Meet Megan Roy | Illustrator & Designer

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

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m Megan Roy, an illustrator based in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles! My love of texture, color, dogs, and humor often shines through the subject matter of my art. I’ve had the joy of working with a ton of incredible clients like Hershey’s, Hewlett-Packard, Adobe, Chronicle Books, and more! I design for products like phone cases, puzzles, tour merch, and home decor, license repeat patterns, illustrate for books and magazines, and create fun social media posts. The list is endless! I like to say that my biggest inspiration is the unwavering authenticity and earnest curiosity of a happy dog. I think we could all stand to embrace those qualities a bit more.

My background is in TV production and video editing, but I didn’t love the culture in that industry and decided to leave after a few years. I worked as a school receptionist for a while, but it lacked the creative fulfillment of the entertainment industry, so I left that too. Drawing is something I’ve always done for fun, so I pulled from that skillset because it was readily available, highly creative, and I needed to make money, fast! My path was definitely not linear and I don’t have a formal design education – I learned as I went and am almost entirely self-taught. I really believe that anyone can succeed as an artist, you just need to be interested and committed enough to find the information yourself. I took a lot of online classes, watched YouTube tutorials, and said yes to every opportunity that came my way. With each job I was able to build a little more credibility and experience, which gave me better opportunities and more confidence in myself. At that time, I also started to use my Instagram account to share the artwork I was making, which turned into a big platform for me! Now, most of my clients find me through Instagram and I’m running my own business as a full-time freelance illustrator. I take a lot of pride in the fact that I built this on my own and have been able to sustain it.

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?
I’d definitely take them to the Leo Carillo dog beach – it’s got a different vibe from most other beaches in L.A., plus you can watch the pups play! We’d obviously have to get tacos (what’s Los Angeles without some Mexican food?). Machos Tacos in Los Feliz is my all-time favorite, but Xochipilli Taco Bar in Van Nuys is a new discovery that I’ve been loving! If the Hollywood Forever Cemetary was playing any movies with Cinespia maybe we’d spend an evening there, or we might go on a ghost tour if we’re feeling brave. Honestly, we’d probably spend most of the trip sitting in my backyard drinking wine!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Mitchell. He has been on this journey with me since day one, and has never once waivered in his support. Having someone in your corner is an invaluable asset and I wouldn’t be here without him. Thank you Mitchell!

Website: www.megan-roy.com

Instagram: instagram.com/roymeister