s not about the money; it’s something else. A drive to achieve, a drive to create something of beauty.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Anyone who pursues commercial art is a person of perseverance. In this age of being hired and then fired, you spend a lot of time reflecting~are you going to sit down and cry or get up and get better and succeed? It is a choice. Always update your portfolio. Everything rides on the portfolio. Learn new software. Start a drawing club which makes you share your experiences and forces you to continue drawing. Study everything. Reach out and create alliances. Being laid off is a great time to continue learning while you have the time. It is especially hard now because the Animation Union just avoided a strike last year and studios have not been busy waiting to see what was going to happen. We are still smarting from the interruption of COVID. And now AI is going to drive the final nail in the coffin. Before, candidates were recruited in the US, but now it is a global world and the competition worldwide makes it harder to acquire a career. Many live action studios have left Burbank to film somewhere else. California is getting more and more expensive every year. I am thankful I had a full ride and hope to retire in a few years and leave it all. Resilience is a must. Met another colleague last year who is really talented and somewhat new to the industry and he did all the right steps and hung in there. Took him several months but he got a Senior Character Designer job at Disney! I am so proud of him! Because of how tough it is in this industry, the support and encouragement is phenomenal~everyone knows how it feels to be laid off, so many take the time and interest to help others find work.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @kimberlymzamlich
- Facebook: Kimberly M Zamlich
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-m-zamlich-9b90854a/
Image Credits
Kimberly M Zamlich