Meet Kyo Tagawa

We recently connected with Kyo Tagawa and have shared our conversation below.

Kyo, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?

My self-discipline comes from both my childhood, and my own failures. My father was a very structured man who liked to wake up at 5am and tackle the day’s tasks as soon as possible. He used to be a fully certified ASE Master Automotive Technician and I still remember the quiet nights when he studied for his tests. We would keep the TV off and no one would bother him. He took very neat and detailed notes, with articulate handwriting, skills he passed on to me.

When my father became too sick to work, my mother picked up two full time jobs. One as a Certified Nursing Assistant, the other as a Teacher’s Assistant at my elementary school. Come rain, sleet, or snow, she showed up. She endured a lot to make sure we were taken care of; and as I became an adult my admiration for her work ethic grew. I still don’t know how she did it, but my mother has been a stellar example of compassion, and hard work.

As for my failures?

It took trial and error through different types of schedules, motivational journals, and fighting bad habits I developed in order to claw my way towards an inkling of progress. I had to understand that there weren’t any “shotcuts”, I needed to study and practice. (Ironically,) my time playing competitive League of Legends had taught me that my ‘rank’ was a direct result of how much time I did or didn’t put into my work– art was no different.

“That other artist is better than you? Then you better get good. How do I get good? Practice and study.” Is what I’ve used to motivate me for years.

Those old, childhood lessons came back to me, and I began to see how to implement them into my routine. If I messed up by getting distracted, I learned to tell myself it was okay, and to get up and try again.

And keep trying.

There was a specific motivational journal that helped me. It frames you as the hero of your quest who answers the fabled Call to Action. I remember in those first pages it asks you to reflect on where you would be if you refused the Call: in 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years. I answered those questions truthfully, painting a very grim version of myself who gave up on their dreams because they were too scared to try. And for years, knowing how close to that version of myself I was, I chose to let my fear propelled me forward.

Eventually, I began to forge better habits, and through that I began to understand myself and the skills I needed to build the life I wanted. Past lessons helped temper present experiences. Each success encourages positive change and through that my discipline took shape to what it is now.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I have the wonderful job of creating the unimaginable!
I work as a professional Concept Artist in the Games Industry, and I specialize in Creature Design. I go by Paladin Maar online and enjoy creating beasts who call dark fantasy and science fiction universes home. I’ve always had a love for sharp-toothed monsters as a kid. Even back then I was trying to make up all sorts of weird things to add to my favorite games.

Presently I work at Sty1e Studios on our first game, a VR sci-fi shooter! We’re hoping to have a demo out later this year; I’m looking forward to talking about it as we continue with development.
I also work as a freelance Creature Artist, so if you’re looking for someone to make some spooky and unsettling monsters for you, I’m your guy!

I really love what I do; I use nature as my inspiration to make things no one has ever seen before. It’s challenging to think about how an imaginary creature might behave, the sounds that it might make, and whether it has fur, feathers, or leathery skin. It’s creative problem solving and for me, each creation is like a puzzle to decipher. I like to think of my work as snapshots into unknown worlds and I hope you find it as exciting as I do!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

How about one of each?
Most impactful area of knowledge is learning your artistic fundamentals, and as a creature artist? Here’s my list.

Anatomy.

Not just human anatomy, but animal anatomy as well. Fish, mammals, invertebrates, birds, insects, even micro organisms. I’m currently trying to master anatomy because if I do that, then I can draw anything. And as an artist, it’s a dream come true to make anything I want and know exactly how it’s skeletal and muscular structure will look and function.

Most impactful skill?

Observation

As an artist I need to understand why something looks the way it does and how it interacts with the world around it. Paying close attention to how a principle or foundational skill applies in the real world means that I can replicate that in my work and make it believable. Even if it’s a stylized (not hyper realistic) design. I like to observe how animals move in both documentaries and in person; what qualities can I infer animal’s personality? How it might flick its tail, a bob of the head, etc. Those small details are something I try to capture in my work because to me, each creature is an individual, whether it can speak or not. Observation helps me understand that, even down to how light interacts with various textures.

Most impactful quality?

Curiosity

I love what I do because I have the potential to make something truly unique and that’s driven by an insatiable curiosity about the world around me. I like to watch shows like How It’s Made, or look at technical breakdowns. I want to learn about obscure flora and fauna, and I love learning about the insane cosmic powers that surround us in our universe. I like asking “why” a lot. That curiosity is critical as a concept artist because my job is to generate ideas. Learning about all sorts of things builds a library of mental reference I can always use in my work. Plus it’s cool to learn about a bunch of different things.

As for my advice to those who are embarking on their journey?

Books are amazing.

Keep an open mind, it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers, you’re not going to (that’s why you’re learning!) Be patient and honest with yourself. When you go out of the house, look around, what’s around you? There’s plenty around us to observe, ask “why” and “how”. How Does this function? Why is this shaped like that?
As for anatomy, take it one step at a time but don’t avoid challenges. Those challenges are battles to be fought that will teach you about yourself and help you grow!

And please, take care of yourself! Eat well and get rest.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I can’t attribute that to just one person or thing. Overall, it’s been many people who have helped me in all aspects of developing myself, my skills, and my knowledge. My parents taught me many practical life skills that I didn’t fully understand back then; but as I’ve gone through life their value became apparent. One being my work ethic and attitude towards facing challenges.

Various professional artists working in video games, comics, the convention scene, and film for their advice; including the kind folks in the Colorado Indie Game Developer’s Association (CIGDA), and Seattle Indies.
I see my interactions over the years as a culmination of a shared expedience that’s led me here.

Additionally, (not to sound egotistical) I have to acknowledge myself. One can gather all the information and advice on a subject but, it’s another matter entirely to make a framework and put that knowledge to use– and to do that, I had to be willing to take the first step and keep working at it.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Kyo Tagawa

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