Yinfan Huang’s Instagram bio reads: “Once you’re real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” An inspiring mantra if you take into account the illustrator’s background. Born and raised in China, Huang felt like she couldn’t express her artistic side very freely. It wasn’t until she was 22, that she made the decision to follow her passion and move to the United States. Now she creates joyful illustrations for children’s books, magazines, brands, and institutions around the world, proving that being “real” pays off in the end.
“I expressed my passion for art since I was very young and I never stop drawing,” she recalled in an interview with AI-AP. “Art was the only way for me to express. But the art education in China was very academic as well; I was rejected by every art college in China. The fact that I was not accepted and couldn’t pursue what I loved was a huge pain to me. But in my heart, I always knew I was different and I dreamed of being a professional artist and illustrator. So at the age of 22, I made my biggest decision in life to leave China to pursue my passion in the United States, where I felt I would receive a quality education in my chosen field.”
Her illustrations and comics are full of child-like wonder, sparking happiness in her many followers. “I think in colors,” Huang explained. “When I start a new illustration I first think about the atmosphere I want to convey, and the main color in my head which associates with that atmosphere. Everything else comes naturally once I get the right color.”
Check out some of her whimsical creations in the gallery below.
