Today we’d like to introduce you to Yefim Kligerman.
Yefim, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I first got into drawing at an early age, I believe it was first grade. I copied a drawing of a top hat and was shocked when I drew the highlight correctly. Since then, I drew all the time in class because I found school to be boring and what else was I supposed to do with my hands? I was always dumbfounded at the other kids that actually looked at the teacher the entire class.
My favorite subjects to draw were spiky-haired guys, buff monsters with skull faces, and some robots here and there. I always preferred to draw from imagination instead of real-life because real-life seemed too boring. In a classroom setting, all you have to choose from is the back of heads and desks. I kept drawing in school and in my junior year of high school, a graduate from my high school (Eytan Zana) came by and showed us his Art School Concept Art portfolio.
I had no idea what this stuff was, it was introduced to me for the first time ever, and I knew immediately what I wanted to do for my career. It was cool drawings for video games and you can apparently get paid to do it! That night I looked up concept art and found this website that had every games’ concept art cataloged, so I began going down the list alphabetically and looking at every piece of concept art and promotional art I could find. It was awesome to discover this world of art that was so appealing and so different from the flower still lifes and drab oil paintings of mountains and lakes that I was surrounded by.
Eytan’s portfolio was done digitally in Photoshop, which seemed so alien at the time, but it led to me buying an $80 Bamboo Fun tablet and getting a trial version of Corel Painter Essentials and messing around in the evening time. I then began to look up art schools and chose Otis because it was the closest one and I wouldn’t have to pay for a dorm. Eytan going to Otis was also a huge reason to go there, and I bumped into him incidentally in the parking lot one day. He told me he’d be open to seeing my works in progress, and while the work I sent him early on was really sloppy, he always encouraged me to keep going, and he mentored me throughout my entire time at Otis.
As a Junior in college, he inspired me to focus on characters full time because it was my true passion and I don’t know where I’d be without his guidance today.
His work ethic was also a huge inspiration to me, and I tried to follow in his footsteps and be the hardest working person in my grade and the school. For the classes that were creature and character-focused, I did double the homework and spent all my free time working on those assignments.
During my Senior Year, I wasn’t really satisfied with the classes that were available so I decided to do an Independent Study with Eytan, and we really focused on creating a high-quality portfolio that’d hopefully propel me to some sort of employment.
Luckily, I took Eric Ryan’s Creature Design class in my Junior Year, which still is one of my favorite classes ever. His class introduced me to the potential of mythology and how it can lead to really interesting and unique character designs. I also loved the structure of his class and try to pass on his lessons to current students whenever asked. Eric happened to be working at Sony Santa Monica at the time, making God of War and drawing the coolest concepts I’ve seen.
Eric told me they were hiring interns for the summer and I was recommended for that position when there was an opening. I’m very grateful for the opportunity he gave me, and I have to mention my other teachers that worked at Sony Santa Monica, like Jung Park and Cecil Kim. They all were very supportive of me and without their help, I wouldn’t have been considered.
I began working at Sony that summer and started on the same day as Dela Longfish, who is my Concept Art Lead and boss to this day. He’s an amazing person and the best boss anyone can wish for. He’s a constant reminder of how to lead by example and how to treat your colleagues with respect. I’ve learned so much being around Dela, and not just about art, but about fostering a positive and nurturing work environment.
The game we were working on was unfortunately canceled eight months after I began working on it, and I was laid off along with a lot of other employees. It took about six months but I was hired back to work on God of War (2018). I was really happy to be back, and I’m glad I left a good enough impression for the team to consider me again. That contract went on for about three years, and towards the end of development, I was laid off again.
My girlfriend, Ji Hye Lee, was working at Treyarch at the time and recommended me for a position on the Black Ops 4 Zombies team and I was able to work on a really cool project. My tasks were really fun and I got to see how another studio operates their development and I also met a lot of very friendly and kind people during my time there.
About seven months into my contract at Treyarch, I really missed Sony Santa Monica and the experience of working there. I talked to Eytan Zana again and he told me to talk to Dela instead of moping around and to actually take steps to change my future.
Dela was very receptive to me possibly coming back to Sony and after talking to him and Raf Grassetti (the current Art Director), I was given an art test that would enable me to come back if it was done well enough. I spent all of my free time that week working on the test, drinking black coffee and listening to System of a Down, the ultimate concoction to power through the test and meet the deadline.
The test was received well and I built up a different aspect of my skillset while I was away from Sony that really helped me on this third contract.
About a year into that contract, I was fortunate enough to become a full-time employee, something I was wishing and hoping for ever since I first stepped foot over there. Dela trusted me with more responsibility and I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to give some art direction feedback and take a bigger role in interviewing potential hires.
I am currently very happily employed at Sony Santa Monica, and the studio has been very helpful and accommodating with the shift to Work from Home. I’m excited to keep working here and help bring my artistic sense to all of the games that we make. I truly believe it’s the best studio and the best Concept Art team in the entire games industry.
Outside of work, I’m really trying to work on my drawing skills and have more fun with these mini assignments I give myself. I feel like during the Stay at Home era, it’s really important to find joy within your day, and drawing what makes you happy definitely helps with that.
Overall, I really owe my fortune to a lot of helpful and influential people I met along my career path and my life. It really takes a lot of luck and hard work to make it in this industry, so if anyone reading this can learn a lesson, it’s that hard work pays off – maybe not immediately, it might even be years down the line, but your effort will eventually be rewarded.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’d have to say overall, I’ve had a smooth road in my career. My family and friends have always been very supportive of my career choice, so that helps a ton.
Being laid off two times has been a challenge, but I’ve been lucky enough to find something without long stretches of unemployment. Living in California has provided me with unemployment assistance and helped me pay my rent and bills in those times of duress.
My friends and colleagues have always supported me in times of need as well, by recommending me for jobs and other opportunities.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is being happy. Don’t compare yourself to others’ visions of success. and don’t define yourself in other peoples’ terms. If you do, you’ll be chasing someone else’s dream and ignoring your own happiness.
I’m able to draw and design for a living, so I’m very fortunate to be in this position, so I consider that being successful.
Everyone’s time on earth is limited, and you should do what makes you happy, follow your own path, and not someone else’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artstation.com/yefim_kligerman
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yefim_kligerman/
Image Credit:
Liberace Cruzuee – Photographer
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