We were lucky to catch up with Tina Yan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I’ve always loved drawing at home (on the walls) as a toddler and in art classes at school. My third grade teacher called me her “little Picasso” – her appreciation for art and enthusiasm for my drawings motivated me to keep pursuing my passion and to live up to that name. I had started taking private drawing lessons since I was about 7-9 years old, but I found a new art teacher a few years later recommended by family friends: Brian Zheng, a prolific oil painter and member of the Alberta Society of Art. He completely changed my trajectory of work with his strict but vital teachings of art fundamentals.
I studied with him for over 10 years, entering and gaining recognition in several art competitions and exhibitions with his guidance. Most prominently, I was one of the top 30 finalists for the Calgary Stampede Poster Competition in 2019 & 2020, and my work was featured in the Art Gallery of Alberta as well. I was constantly in the process of unlearning my old, bad habits and starting anew with fresh eyes. From my previous art teacher, I picked up the bad habit of copying from artwork without thinking about the underlying form and structure (as I had to copy from his drawings and paintings, almost exactly). So, I was instructed weekly to get rid of this approach and instead develop strong hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness of drawing objects, sculptures and taxidermied animals right in front of me.
Brian trained me thoroughly in charcoal drawing, acrylic and oil painting, traditional Chinese ink painting, and taught me anatomy, portrait drawing, and colour theory. I would do homework every week – several studies of models from fashion magazines, draw from life, and practice anatomy from a textbook. His feedback was always direct and honest, pointing out any mistakes without holding back. Sometimes it hurt deeply and I questioned my skills, but I realized he wanted to push me to reach my fullest potential, and I had to let go of my ego to truly grow.
Then, I studied illustration at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto, Canada, in which I gained much more insight into the art industry. I began to hone my unique artistic approach with inspiration from the city, guidance from my professors, especially from Jon Todd, and feedback from my peers. Now, I’m at the Savannah College of Art and Design for my MFA in Illustration to learn more and develop my skills further.
Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?
To speed up the learning process, I would definitely draw from life much more. In the past, I mostly drew original characters and fanart of characters from anime. However, they mostly retained the same, stiff poses and were not that anatomically accurate – had I practiced and observed drawing people from observation a lot more, my work would have improved much quicker and become increasingly dynamic. Since filling up multiple sketchbooks in graduate school for class – purely from life – I have seen my skills develop exponentially, as my linework grew confident and sensitive and I became more conscious of illustrating form. I believe that drawing from observation often and always keeping a sketchbook on hand really hones your understanding of space and fundamental accuracy of work.
What skills do you think were most essential?
I think being open and willing to change as well as copious practice skills were most essential in my growth as an artist. By being willing to accept blunt and honest criticism from professionals in the field, I have gained a critical eye for my own work, seeing what works and doesn’t work. In addition, it allows me to stay open minded in my process and allow room for experimentation and improvement, opening up new possibilities as a result. By accepting feedback and sometimes harsh criticism, it has helped me to stay humble about my own work – we never stop learning, and learn from each other – and I’ve seen my work improve much faster.
Copious practice is something that cannot be skipped. I believe to truly maintain one’s abilities in peak performance, and to hone existing skills, tons of practice is necessary. I rarely go a day without drawing and often fill up many pages in my sketchbook each week, whether it be drawing at school and cafes or drawing from imagination. I am thankful to have drawn so much in the past in my free time so characters can come naturally and I can generate sketches fairly quickly. I definitely see myself getting rusty when I don’t draw, however. It is crucial to always keep your hand drawing and dexterous, as well as strengthening your muscle memory.
What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Some obstacles that arose were the costs and prospects of pursuing a career in the arts and gaining the support of my parents. As my parents had the traditional Chinese mentality of getting a good, stable job in fields like science and medicine, they were initially not fully supportive of my goal of studying Illustration at an art school. I actually was considering learning architecture and going into graphic design; more acceptable occupations. But I hated physics and math! I was in an academic high school and it was grueling to learn the formulas and work with numbers. I did not do very well, so I instead concentrated all my efforts into my Art IB (International Baccalaureate) Program and stood firm in my passion. I worked intensely to prove I was capable and willing to work towards my studies, and I achieved the top mark of 100% all three years of High School and received the Edmonton Public School board Fine Arts district award in my final year. I am beyond grateful my parents supported me all my life and my dreams, despite how uncertain they seemed. I can’t say I never questioned my decision and doubted myself, but I always knew that this was what brought me the most joy. I couldn’t imagine choosing anything else.
Another barrier was the cost of moving and attending schools away from home – I had to move across the country from Edmonton, Alberta to Toronto, Ontario, and start anew in an apartment away from downtown. Toronto was an extremely expensive city to live in, and I had to learn to live by myself and budget expenses effectively, as well as deal with being homesick. But that helped me when I had to move again to the USA to Savannah, Georgia – an even bigger leap! It was much easier to adjust to a new environment and move into my dorm. Though the tuition was much higher and a huge concern at first, I am incredibly grateful for God’s provision through my supportive parents, scholarships and loans.
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.
Hello! My name is Tina (Huating) Yan and I am an illustrator and comic artist from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. My work is full of bright, neon colours, bold and energetic linework, and expressive textures, and I specialize in illustrating characters and narratives. I am greatly inspired by anime and manga, street art, and music – mainly rock, metal and electronic music. I aim to imbue the energy of songs and the exuberant personalities of characters in my illustrations and highlight their unrestrained, determined and confident nature, as I strive to encourage fearless self-expression and staying true to yourself. This goal is influenced by my love for skateboarding as well, which is an activity I took up over the past couple of years. It has refreshed my body and mind, and has encouraged me to take risks and embrace failure and imperfection. It’s also about trusting the process – trusting God – allowing myself to fail, get up, fail, and get up again – but never giving up.
Previously, I have worked as a graphic designer, website designer and arts and crafts teacher for the Chinese Cultural Promotion Society in my hometown, Now, I am mainly interested in illustrating for publishing, visual development and advertising markets. Still, I love to try new things and work in various fields – whatever could use my distinct approach! I enjoy doing some graphic design on the side and educating is still an interest of mine, as I am gleaning much insight from my teaching assistant internship at SCAD. As for what I am most proud of right now, I am honoured to have received my first professional recognition from a major art and design award – two Honorable Mentions from the International Design Awards (2024) for two of my pieces.
As a storyteller, I delight in reading and sharing stories in my work as well as book-making. In addition to illustration, I have created and sold various zines of my own narratives and experiences, webcomics and self-published my first manga RUDBECKIA in 2022, which can be read online here https://www.xanurok.com/rudbeckia-comic. I also like to occasionally sell my work on my online shop and table at art markets and conventions. I love to make and sell products such as stickers, prints, zines, bookmarks, and screenprints. It’s incredibly rewarding to see customers enjoying my artwork and the joy generating from holding something physical and handcrafted, appreciating the work put into it.
Overall, experimentation is a word I’d use to sum up my practice. My brand “XANUROK” encompasses all I stand for, and I hope to introduce bright and exciting energy into someone’s day and invite people to chase their dreams and try something new. I am always learning and discovering new ways of creating, playing around with different mediums, and combining various approaches.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, it is about the endless possibilities of art. There are ultimately no rules, and there are infinite possibilities and directions your work can take on – it’s all in your hands. I am always excited to create new pieces, challenge my preconceived visions and beliefs, and see where the process will take me and what I will learn from it. I truly find great fulfillment in getting lost in the process and enjoy working with my hands. There is amazing beauty in the uncertainty; in the marks I make with my hands, getting messy, creating multiple iterations of something, and solving problems in different ways.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think that people may think that pursuing art is an “easy path” and is unrealistic and childish. There is still a stereotype of the “starving artist” and a belief that labels creative jobs as unskilled or not as intelligent as other occupations. However, I would argue that creative jobs demand the same if not more from the mind, requiring effective problem solving, conceptualization, and imagination. It depends on each person, but there is truly so much dedication, thought and ideation put behind each project, finding a route that works to communicate the best idea, which is something I’ve learned to hone and develop in my many years or studying art history, design principles, and taking illustration classes with countless critiques from peers and professors. Not only that, one’s life experiences, relationships and personality shapes and informs their work – adding to the discourse of an artwork and the choices made, in turn affecting and opening up ideas for others. It’s an intelligent conversation that nourishes and grows creatives as problem solvers and innovators that think outside the box and see possibility and opportunity in even the most unlikely places.
It’s not easy at all, and it has never been. I’ve experienced long and difficult periods dealing with depression, burnout and art block, struggling to find motivation to create and needing to step back from drawing to recharge myself and look at things with fresh eyes. There are times I am not happy with anything I create, but it is important to remember these periods will pass, despite how burdensome they feel at the moment. It takes getting through these valleys to truly grow.
Ultimately, I’ve learned it’s about the work you put in and what you make of opportunities and what you learn; not about cruising by with talent. Talent can only go so far, and even without constant practice and challenges, it will remain stagnant. The intense competition in the art industry and the nature of freelance work forces artists to do their best to stand out and master their technical and conceptual skills, depending on the job. Also, the industry is huge and expanding every second – there is a vast abundance of opportunities and new jobs available, and there are many successful creatives out in the field, each with their unique ways of expression and worldviews, introducing beauty and generating change in different ways.
Choosing the creative path is choosing to constantly be challenged. I firmly believe those who stay true to themselves and their dreams are the bravest; it is something that not only brings much joy and fulfillment, but impacts every facet of one’s life and has the capacity to bring about great change to others. Art is prevalent in all things and has the power to influence and empower – you just need to look around.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xanurok.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xanurok/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-yan-670627203/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOE6tsHBZQiB27uOhr3QnA
Image Credits
Gallery photo – Betty Shao (@betti_shao)