Yet, for artist Jon Tham, his decision to leave the corporate world to become a freelance artist is something he has no regrets about.

These days, you are likely to find him at convention centres and fairs where lines of curious visitors often show up to have their caricatures drawn.

Just last month, he was spotted at the “Nar Shaddaa Day” event at Jaya One in Petaling Jaya, drawing caricatures for visitors, many of whom were tickled by their likeness in the drawing. A typical caricature is usually completed within five minutes.

So, what exactly drove this graphics artist to take that leap of faith? “It was in 2010, when I was at the height of my advertising and design career, that I began to feel something was lacking,” he told FMT.

Tired of staring at his computer screen all day, Tham began dabbling in art, learning the basics in the process.

Tham admitted to being “mediocre” at art when in school, and said he believed the only reason he used to win art competitions was because only a handful entered.

In a surprising turn of events however, the drawings he posted on social media gained attention and soon, he began delving into caricature art.

“I had little experience drawing caricatures then. It was so difficult that I could fall sick while working on a drawing. It was really out of my comfort zone, but people seemed to like it.”

Encouraged by positive feedback, Tham realised that he had uncovered a new career path, and it was one he was willing to travel down.

“Somehow, I managed to make a big leap into freelance artistry, knowing that I’m not as good as many people out there. It was brave and very stupid.”

Besides caricatures, he began to dabble in other forms of art as well; there are wall murals and portraits today that bear his signature.

However, he does generally prefer working on caricatures, considering how time-consuming portraits are.

“I decided not to focus on portraits as I can make more people happy in a short time with my caricatures. When people see their caricaturised faces, they smile and laugh at themselves.”

Tham said he believed there are many artistic Malaysians out there who would love to pursue their passions, but understandably hesitate, due to fears of financial unsustainability.

Having established himself as a freelancer with a sustainable income now, he said he can finally focus on his sons, both of whom factored into his career change.

“I wanted to see my sons grow up. From infancy to their present teenage years, I was part of their lives,” he said, admitting that constantly switching between parenting and professional mode has been difficult but worth it.

In addition to earning a living through the sales of his artwork, Tham also holds art classes for children. He teaches the basics of art and guides them on how to freely express their creativity.

He also helps fledgling artists who come to him for advice. “I’ve been through all the ups and downs, so I can help them with a little advice.”

Despite making a name for himself, Tham prefers to stay out of the limelight, having no professional website and instead answering enquiries on his Facebook page.

“Doing this on Facebook makes it easier for me to communicate. When my friends like it, they will go, ‘Jon did this!’ And this spreads very fast among their friends.”

He said that with a professional website, he ran the risk of coming off as a cold stranger to potential clients. “At least on Facebook they know it’s Jon, rather than some stranger.”

Having attended numerous conventions and fairs, Tham admitted to having some rather strange but humorous experiences. He recalled a time when a visiting family from Egypt sat down to have their caricature drawn.

“The mother was fully covered in a niqab and her husband insisted that I draw her face. I was at a loss at what to do. What exactly could I draw? ‘All black,’ the husband said!” In the end, Tham offered to draw a caricature of their daughter instead, which proved a more feasible task.

Despite the career risk he took years ago, Tham said he has no regrets. “Seeing your children grow up? Money cannot buy that.”

Contact Jon Tham on Facebook if you too want your caricature drawn.