Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Shold.
Hi Kyle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always been interested in the creative arts. I stemmed primarily from movies and film scores for movies, with ‘Star Wars’ being a major early influence. I loved early behind-the-scenes documentaries detailing the artists and creatives involved in bringing these big films to life. And, of course, there was drawing. I think instinctually, I wanted to do something creative, but it wasn’t a conscious drive. In the mid/late 1980s, I was introduced to comic books as an art form, and the medium wasn’t just about escapism to me but an artistic style that was accessible to me. No expensive equipment outside of my reach was required. All I needed was a pencil and paper to start putting my favorite characters into action. At this time, the thought of creating art for a living started taking root. There was no internet back then, and books on the subject were hard to come by in my small town. In high school, my art teacher introduced me to pen & ink art, and I instantly fell in love with using a brush and nib and the art of black & white inking. While I may not have gone into comics, it was definitely what drove me to go to art school and ultimately become a creative professional.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I grew up in a small town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Right out of High School, I attended the Art Institute of Seattle, which I don’t think made me a better artist stylistically. Still, it taught me about deadlines, accountability, and presentation professionalism. While in art school, my desire to make comic books kept driving me, and my portfolio reflected that. After graduation, I interviewed at several companies around the area, including video game companies. One of them was a game company called Humongous Entertainment, which was in the early stages of the first game of a new character named ‘Pajama Sam.’ The game had a powerful comic book style since the title character dressed as his favorite superhero; my portfolio had such a solid inked comic book style that I was hired as a cut-scene background artist. It was a great job, and Humongous was a fantastic company to work for! Since I was surrounded by an incredible amount of talent and had a large workload of deliverables, my art skills grew and evolved because I had to keep up! I worked on dozens of titles, creating background and conceptual art. Even as a Background Art Lead for most of the ‘Spy Fox’ games. To this day, one of my favorite professional experiences was working on ‘Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required.’ The entire game was a pure joy to work on, and I felt I had a lot of creative freedom. I was at that company for nine years and in the video game industry for just over ten.
By then, I had seen the writing on the wall that the game industry was heading toward 3D computer animation, and I didn’t have much interest in it. Through a crazy set of circumstances, a story for another time, I was offered the position of Art Director at Make-Up Artist magazine, which covered film & television make-up in Vancouver, Washington. I had never done anything like this, and it wasn’t until I accepted the job that I immediately started teaching myself how to use Adobe InDesign! Ha! But I arrogantly figured that if I could create an illustrated composition, I could make a page composition, too. Ha! Well, I wasn’t too wrong, but it was a massive learning curve/opportunity, and my time went from drawing all the time to graphic design of editorial page layouts, title designs, photo retouching, book maps, and so much more.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
By the time I leaped independently, I had two key and often separate skills. I was trained in Illustration and graphic design. I could offer my services to create bespoke artwork with designed text and titles and provide a print-ready file built to the required specifications, exactly what I did when I began designing label artwork for several craft breweries. I had decided to go freelance but needed help finding an angle. While I was talking with a friend, the subject of craft beer labels came up. It was a market I hadn’t looked at before, so I started exploring it. This friend suggested a fairly new but increasingly popular brewery, Heathen Brewing. So I called them and immediately got the owner on the phone. After introducing myself and what I do, he invited me to a company meeting to discuss it. I put together my portfolio and got ready for the “interview.” As I sat in the meeting, the discussion of the particular label came up, and he then turned to me and asked when it could be done. I was in a bit of shock! I already had the gig! And just like that, my journey into creating craft beer labels took off, and I found myself on a new journey.
Under my business name, Freshwater Bay Creative, I have provided various design needs for my clients, including illustration labels, packaging, print and web collateral, photo retouching, brand identities, and even storyboarding. I believe my love of storytelling, inspired by movies and comics, makes what I do different. I want to tell a story with every project, bringing that to every creative job. Whether it is a craft beer label, a logo, or a poster, there is a story to tell, and I hope that, in some way, I can create that experience for both the client and the audience. Right now, I’m looking for my next step. I enjoy doing beer labels, but what’s next? I’d love to create movie posters. We’ll see.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share?
In the spring of 2022, my wife and I sold our house and escaped from Washington State to South Carolina, where individual freedom is still important and respected.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freshwaterbaycreative.com/
- Instagram: @fwbcreative
Image Credits
Freshwater Bay Creative
