Joey Ng• Winter 2023
‘Tis the season for magical menu art! We’re so excited to unveil our Winter 2023, created by our talented menu artist Joey Ng.
Joey Ng is a Malaysian-Singaporean illustrator and designer currently based in Toronto, Canada.
Her work evokes whimsicality and nostalgia to portray a light-hearted perspective while composing an emotional narrative.
She is always pursuing unique experiences to inspire creativity and innovative ideas that she can implement into her creations.
Read on to learn more about Joey and her art journey so far!
Hi Joey, tell us a bit about yourself and your art journey so far.
Hello! I’m Joey. I’m a Production Artist and Freelance Illustrator, originally from sunny Singapore.
My art journey didn’t start till I was around 18. My initial dream was to become an animator as I am an avid fan of comics and animated films myself. But two years after enrolling in a Digital Animation program in Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Design & Media in Singapore, I had accepted that animating as a career was not for me.
As I was pondering on what I should do, I chanced upon a poster looking for candidates to participate in the local Worldskills Competition — specifically in the Graphic Design Technology category. That moment was the turning point that led me to meeting my coaches and mentors, picking up valuable experiences and skills, and to pursuing design and illustration. Thinking back, that was the most difficult time of my life but was something I am immensely proud of to have overcome. In 2014, I still graduated with my Digital Animation Diploma with much success. I went on to move to Toronto to diversify my creative skills in Sheridan College’s Illustration program and obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Illustration in 2019.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in different kinds of illustration work and met many others who share the same passion and who inspire me. Currently, aside from my freelance illustration work, I am also a production artist at an advertising agency where I specialize in print and digital creative work.
What sparked your interest in illustration?
I love illustration for its versatility and its simplicity. Among other creative mediums, illustration allows me to experiment freely to express a feeling or communicate an idea. Depending on what I want to convey, it can either be subtle or bold, abstract or narrative, colorful or somber. At the same time, it can be as simple as drawing with a pencil on paper.
How would you describe your art style?
Usually I try to adapt my art style to what the project needs in order to convey its concept. But there are constants throughout all my works, such as the use of textures, shapes and vibrant colors. I would describe it as bold, whimsical and sometimes abstract.
Pancake Rolls and WWEGG by Joey Ng
How long did it take you to develop your current style?
Hmm, I’d say it's the accumulation of all the years from when I started my art journey? I believe my style is ever-evolving. It grows in relation to my experiences, what I think would complement what I want to express, and what’s feasible within the deadline. One thing I do notice that I kept throughout the evolutions is the light-hearted spark I tend to sprinkle over my work occasionally. I am generally an optimistic person and would hope they bring a little cheer to others as well.
Can you tell us more about your role as a Production Artist?
Contrary to the creative freedom illustration brings, my role as a production artist is highly technical and detail-oriented. I specialize in building print-ready files for production such as billboards and posters, as well as digital work for social media ads and other fun stuff. Occasionally, I get to lead projects with my illustration skills and experiment with 3D and Augmented Reality for unique marketing campaigns. What I love about this job is the opportunity to be able to work with other creatives to bring fresh and novel ideas to life.
What are the important tools you use in your daily work?
My sketchpad and pencil is where all ideation begins. Occasionally, I also sketch and experiment with different styles on my iPad when I need a change of pace. I will then move on to Adobe Photoshop, combined with my drawing tablet to bring the final work to fruition.
Have you ever experienced an artist's block? If so, where do you find inspiration?
Yes, absolutely! I see it as a cue for me to take a step back, spend some time with my loved ones, or go outside for some fresh air to reset. If time does not allow it, I find looking through artbooks, searching for visual references with a similar mood I want to create and nerding over elaborate creative campaigns and packaging design gets me back in the creative zone again.
Joey Ng Menu Headers for Demetres Winter 2023 Menu
What's your dream client or project?
I enjoy seeing my work in physical forms, such as book covers, packaging design, toys and of course — Demetres Menu — so I’d be delighted to work on more projects that can be manifested into the real world. One of my dream projects would be to design fun characters as designer toy collectibles, completed with designing their packaging that complements their concept.
Who is your biggest inspiration or illustration idol?
For the longest time, my biggest inspiration has been ‘ANTZ’(@antz_rscls). I was lucky to have him as my mentor and coach during the time I was training for the Worldskills Competitions. He’s an urban artist and designer from Singapore. His work revolves around the theme of mashing Chinese folklore, dialect and influences with contemporary art styles, often involving interesting juxtapositions to create bold and unique pieces. I’m always in awe with the ever-evolving works he creates!
Which of your work is your favourite so far?
I’d say the series of illustrations I’ve been creating for the amazing team at Poetry in Voice’s poetic playlist “Mixtapes” is one of my favorite projects so far. If I have to choose a piece, it’ll be the e-banner for the site where I combine all the initial themes together to create a header piece. I feel like it defined the tone for the series and when I saw it for the first time on the website, it felt really fulfilling to be able to have my art complement the poets’ and authors’ stories.
Can you tell us more about your inspiration behind the 2023 Winter Menu art and what messages you wanted to convey?
Recently, I have started going on hikes and camping trips with my pals to admire the bountiful nature Ontario has to offer. Needless to say, I was mesmerized by the view every single time. I wanted to capture the peaceful yet revitalizing feeling when you reach the peak of a mountain hike, taking in your surroundings while basking in the sun rays. I wanted to connect people to that feeling when they look at Demetres’ exquisite selection of sweet delectables; bringing in a ray of warmth with the abundance of sweet choices and world of flavours people can share and enjoy during the icy Winter months.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing most in your spare time?
Planning more trips to explore Ontario, spending time with people I care about, and trying out new hobbies or activities. I find that occasionally doing something I’ve never done before helps refresh my mind and add new sources to fuel my creations. On days where I’m feeling a little lazy, I put on a familiar film or play video games on my PC.
What's your ideal creative environment? Do you listen to anything in the background - music, podcasts, movies? Do you have favorites that you recommend?
I’m not really picky when it comes to my environment when I work. When I’m at the ideation stage where a lot of thinking is involved, my thoughts get scrambled up easily when there’s recognizable words or chatter. So I play music that’s in a language I don’t know or OSTs from my favourite movies and games. My go-to is Joe Hisaishi and Hans Zimmer, and if I need a constant drive of upbeat energy, I check out the latest K-pop hits. When I proceed into the rendering stage, I often listen to true crime podcasts, game walkthrough streams or put on one of my favourite Ghibli animated films.
If you can give a piece of advice to anyone new in the industry what would it be?
My advice for anyone new in this industry would be to have an inquisitive mind to constantly learn and work with different mediums to contribute to their creative growth. I think that art evolves rapidly and in 2023, it’s the best time for artists to easily tap into the rich resources we have on the internet!
