These are some of the clever illustrations by Tang Yau Hoong, 40, that play tricks on your eyes, compelling you to take a closer look.

“I don’t call myself an artist per se, I’d lean more towards graphic designer or illustrator,” Tang told FMT Lifestyle from his home in Telok Panglima Garang, describing his art style as “minimalist, surreal and conceptual”.

He said his work was greatly influenced by graphic designers he admired like Saul Bass, known for his movie posters “Vertigo” and “The Shining”, as well as Shigeo Fukuda, known for his optical illusion-themed work.

But what drove Tang, a degree-holder in mechanical engineer, to become a full-time illustrator was a T-shirt design contest.

“I’ve liked art since I was a kid, but those were mostly just sketches with a pencil. It wasn’t until the contest that I fully immersed myself into learning digital illustration,” he said, smiling.

However, T-shirt illustrations proved extremely challenging. The use of colour was restricted, illustrations had to be minimalist, and negative space utilised creatively. Background colours too were critical as the wrong colour could either make or break a design.

But Tang used these restrictions to his benefit. “Those restrictions shaped my style today. As you can see, most of my artworks are still very simple with minimal use of colours.”

After much practice, the Seri Kembangan native was finally confident enough to post his artwork portfolio on a site frequented by those in the art industry.

This was a brilliant move as illustration jobs came streaming in for magazines and advertisements. He was elated and soon he was working on illustrations on a full-time basis.

Any regrets about studying mechanical engineering? Absolutely not. “I still apply what I learnt from my engineering days today, say, like reverse engineering,” Tang said, referring to how he analysed illustrations that were currently in demand, then created his own spin on it, adding his signature style so the illustrations were uniquely his.

Tang said that apart from his work being financially rewarding, equally pleasing was the positive feedback he received from customers all over the world about his work.

“Occasionally I receive emails from art teachers who ask about my thinking process when I created an art piece. Then they relay what I say to their own students. I feel very encouraged by those interactions,” he shared.

As for the future, Tang is now brushing up on more traditional forms of art such as painting on a blank canvas with a brush in hand. “I’m very excited to learn more and hone my skills on this.”

Follow Tang Yau Hoong on Facebook and Instagram or visit his website here.