I’ve always liked drawing. I wanted to be an artist, as a child. My father wanted me to be the president of General Motors. So we compromised- I studied economics for two years at the University of Virginia, then transferred to the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., where I studied graphic design.

After graduating, I worked at a graphic design firm for several years, before having had my fill of corporate brochures and annual reports. I then jumped at a chance to work at a local animation firm. While painting cels was not a glamorous job, I relished the opportunity to interact with adults who discussed, at work, (and with straight faces) talking chipmunks. I progressed on to become and animator, and subsequently, a director of animation.  The entire animation company moved up from D.C. to Manhattan, and I moved with it. We produced television commercials and program openings. I directed primarily traditional cel animation, although there was also some stop motion and live action mixed in. You haven’t lived, until you’ve actually said, “Lights, camera, action!” I couldn’t believe that nobody laughed, the first time I said that.

In later years, I founded my own animation company along with a couple of friends. I directed mostly cel animation for television commercials. I also directed the program openings for “The Nanny” and “The Rosie O’Donnell Show”.

When the demands of raising a family began to conflict with the 24/7 demands of an animation studio, I left to become an illustrator, in the wilds of suburban Connecticut. I’m still here, with my husband, two daughters, and two cockatiels (my husband is allergic to cats and dogs). 

Over the years, I have done illustrations for a wide variety of clients, including Target, McDonalds, Mattel, Eli Lilly, Penguin Putnam and Simon & Schuster. I “sketch” directly on my computer, taking color into account in the early stages of creating a work. Sketching in this way also allows for easy revisions. Final art is either done in Adobe Illustrator (which is great for creating vector based files) or in Photoshop, which allows the addition of an overall texture to the work. I work pretty quickly. Having worked for years creating 24 drawings per second for animation, that’s not surprising!

Represented by Lindgren and Smith: http://lindgrensmith.com/artist/kim-johnson/

Email me:  kimjohnsonhusu@sbcglobal.net