Find Inspirations in the Corners of City life, NYC-based Illustrator and Motion Designer Eve Liu

Eve Liu is an illustrator and product designer based in New York. Over the past two years of working while following these principles, she gathered diverse clients, including the editorial and commercial fields such as the new yorker, Microsoft, RIMOWA, etc. She also earned illustration awards such as 3×3, ai-ap, soi, etc. Recently, she has been experimenting with animated artwork and 3d design.

Normally her work is always considered “traditionally girly”; pastel pinks, greens, yellows, and poised dainty silhouettes often take center stage in her flat digital drawings. A label like that can have its downfalls; an illustrator can become pigeonholed or misunderstood with a term riddled with negative connotations. But she sees it as an opportunity to question why some subjects are easily dismissed or deemed of lower significance. Eve has participated in exhibitions in the U.S. and China, including group exhibitions of soi65, d-dream, and solo exhibition BORDERS.

Thank you for joining us, Eve. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m eve, an illustrator and motion designer based in New York City. Illustration was my first passion and animation is my attempt at a more diverse artistic expression.

I love dogs, coffee, and Japanese city pop culture. In my free time, I take my tablet to sketch in crowded places, I like to find inspiration in the corners of city life.

What is your process like? What ideas are you exploring in your practice?

I use my phone to take a lot of pictures that I think might help my illos, and when I have a special inspiration (for example, on this day, I want to paint a naughty dog interacting with its owner) I open up my own library of footage and select the appropriate material to draw. For me, it’s more helpful to get out and about than to use platforms like Pinterest and Twitter to find inspiration.

I also really like to buy a lot of old picture books, traditional media always have a more decent selection.

As an illustrator based in New York, what do you find the most challenging in your career?

The biggest challenge at first was of course the cost of living! When I was in Baltimore, I only pay 700 monthly for rent and enjoyed driving around Maryland. But New York did give me more job opportunities, and I also met a lot of like-minded artists, all of which encouraged me to continue to create.

What does “community” mean to you? Has your local community inspired you as an artist?

As I said above, the community of creators gives me a lot of pleasure to socialize in my spare time, but I know that there are many other communities in the city that are diverse and multifaceted, and I also enjoy participating in their events and learning about their culture. I think it’s easy to get tired of looking at only one thing and being immersed in only one value as an artist, and it’s better to receive more stimulation.

Is there any advice you would like to share with others?

My biggest thought this year is that as an art creator, never be in a hurry, and respect your own and others’ growth and experience; no path can be copied, and being yourself may lead to better results.