Meet Haiyang Sun | Character Concept Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Haiyang Sun and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haiyang, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art has always been a significant part of my life. As a child, I enjoyed reading manga and comics. Later, I discovered the world of video games and was amazed by the potential of this interactive medium. Portal, Dead Space, and Starcraft are some of my all-time favorite games. In 2012, I left China for the United States. Four years later, I attended ArtCenter College of Design to chase my dream of becoming a concept artist. After graduating from Artcenter, I was fortunate enough to work on several AAA titles, including Apex Legends, The Perfect Dark, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Now, I am working as a character concept artist at Tencent America, collaborating with my art hero Ben Zhang. I am living my dream of working with my favorite artists and drawing cool stuff for a living. I love my career so far and I am excited about my future adventures!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always been a huge fan of anime. Many manga artists and anime movies have had significant influences on my art. To name a few: Katsuya Terada, Arnold Tsang, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, etc. I am proud that my works have been featured on various websites and magazines from different countries. I am particularly excited that Character Design Quarterly will feature my concept art tutorials! Being a concept artist is a challenging journey that requires a lot of hard work. It’s like doing gymnastics between brainstorming good ideas and creating good art. Both are equally important for making successful concept art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If they enjoy art and music like me, I would probably skip all the iconic cliches and take them to the Rosebowl Flea Market. From vintage jumpsuits to vinyl and cassette tapes, art-deco furniture to WWII helmets, this place is a great visual feast for creative minds. Next, we’d go to the Huntington Library. Besides its beautiful gardens, it also has a large collection of old master paintings, including some of my favorite John Singer Sargent pieces. It’s definitely a great place to bring your sketchbook. However, if my guests are into comics, anime figurines, and collectibles, I would take them to the collector’s paradise: the Frank & Son Collectible Show. Finally, we would end the night with The Smell, a rock and experimental music venue in DTLA. It’s a great place to enjoy live music while grabbing a drink with your friends.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a big shoutout to my parents who have been supportive of me throughout my journey. Without their love and encouragement, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Also my mentors Kevin Chen, Joshua James, and Lorin Wood for teaching me the skills that have helped me to become a better artist. I also would like to express my gratitude to James (Xingyu) Guo for being not only my best friend but also a mentor in the early stages of my career. Lastly, I would like to give a shoutout to my talented friends from Artcenter, Claudius Kuo, Trevor Linder, Kaining Wang, and Arina Wang. Be sure to check out their cool work!

Website: https://www.artstation.com/haiyangsun

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haiyangsun/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/haiyangsun7