Meet the Artist

I'm a Cambodian-American illustrator, educator, and full-time creative based out of a suitcase somewhere in Southeast Asia. Right now that's Phnom Penh. Before that it was Bangkok. Before that it was Long Beach, California, where I spent most of my life learning how to draw anime characters in my bedroom and pretending I'd figure out the rest later.

I did, eventually.

I've been drawing since I was a kid. Manga, anime, video games — if it had a character design I liked, I was copying it. I taught myself everything. No art school. No formal training. Just references, repetition, and an obsessive need to understand why certain drawings looked better than others. That obsession turned into a style. The style turned into products. The products turned into a decade-long career.

From about 2013 to 2024, I was a convention artist in Southern California. Anime Expo, TwitchCon, San Diego Comic-Con — I did all of them. I designed and sold original anime-inspired stickers, enamel pins, skate decks, and art prints at events across the country. Hundreds of original character illustrations. Thousands of customers. It was the best grind of my life and I wouldn't trade it.

In 2023, I started teaching. Not because I ran out of things to draw — but because the most useful thing I ever built wasn't a single piece of art. It was the system behind how I study, practice, and improve as a self-taught artist. That's what I teach now.

My art primarily focuses on character illustration — dynamic poses, unconventional camera angles, deliberate composition, and a rendering process that turns a flat sketch into something that feels alive but stilly fictional. And somehow, that's attracted thousands of students through my structured lessons, courses, live instruction, and a community of artists who are all figuring it out together. Whether you're just starting or you've been drawing for years, my approach is the same: systematic, honest, and built for people who teach themselves.

My philosophy is simple. Artistic growth is a habit, not a gift. The drawing you make tomorrow will be better than the one you made today — as long as you keep showing up. So be excited to fail. Every iteration is progress.

Outside of drawing, I train Judo competitively. I read a lot about how the mind works. I travel light and move slow. And I'm still figuring out the rest — just with better systems now.

This site is home base. The shop opens a few weeks a year when I'm back in LA. The courses, portfolio, and downloads are always here. Thanks for stopping by.

— AJ