An Inspired Chat with Yiming Liu of Irvine

Yiming Liu shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Yiming, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’d say I’m walking a path — one that’s still forming under my feet. I’ve wandered enough to know what feels right for me, and now every step is a mix of purpose and curiosity.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Yiming Liu, and I’m a Concept Designer currently working on video game Overwatch.
My main focus is creating character skins and weapon concepts, developing designs that blend storytelling, functionality, and style within the Overwatch universe.
Outside of work, I also enjoy exploring my own artistic ideas—experimenting with themes, visual languages to expand my creative voice.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was just a kid who loved creating for no reason. I drew because it felt natural — because every line, every color was a way to breathe. I wasn’t thinking about style, career, or validation. I just wanted to turn my thoughts into shapes, my feelings into light. Back then, art wasn’t about proving myself; it was about discovering myself. And even now, after years of rules, feedback, and expectations, I still chase that same quiet joy — the feeling of being completely free in creation.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Drawing improvement comes incredibly slowly. During the long period of trial and error, I was constantly fighting the thought of giving up. Almost every day, I questioned whether I was making progress at all. But every time I reached that edge of quitting, something deep inside me—maybe a stubborn spark—pushed me to start again. That cycle of doubt and persistence became my way of growing, quietly but steadily, one sketch at a time.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A project I’m committed to, no matter how long it takes, is building my own creative universe — a world of original characters, cultures, and stories that reflect who I am and what I believe in.
It’s more than just a collection of designs; it’s a lifelong exploration of identity, emotion, and imagination.
This universe keeps evolving with me, and I know it’ll take years, maybe a lifetime, to finish — but that’s exactly why I’ll never stop working on it.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
Yes, absolutely. One of the most exciting moments in my career was working on the Overwatch high-tier hero skins and major skin lines.
Those projects pushed the boundaries of what character design could express — not just in looks, but in emotion, storytelling, and identity. Concept art often plays a key role in defining the visual tone and direction of the team’s work, and my decisions helped shape modeling, animation, and even the seasonal tone.

Knowing that my ideas could influence how millions of players experience a hero gave me a deep sense of purpose. That trust, creative challenge, and impact made me feel truly excited — the kind of excitement where you can’t wait to get back to work and keep creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/ymliu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ymliuart/