She was finally handed books of blank paper and pencils so she could draw to her heart’s content – and she’s been doing that ever since.
However, nothing could prepare her for the absolute thrill of being one of a handful of Southeast Asian artists commissioned by Disney to illustrate the poster artwork for “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
“To be honest, I thought it was a scam when I received the email from the agency representing them,” Ho told FMT Lifestyle recently.
After making doubly sure the invitation was legit, Ho threw herself into designing several artworks for the poster illustration, one of which was selected for the movie’s promotional material.
But the road to her career of choice started off bumpy and uncertain at times. She said it was tough convincing her parents to send her to an art academy in Kuala Lumpur.
She said they were concerned that designer and illustrator jobs were limited and that she wouldn’t earn a stable income.
“I told them this is the only thing I want to do and it’s the only thing I’m good at,” the 30-year-old shared.
With that said, Ho admitted that there were times during her three-year-course that she felt like giving up.
“The assignments were too overwhelming at times and everyone else around me was so good, so it could get quite competitive. It was like ‘The Hunger Games’,” the Sabah native said, laughing.
However, she set an immediate goal for herself: graduating, and that was what she worked towards.
After graduation, Ho accepted jobs designing 2D illustrations and background art for various companies. She also freelanced for a few years, describing it as the bravest thing she’d ever done, seeing as she didn’t have any resources at the time.
Her leap of faith paid off because the Disney gig came soon after.
It wasn’t the only time she worked with Disney though. Last year, she worked with Disney Plus to illustrate a custom art piece to celebrate the Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“I learnt a lot from the experience as they were very professional and receptive to creative ideas.”
Ho’s artworks are rather mesmerising pieces, making clever use of vibrant colours that bring the lively features of the characters to life, whether they are creations from her own imagination or those from a movie.
“I get inspired by lots of things in life, but I’d say movies and photography are big sources of inspiration for me,” she said.
And while many may have the preconceived notion that the film and art industry is a dog-eat-dog world, Ho said that her peers were a supportive bunch. “They are very passionate about what they do and that makes me want to do better too.”
Like all creative people, Ho admitted to occasionally hitting a blank wall while working on her illustrations. When this happens, she said talking to friends helped in getting a different perspective on things.
“I also keep a list of things that I want to do, and when I experience burnouts, I take it out and check it off one by one, in order to find my passion again.”
Ho said that other than working part time in visual development for games and animation, she is currently collaborating with a Taiwanese author to produce a musical storybook.
“This is my first-time doing illustrations for a storybook that combines music and I’m very excited about it,” she said, smiling.