Passion, Success, and Illustration
An Interview with Xuan Loc Xuan
Xuan Loc Xuan is a Ho Chi Minh City-based illustrator who has worked with some of the largest publishing houses around the world. She has developed a distinctive and easily recognizable style in which colours play an important role. I asked Xuan Loc about her projects, freelance career, and plans.
Xuan Loc Xuan
More than a year has passed since we first needed to make adjustments in our lives due to COVID-19. How are you? How has the pandemic affected your work and life, if at all?
The pandemic has affected my life and my work… I have not been out of the house for many months, so sometimes I feel quite frustrated, and some projects have been postponed. Luckily, everything is getting better slowly. I also hope that you and your family are safe.
Great to hear that things are getting better, and thanks for kind your words. In an interview, you talk about how your sister supported you at the beginning of your artistic journey. What are your memories of that period?
It was a difficult time. When I first moved to Ho Chi Minh City, my sister helped me a lot. She paid my university tuition and helped me take the first steps in becoming an illustrator. I am very grateful to her.
You studied at an art school, so I assume you met some of your peers – either at school or at some events. What are your observations about the design and art community in your city and in Vietnam in general?
I think there are a lot of illustrators with great styles in my country. They have brought great diversity to illustration in Vietnam – and in the world.
You’ve been freelancing for quite some time now. How difficult was it to get started and find your first clients?
When I started, my drawing style was not well received by publishing houses in Vietnam, but I didn’t give up. I tried every day. When my style became more recognizable, I received a request from Korea. I still remember that project… I was commissioned to design the packaging of Bluetooth speakers. Ever since I’ve always tried to do my best in whatever I work on.
What advice would you give those who are about to start their freelance career?
If you have the dream of becoming a freelance illustrator, you just have to draw, draw, and draw. You should not put pressure on yourself, thinking you need to be successful, or because of other people’s judgements on your work. After a while, this pressure will affect you unconsciously. It will make you restless and you start to look down on yourself. Then it will make you lose interest in what you love doing. You should start working with passion and everything will come naturally to you. Pursuing everything with passion and giving a hundred per cent to it is the key to success.
Nicely said! You’ve worked with several well-known publishing houses around the world. What other types of projects are you interested in?
While making illustrations for books and magazines has always been my favourite task, I also want to work on album covers, fashion projects, packaging, and so on.
I guess you’re always pretty busy with work, so sometimes you might need to say no to potential clients. How do you decide on which commission to accept?
I often consider whether or not I like the job offered or ask the question of “Can I do it well?” If I like the project, I try to do it. The fact that I like the project helps me overcome the difficulties I may encounter. I think more about the project if it doesn’t fit with my style. If I have free time, I typically accept it. If the deadline is too tight, I usually reject it.
You’ve shared a few of your stories online, too. When can we see some new stories?
I’m working on the illustrations for my new story at the moment. I might finish it by the end of this year or early 2022.
Looking at your illustrations on your Behance profile, I’d believe you observe and absorb everything you see – in both the countryside and urban areas. You seem to be highly attentive to details. What exactly happens when you’re out for a walk?
Actually, I pay more attention to details when I watch movies or videos about animals and camping. I love to see things with themes related to nature. In the near future, when I have a chance, I’d like to travel to a nearby forest by myself and spend some time there camping.
I bet people spend a long time examining your pieces depicting humans, animals, buildings, trees, leaves, and many more. Please talk a bit about your process. What are the steps you (usually) take from start to finish when creating?
First, I search for references, then I continue with a draft and make some adjustments before presenting it to the client to ask for feedback. I edit the sketches until the client is satisfied. My health and emotions usually affect my creativity a lot, so I always try to find some time to relax while working on a project.
You’ve developed a distinctive style in which colours play an important role. How do you usually choose them for a particular work?
I tend to favour minimalist design. I consider colours as the main factors in my works. For me, colours determine the strength of a picture. In terms of portraits, I don’t draw surroundings or use background colours, but I carefully apply them from the eyes to the rosy cheeks or the corner of the mouth. Sometimes the smallest elements become the (main) attractions of a portrait.
What do you find the most challenging in your work?
I find a lot of topics, themes or characters challenging – such as war, history, older people, and so on. When a project requires me to illustrate things related to these subjects, I often feel confused and can’t necessarily do my best.
It happens to everyone that we don’t feel inspired enough to come up with ideas, and we may even feel stuck. How do you typically overcome a creative block?
I set up a specific plan, create a timeline and choose reasonable time frames for each part of the plan. I spend a reasonable amount of time on personal projects so those projects don’t interfere with my commissioned work. This way I can avoid putting too much pressure on myself and complete every project of mine.
In a video in which you present yourself, you mention the number of hours you work, which sounds a lot, although I can relate to it. Now I’m wondering what you do for fun or in your free time. How do you relax?
I relax by reading novels, watching films or gossiping with my friends. Sometimes I also do my personal projects and sell some of my prints in my online store.
I assume you can’t always talk about your projects in progress, and you may need to keep secrets, too. Can you tell us what you’re working on right now?
I’m currently working on the packaging for a cooking oil company in India and several book covers for companies in Italy and the USA.
What plans do you want to see realized in the near or far future?
I want to finish my two books, a personal art book project as well as buy a small house in my city.
