Meet Kevin Kao | 3D Designer & Animator

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

Hi Kevin, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Facing failure with optimism is the principle that affects me the most. Memories are precious because we cannot go back to change what has happened. Nothing has affected me more than my memories. I often reminisce about things that happened when I was a child or whatever happened in my life no matter happy or sad. That’s why I always try my best to do everything and enjoy every choice I make.

Nobody’s life path is always smooth, but it depends on how much you enjoy it when mistakes happen. Personally speaking, there’s always a lot to learn from failures. I will carefully examine my mistakes, see where I could improve, and prepare myself for the next opportunity.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a 3D artist focusing on motion design and character animation. My art style tends to be more varied because I like to create diverse styles. My inspiration roots deeply in personal experiences as they tend to have a natural connection with the audience.

In the production of my arts, the core concept is not the software or skills, and it should be the issue or the topic we face. How to convey the correct perspective to the audience about a character’s emotions is the direction I always focus on. That is the most challenging moment when I’m doing my work. Research and development are essential before creating the arts, especially in designing a character and environment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve only been in LA for one year and fell in love with the beaches when I first arrived. I especially love watching the sunset at sea level at dusk. The sunset sky here sometimes appears orange, pink, or even purple due to light refraction, and the weather is so good that you can see a whole orange sky without clouds. If I had to choose a beach, my favorite would be Rosies Dog Beach. Many people are basking in the sun, and many dogs are playing tennis ball at the beach. You may even see some dogs are terrified of the sea.

In addition, I would like to introduce a fantastic little museum called The Museum Of Jurassic Technology. It is located in an unremarkable house on the street. In this building, you can watch many different kinds of art. The sky garden on the second floor is the best place to go after the exhibition. I enjoyed watching the pigeons there and listening to the live violin performance.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I want to thank on my animation trip. The first one is my teacher Nick Zhuang. He helped me face the pressure with an optimistic attitude whenever I encountered difficulties in animation production. I can feel the eagerness in his eyes whenever he’s working on character animation and the love for all the characters he created. Moreover, I would like to thank my friends, who are also animators, Ting Chu and Szu-Yu Liao. We are both students from Taiwan but left our hometown to study and work in other countries, We faced many difficulties in our career and personal life, but we have always been there for each other.

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

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkao0720/