It is a pleasure to introduce a Graduate School comrade Ji won Kim AKA Ally. She is both an amazing digital painter and also can paint with oil like a master. I had portrait painting with her and she made masterpiece after masterpiece and smile at the ease of it all while I would secretly watch over her shoulder and take note on just how dope she was at oils. It is awesome to see her work here and I am excited to get the chance to have her work with Fatbol on future collections!
Interview by Forest Stearns:
Fatbol: First off, tell me What to call you, Who you are, WHERE you’re from, and WHAT you do.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: First off, tell me What to call you, Who you are, WHERE you’re from, and WHAT you do.
Ally: Hello. My name is Ji won Kim AKA Ally. I’m from Seoul, South Korea. I work concept design as a freelancer since I graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco last year.
I mostly work with digital concept design. But I value foundational study of arts, such as Life drawing, painting and sculpting as well. It motivates me to improve my skill. I am an Oil painter in my spare time.
Fatbol: Where can the world go to see more of your work digitally and gallery?
Ally: I have a website www.allyconcept.com you could see fantasy creature concept design. I put concept design work, oil painting and personal stuff.
Fatbol: What is specific and unique that you plan to develop for the Fatbol project?
Ally: I have been start off with research so far from everywhere. I try to get empty mind so I could fill in abundant of the idea. I usually have fantasy theme in my works. I probably work with my own fantasy design then I will leave everything about the idea up to my hand till I get what I had in mind. Fatbol is new challenge for me. It drives me excite, curious like exploring unknown place. I hope to find enjoyable style through blending those ideas.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: What is your favorite style and application for your own work?
Ally: Mostly I love fantasy creature design. I usually start off with original nature. Those natural ideas melt into my brain, start to transform original into various things. When my brain does not have any room for ideas, finally I start to visualize ideas that are base on the purpose and characteristic of it. Through many lousy thumbnail sketches, I finally get some good one. Then add details on it, bring it into Photoshop and getting it done.
Fatbol: Explain your own style and science of art.
Ally: My style is definitely fantasy creature design. I am a concept designer. As you know, concept design is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. I love to design some scary creature and surreal environment. I usually work with digital software such as Photoshop and Corel Painter. Also I love to use any number of traditional mediums such as Oil Painting, pencil, sculpture, markers, etc.
The science in my artwork is finding adrenaline through the darkest, surreal and bizarre things. I aim to create a level of realism with characteristic style in my design. This is the most challenging part of Coming up with a design Like a signature of my design.
Fatbol: What are three words that best describe your artwork?
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Ally: Surreal, Dreamlike, and Bizarre
Fatbol: What inspires you?
Ally: There are many artists influenced me such as Craig mullins, Iain Mccaig and Terryl whitlatch. Through class and DVD lectures from those artists whom create magnificent artwork motivates me to improve my skills. And also Alphonse maria mucha, Gustav Klimt and Frederic Church. I was attracted by Art Nouveau style and magnificent colors what they had in their artwork.
There are wide ranges of inspiration. I usually get the inspiration from the original nature first and then develop it with an imagination which is base on the influence of dreams, movies and games.
Fatbol: What is your earliest “artistic” memory?
Ally: I am not sure when does it start but definitely I can say I was not born to be an artist. I think I am late bloomer. Somehow I feel little late to be an artist but on the other hand, I would like to make late artistic memory from now.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: What is your goal in life?
Ally: I would like to follow what I want in future. It is not necessary to speak out my goal because contrary to my opinion, the world does not revolve around me. But important thing is doing my best for today, tomorrow and future. All roads will lead one place at the end.
Fatbol: Name something you love, and why.
Ally: Ocean and dolphin. I always love the ocean somehow. There is nothing but huge water and silence. It gives me comfortable feeling. Also when I see dolphin’s eye, I find unknown attractive feeling. I often imagine riding dolphin’s back, holding his fin in deep in the ocean.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: What makes you angry?
Ally: I don’t like being controlled by emotional feelings. I get angry when I think I can handle it but I can’t because of the emotional feeling.
Fatbol: What was your favorite toy as a kid?
Ally: I was little Fabre when I was kid. My favorite toy was all bugs. I had addicted to experiment with them.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Ally: super sculpey is very unique polymer clay. After I finish all process for the concept design, pick one that interesting me then make small sculpture with sculpey. It is fun to use different medium for same concept design.
Fatbol: What is your “dream” art project?
Ally: I plan “Ocean” conceptual design. It would be base on short story. From the character to background design, I would like to make full of my creation for the Ocean. I’ve been thinking this own project for a while. Now it is at the beginning of whole process. After I finished this concept design, I plan to publish this.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: What have you been listening too while you’ve been working on your art[recently]?
Ally: I’ve been listening mostly calm music such as classic. I don’t use to listening classic before but when I get a chance to listen while I work on some painting, it makes me feel cozy and help to concentrate on work. Ironically to say, I always looking for adrenalin through painting but somehow calm music like classic help me to focus on it. Recently I am working on oil paint for gallery group exhibition.
Fatbol: If you were a cocktail on a drink menu at a bar, what would your name be?
Ally: A Dark violet Ocean
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: If you could go back in time and talk to “8 year old YOU”, what would you say to her/him?
Ally: I would say “Don’t be serious. Whatever it comes to you, just enjoy the moment. That’s all you need”
Fatbol: If you could collaborate with any other artist [living or dead], who would it be and why?
Ally: I would collaborate with two people. One is Frederic Church who was an American landscape painter. When I saw his work at first time, I was surprised by magnificent colors what He had in his artwork. The other is Stan Winston who was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens. I was inspired their work and want to follow their footstep.
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: What is the best bit of advice that you have ever been given?
Ally: “Don't let them take away what you believe”– Anonymous
“The question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or the others crazy?” - Albert Einstein.
Try again, Fail again. Fail better-Samuel Beckett
 |
| © www.allyconcept.com Ji won Kim |
Fatbol: If you had a chance to say one sentence for the whole world to hear, what would you say?
Ally: Dear World. Get out of my way!
