Rising Stars: Meet Ty Hohl of Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Hohl.

Ty, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a visual development artist and illustrator based in the IE/LA area. Growing up, I’ve always been surrounded by talented Black creatives who have inspired my love for art in all its forms. Whether it was looking through the portraits my dad made during his time in art school, or watching him and my grandpa record music in their home studios, their creative processes have always had a meaningful part to play in my life.

It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I learned more about the animation industry, and in 2021, I decided to pursue a degree in animation at Azusa Pacific University. Under the mentorship of some amazing professors and through learning alongside my talented peers, I eventually found out about visual development, a field I quickly fell in love with because it combined my love for drawing with my passion for world-building. After graduating in 2025, I’ve continued building my portfolio and developing my skills to a professional level through volunteering on a handful of student films and projects. Now, I hope to continue to help bring other people’s visions to life through visual development, while growing as an artist and storyteller myself.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been the smoothest road, as expected, but that’s all a part of the journey. Finding consistent work in my field has been an ongoing challenge, and seeing just how competitive the industry is, it can be easy to fall into the mindset of thinking my work isn’t good enough or comparing my journey to someone else’s. Whenever I find myself struggling with self-doubt, one thing I always fall back on is reflecting on how far I’ve come as an artist.

For me, drawing has always been a way to express myself and tell my story, but it has also been a way for me to give back to others. I remember in elementary school making original anime characters with my friends and drawing little portraits of the characters for them to keep. As simple as that sounds, that feeling of wanting to help bring someone else’s vision to life has never left me. Even now, volunteering as a background designer and visual development artist on different films and being trusted to help bring these worlds to life are constant reminders for me that I can make a positive impact on others and that my work is valued. So, with all that being said, my journey definitely hasn’t been the smoothest, and I know I’m bound to face more challenges in the future. However, as long as I can make people happy through my work, help bring their ideas to life, or inspire others to pursue their own creativity, then I know I’m on the right path.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work ranges from graphic and fantastical illustrations to more grounded, painterly portraits. I really enjoy experimenting with vibrant colors, unique textures, and exaggerated proportions, especially in my backgrounds and character designs. While these are some qualities I’ve become known for, I think one of my biggest strengths as an artist is my versatility. For a long time, I saw not having a distinct “style” as a weakness, but I’ve come to appreciate how important it is to adapt to different styles, especially in the animation industry. I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with different approaches and learning how to make each of my projects feel unique.

For my personal visual development projects, I try to incorporate aspects of my own life and experiences into my work. My 2025 capstone project, Music for the Soul, follows a young music producer named Rey as he navigates moving to LA while trying to make a name for himself in a local music competition. The project was inspired by my love for music, my childhood memories of visiting LA, and ultimately served as a tribute to my great-grandfather, who owned a record store that inspired the one in my story.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something surprising people may not know about me is that I love to produce music myself! Growing up, I was exposed to all kinds of music and became interested in the music production process through my family. Some of my fondest memories include watching my dad produce songs inspired by Timbaland in his home studio, listening to old-school R&B with my mom on the way to school, bumping experimental hip-hop with my dad, and being introduced to jazz through my grandpa’s flute instrumentals. I also grew up surrounded by gospel through church, and, when I was eight, my dad and I even made an ABCs rap together.

My interest in music production grew in high school, where I took a music theory elective and learned to play guitar and bass. While I definitely need to brush up on those skills now, I’ve continued to have a deep appreciation for music across all genres. Hip-hop and rap remain my favorites to listen to and create because of their versatility and the way different artists tell stories through lyricism.

I’ve also always loved seeing how music and art can come together. Shows like The Boondocks and Afro Samurai, as well as animated bands like Daft Punk’s “The Crescendolls” and Gorillaz, really opened my eyes to the creative possibilities of combining the two. It’s something I’ve wanted to incorporate into my own work, and I’ve even had the opportunity to produce full scores for two student films made by close friends of mine. Moving forward, I hope to continue finding fun ways to blend my passion for music and art in my future projects.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tyhohl.wixsite.com/ty-hohl/visual-development
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darth_hohl/
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ty-hohl-9666782a0

Image Credits
Image of me by Jared Ybanez