
{"id":25953912,"date":"2026-05-07T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/?p=25953912"},"modified":"2026-05-06T12:47:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:47:05","slug":"inside-the-creative-mind-of-illustrator-and-concept-artist-zeen-chen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/inside-the-creative-mind-of-illustrator-and-concept-artist-zeen-chen\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the creative mind of illustrator and concept artist Zeen Chen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Note: this interview was originally published in 2020. It has been updated and republished to fix broken images and hyperlinks. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zeenchin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Zeen Chin<\/a><\/strong> is a very talented artist who is a master of digital art in both 2D and 3D. We interviewed him to get a sense of his process, inspirations, and how his creative mind works. The interview below has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen010-1080x510.jpg\" alt=\"zeen010\" class=\"wp-image-25953914\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen010-1080x510.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen010-980x462.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen010-480x226.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1080px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How did you pursue art as a career? Did you go to art school?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m a self-taught artist, and started my career as a 2D animator for five years. I always wanted to be an illustrator and concept artist, so whenever I had time I would keep practicing to improve myself. After all the practicing and preparation, I got my first job as illustrator and concept artist. This is how I get into this industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You seem to be pretty skillful in several art styles. How do you manage different styles and brushes?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I don\u2019t think I can manage different types of style, but I will differentiate between my personal projects and my job. For personal, I will draw whatever I want based on my own preferences. As for job, I will try to follow the art direction based on the project. Usually I use one brush most of the time, actually!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"671\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen4-1080x671.jpg\" alt=\"Zeen Chin artwork example\" class=\"wp-image-25953917\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen4-1080x671.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen4-980x608.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen4-480x298.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1080px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you have a favorite piece that you've created, and why?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is hard for me to choose, I love all of them as I put lots of effort in every piece of my artwork!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What inspires you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I've loved to draw since I was a kid. When I came across digital painting, someone showed me a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/katsuyaterada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Master Katsuya Terada<\/a> art book, and it introduced me to a whole new world for a kid who only drew Dragon Ball before. This is how I was inspired and motivated \u2013 to try and be like him one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"607\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen2-1080x607.jpg\" alt=\"Zeen Chin working on his Wacom Cintiq Pro\" class=\"wp-image-25953916\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen2-1080x607.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen2-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen2-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1080px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Zeen Chin working on his Wacom Cintiq Pro<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can you recommend any tips to upcoming artists looking up to your art?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Practice makes perfect! Also you have to be passionate \u2013\u00a0there are no other ways. And: Focus, focus, focus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tell us about your favorite music. What do you listen to when drawing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Omnipotent Youth Society <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sigur Ros <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ghibli Studio Soundtrack <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deca Joins <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Summer Salt<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen6-1080x688.jpg\" alt=\"Zeen Chin artwork example 2\" class=\"wp-image-25953918\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen6-1080x688.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen6-980x625.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen6-480x306.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1080px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do you manage your creative process? Do you have any advice or suggestions for artists experiencing creative blocks?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I suggest that people read and see more, it can be from comics, or even words from a book, or walking out from their house \u2013\u00a0anything that they experience can become a material for their creativity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Any last comments for our readers, Zeen?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enjoy your life! Peace!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:20%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen-headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953921\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen-headshot.jpg 400w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/zeen-headshot-160x200.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>About the artist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zeenchin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Zeen Chin<\/a><\/strong> is a freelance illustrator and concept artist for games and animated films, including League of Legends, Kingdom Death, Chronos Gate, Legend of the Cryptids, and Galaxy Saga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow his work on <a href=\"https:\/\/zeen.artstation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ArtStation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zeenchin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@zeenchin6254\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zeen Chin is a very talented artist who is a master of digital art in both 2D and 3D. We interviewed him to get a sense of his process, inspirations, and how his creative mind works. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25953913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2481,2317,6151],"tags":[675],"class_list":["post-25953912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artist-feature","category-digital-drawing-painting","category-interview","tag-concept-art"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25953912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25953912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25953912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25953913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25953912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25953912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25953912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}