It’s time for our next Featured Student! For June we are featuring:

Albert Lee

Instagram: @albertleeillustration

Hey Folks - For those that haven’t yet met Albert on the SVS forum, here’s an opportunity to get to know one of your fellow students! Albert’s story is one that celebrates overcoming adversity by finding strength inside, but especially outside, of yourself. Enjoy!

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To start out, tell us a little bit about yourself - where you are from and currently live, family details (including pets of course) and how you spend most of your time.

I currently live in Southern California with my wife, Sharon, and our 3 children: Joshua, Katie, and Ezekiel. Joshua and Katie are both gifted artistically and I often marvel at their distinct artist points of view. My wife is also artistically inclined, though she will never admit it. She works as both a real estate agent and full time homeschool instructor for our kids. Our youngest, Zeke, is a 5 year old, inexhaustible ball of energy who wears his emotions on his sleeves. We have an affectionate silky terrier named London and a clever hamster named Tasha.

For the past 7 years, I have been working as a sports illustrator, primarily for the NFL. Ever since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in 2019, I have been working from home exclusively, which suits my introverted nature. (However, I do miss collaborating with coworkers on occasion!) I spend the majority of my time split between tutoring/playing with my 3 kids, juggling household chores, and working full time as an illustrator. I spend most late evenings working on personal projects and developing new skills. I am currently learning how to use Blender to help enhance my understanding of lighting, materials, and composition.

I am a second generation Korean American and the youngest of 3 children. I was born in 1977 in Pittsburgh, PA, but I spent my formative years in Poughkeepsie, NY where I developed a love of nature, sports, and illustration. I can still recall visiting the lakes at Bowdoin Park and Mohonk Preserve as a kid, and I have fond memories of picnicking there with my family. From an early age, I fell in love with drawing and often spent my free time illustrating anything from Saturday morning cartoon characters, to comic book figures, to animals passing through our backyard (we lived by a wooded area that was home to a variety of fauna).

(*A word of caution: I share some personal details here that may trigger readers)

Due to a traumatic series of events that I experienced from the age of 4, there was a dramatic shift in my personality (according to my parents). I was molested, but had no idea how to even begin to communicate what had happened to me. As a result, I became extremely withdrawn and non-communicative. I suffered from night terrors, and I would often "tune out." I also developed prominent signs of dysfluency and often stumbled over my words, which in turn, made me even more reclusive and insecure. Even as an adult, I struggle to communicate just how devastating that experience was for me. I apologize for over-emphasizing this point, but that experience single handedly began to unravel my perception of the world, and unlocked a series of existential questions that I wrestled with throughout my life. How does this relate to art? Looking back, I believe that I turned to drawing as a way to escape and cope with the overwhelming fears and emotions that I could not verbalize. In fact, illustration became my refuge and solace throughout my childhood and teenage years. Illustration provided the haven that I desperately needed and it allowed me to unconsciously explore the horrible things I could not confront or even find the words to define. Additionally, sports helped me develop an alter ego of sorts, that both empowered me and allowed me to work through my repressed wrath/abhorrence in a controlled, socially acceptable, and disciplined manner. My love of nature, much like art, provided an other-wordly refuge away from the memories that I was running from perpetually and it provided a different narrative of the world that was forced upon me.


What’s your favorite place that you’ve traveled to? What did you love most? 

I'd have to say that it is a tie between South Korea and Maui. I visited South Korea for the first time with my parents when I turned 21 and had such a memorable experience learning about my roots in such a visceral/tangible way. In particular, I recall visiting my parents' respective hometowns and marveled at the adversity that they overcame prior to immigrating to the United States in 1970. They lived through the Korean War which indelibly affected them and tragically took the lives of family members and friends. I had to include Maui as well because I fell in love with the crystal clear waters, incredible weather, pace of life...everything. What's not to like about Maui?

I see that you do a bunch of work for the NFL and the NBA!! Wow! How’d you land those clients? And how would you describe the experience of working with them?

I received the opportunity to work for the NFL back in 2015 through an agency called Creative Circle. Prior to receiving that initial invitation to interview with the NFL, however, I had received a series of rejections from various companies that I had applied to and was unemployed for about 1 year. In truth, I was extremely depressed at the time and my marriage was in shambles for a variety of reasons. One of the major contributing factors included the fact that I had been diagnosed with a debilitating disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in around 2007, which caused a tremendous amount of strain upon our finances, my health, and my relationship with Sharon. Suffice it to say, I was brought to the lowest point of my life and completely devastated. After 12 years of marriage, my wife and I were on the verge of separating. We had two children at the time who were forced to witness the ugliest side of marriage/family life. Looking back, I believe that God allowed me to fail utterly, first as a husband and secondly as a father to bring me to the point in which I would be broken enough to realize that I could no longer live life without completely placing my faith in Him. Up until that point, I found ways to stumble through life by either masking my pain from others or by escaping from it by immersing myself in art, sports etc. Art literally had sheltered me and been my companion through many of the darkest moments in my life... but it could not provide an antidote to the brokenness that I observed in mankind nor could it cure the brokenness that was in me. I came to believe that it was Christ who offered the only hope of restoration for my messed up heart/soul. That is when my wife and I began to humbly pray for healing and forgiveness, both for ourselves and for our marriage/family. The very next week my recruiter at Creative Circle contacted me concerning a freelance position as an illustrator with the NFL. I went in faith to the interview and was invited to work at their office in Culver City the following Monday. I have been working with them ever since. Oh, and my wife and I will be celebrating our 19 anniversary in the fall. We are still working through our issues but we growing in grace towards one another with each passing year.

In terms of my time with the NFL, I cannot possibly thank them enough for how gracious they have been throughout these past 7 years. I truly believe that artists cannot thrive unless they are given trust and room to grow and make mistakes. Under the guidance of guys like Issiah Davis, Charlie DeMarco, Dane Storrusten, Armando Alvarez, and Robin Zibelli, I don't think I would have been able to thrive, let alone survive, under the pressure that I was experiencing, both personally with my situation with my wife, with my ongoing health issues, financially, and vocationally. They gave me so many opportunities to grow, to tackle new projects that required me to expand my skill sets. I am also so grateful for the connections that I made with my coworkers. People like Christian Prieto, Dennis Padua, David Lomei, Chloe Booher made it possible for me to overcome so many of my deficiencies/insecurities and I truly cannot overstate the value of working with people whom you respect, admire, and trust.

Considering these clients of yours, I’ve gotta ask, did you play sports growing up?

I did. I played baseball throughout my elementary school days (centerfield and shortstop) and tennis/cross country/football/basketball throughout my high school years. Though it sounds super cliche to say this, I have to admit that I truly learned so many critical life lessons through the inevitable struggles, losses, and disappointments that came hand in hand with every sport. The pursuit of sports taught the value of remaining humble, of confronting my shortcomings without excuses. Each sport also taught me the value of pacing, timing, staying in the flow state, staying focused, disciplined, and trained. Sports gave me the courage to overcome my sense of helplessness to some degree and provided a way for me to overcome my highly introverted nature. I made a few lifelong friendships with guys that I used to play basketball with.

Here’s a three-part, short answer question: Board games or video games? Burgers, fried chicken or a big salad? Hotel or campsite?

Man, I'd have to say board games. My kids and I spend most evenings rotating through our collection of board games together. In terms of food, my honest answer would be burgers all the way. The western bacon cheeseburger to be exact. In terms of lodgings, I'd say I love campsites though I have only gone camping 3 times in my entire life. I love being out in nature (minus the mosquitos!)

What are some of your other hobbies besides making art? 

Honestly, I am kind of a boring guy who cannot get enough of art. I have been learning Blender 3D for about a year and a half now and love it. I love drawing and painting traditionally and absolutely love sculpting. I honestly don't have any other hobbies outside of art!


Who are some of your favorite artists? How have they inspired you? 

This is hard to answer because there are just too many to list. Off the top of my head, guys like Yoshitomo Nara, Souther Salazar, Dave Kinsey, James Jean, Sam Weber, Ronald Kurniawan, and Hayao Miyazaki come to mind. I think that I am probably imposing my own interpretation upon their works, but I gravitate towards artworks that seem to represent more than just what is seen/visible/representational. Artworks that somehow paradoxically use 2D/3D mediums to express ideas, notions, feelings that transcend our perceptions/material concerns speak to me. As an artist, I still struggle to become less fixated with the way in which something is represented in a literal sense. I am learning how to become more attuned to what can only be felt or perceived by something deeper. 


In terms of being a professional illustrator, what recommendations can you give with regard to young artists attempting to forge their path in this field? 

I would have to say that it is important to find out the reason why you want to even express yourself in this medium and what it is you actually want to say... and if it is even worth saying. One can become disillusioned or burn out easily with the wrong motivations (such as fear and insecurity). It is unwise to build a career/your life upon a foundation that is without a deeper, lasting, fulfilling purpose. I learn that lesson time and time again. I'd also recommend cultivating ways of perceiving the world through a lyrical, metaphorical, narrative lens and creating a visual language of your own that you can draw upon when attempting to "translate" your ideas into an artistic representation. It is important to hone your technical skills as an artist, but relying purely upon technical skill alone can be an empty pursuit for most and can even alienate viewers from the artwork. Lastly, be open to the idea of not depending upon art as your primary source of income. If you truly love art and illustration, and you are not motivated purely by financial reasons/pressures, you may flourish more as an artist by creating personal projects/works. Honestly, I think that most artists derive the most satisfaction and meaning from creating works of art that authentically and sincerely express their heartfelt points of view, even if it does not result in more likes or a paycheck at the end of the day. Try not to define success in terms of material/monetary gain. Try to evaluate and focus on your character, motivations, thought life and observe how those things play an integral role in how you conduct your life and express yourself artistically.


What’s your own practice as an artist look like? Early riser? Night owl? Do you have set times of the day you work? Are you more productive in a certain space? And what about inspiration?

I am definitely a night owl but my kids are all early risers (between 5:30 and 6:30 am). This results in a severe lack of sleep on my part. I normally set apart normal work hours between 9am and 5pm to work. I spend the rest of the evening with my wife and kids. This usually entails playing board games, cards, goofing off, putting my youngest 2 kids to bed (story time, Bible Study, and prayer), and taking care of chores. I resume drawing around 10pm and usually head up to bed around 1 am the following morning. I usually work at my desk in my office and remain inspired because there is just too much to learn, explore, experiment with in art! It never bores me or becomes monotonous.

We’d love to see some of your work. Can you share 5 or 6 pieces with us?

The Sheriff. Digitally painted portrait of Peyton Manning for a 600 foot mural commissioned by the NFL. I was asked to contribute 9 illustrations to the mural.

Digitally painted portrait of Bo Jackson for a 600 foot mural commissioned by the NFL. I was asked to contribute 9 illustrations to the mural.

Digitally Painted portrait of Jim Everett, a QB for the LA Rams during the late 1980s. 

Lithe. It started with a concept: Nimble, lithe. I then digitally painted a character that I felt embodied the word.

Together. I submitted this illustration last year to one of SVS's monthly drawing challenges.

Wary. This character was inspired by the movie Red Dawn. It also represents the way in which I viewed the world growing up: as a potential threat and constantly on the brink of disaster.

Last question: What are you dreaming up for the rest of 2022? Travel, new experiences, new art-making?

I just want to be a good steward of the time I have and cultivate the relationships that I have with my family and friends. I don't try to impose my plans on my life anymore. I just try to remain rooted/grounded spiritually and prepared in case opportunities/or crises arise. I strive to represent what I say I believe as earnestly and genuinely as possible, even in the face of my shortcomings. I would love to find more opportunities to mentor and encourage other artists who may be struggling.

Albert, what a gift it’s been for us to get to know you a little better. Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability in the way you’ve shared your story. Looking forward to seeing more of your artwork on Critique Arena and in the SVS community.

Featured students are selected from our amazing group of members! Want a chance to improve your illustration skills? Become an SVSLearn member today for 14 days with our free trial and take the next step on your journey to becoming a working illustrator.