Living By Design: Brian Kyle, ‘04
It's been almost six years since I graduated and left behind my dual-residence in Fisher Hall's Art Department and Pacific Studio. I'm not saying that I actually lived in either of those buildings, but I will admit to watching the sunrise from both of those buildings more times than I can count. The reason I was pulling all-nighters at the photo lab and the Art Department was that I loved what I was doing. My dad always told me that my goal for a career should be finding something to do that I love, and then finding out how to get paid to do it (probably the best advice I've ever received). I knew I enjoyed creating art, I just needed to figure out how to get paid to do it, so choosing to major in Graphic Design and Photography was a really easy choice for me.
Pacific Union College's Art Department provided me with insightful guidance, experience and exceptional instruction. That instruction has allowed me to jump into my field with confidence. Unlike a lot of recent art school graduates, I never felt like I was in over my head or that I had to fake my way through things that I didn't quite understand. I've impressed seasoned screen printers with things I picked up in PUC's screen printing lab, and I've impressed other designers, artists & photographers with tips & tricks taught to me by my PUC professors.
If I were to give any advice to an aspiring Graphic Design or Photography student it would be the following:
- Make sure you love what you are doing.
- Don't choose this field for the money. Even though some designers and photographers are paid very well, the majority are not paid well.
- You only get out of the program what you put into it. So work hard and use your time to learn as much as possible, and focus on finding your "voice" as an artist.
- Start working on real projects and building your portfolio as soon as possible. Degrees in design and photography don't get you jobs, your portfolio does.
- Learn to take criticism well and learn to give constructive criticism in a kind and thoughtful way. If you can give and take constructively you will become a better artist and be viewed as a solid team player by employers.
I am currently living in San Diego County with my wife (also a PUC alumnus, Kristy Broeckel '04) and our 20 month old son, Eli Swift. Kristy teaches 7th & 8th grades at an Adventist school in Oceanside, CA.
I've spent the last 4 years working as artist/designer/art director for an art house that provides art specifically to the T-shirt industry. It's an exciting and creative job that has the benefit of allowing me to see my artwork in (sometimes) unexpected places.
I've had the opportunity to work on some very high-profile projects for brands such as NBC, Universal Studios, Hard Rock and Disney.
Shirts I have designed have:
- appeared on celebrities
- appeared on TV (The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Chuck, VH1, MTV)
- been featured in magazines (Nylon, New York Post, Us Weekly, YRB)
- been featured on popular blogs like Gizmodo & BoingBoing
- sold at major retailers (Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Delias, etc.)
Currently, I am especially excited that Disneyland is currently selling a shirt I illustrated for their Space Mountain attraction.
In addition to my full-time job, I run my own t-shirt line, Foe Paws Apparel, and I am the creative lead for Zed Said Studio, a small web & iPhone development studio.