Meet Susan Lau: 2D Artistry & Creative Innovation
YourStuffMade Community Feature · Seattle 2D Artist and Creative Problem-Solver
Susan Lau is a Seattle-based 2D artist whose work brings together visual storytelling, technical precision and creative problem-solving across games, animation and digital media.
From video game concept art and character design to visual assets for campaigns, Susan transforms ideas into detailed imagery designed to support stories, shape memorable worlds and connect with audiences.
What Creative Medium Does Susan Work In?
Susan specialises in 2D art production for games, animation and media. Her process combines drawing, design thinking and storytelling to create visuals that are both functional and emotionally engaging.
Video Game Concept Art
Susan develops visual ideas for pre-production, helping teams define characters, environments, mood and the overall direction of a project.
Animation Development
Her artwork supports animated productions by translating story concepts into clear, expressive and production-ready visuals.
Character Illustration
Susan creates characters with personality, visual clarity and emotional impact, helping audiences understand who they are at a glance.
Digital Campaign Assets
She also produces digital artwork for marketing campaigns, adapting visual ideas into assets that support communication and storytelling.
How Would You Describe Susan’s Design Style?
Susan’s work is captivating, detailed and timeless. It balances technical skill with narrative depth, allowing each image to do more than look polished—it also helps communicate mood, character and story.
Technical Mastery
Strong drawing fundamentals, thoughtful composition and careful rendering give Susan’s work clarity and professional polish.
Narrative Depth
Every design is considered in relation to the wider story, helping characters and settings feel intentional rather than decorative.
Visual Innovation
Susan approaches each brief as a creative problem to solve, exploring fresh ideas while staying focused on the needs of the project.
Timeless Appeal
Her work aims to remain visually engaging beyond short-lived trends by focusing on strong concepts and enduring storytelling principles.
What Products and Services Does Susan Offer?
Susan’s work supports the early development and visual communication of games, animation and media projects.
Concept Art
Pre-production artwork that helps teams explore, compare and refine ideas before committing them to final production.
Character Design
Original character visuals developed around personality, story function, emotion and audience connection.
Visual Development
Story-driven imagery used to establish the direction, atmosphere and visual identity of a project.
Marketing Artwork
Digital assets designed to support campaigns, announcements and audience-facing creative communication.
How Did Susan’s Creative Journey Begin?
Susan’s passion for art and storytelling began at a young age. What started with sketches, ideas and imagination gradually developed into a professional interest in visual storytelling.
As her skills grew, Susan became increasingly drawn to the way artwork can shape a story before audiences ever see the finished game, animation or campaign. Concept art gave her a way to combine imagination with practical creative problem-solving.
Her love for developing worlds and characters led to opportunities to collaborate within gaming and animation. These projects allowed her to contribute not only as an artist, but also as a thoughtful team member capable of turning broad ideas into clear visual direction.
Susan’s journey shows how early imagination can develop into a professional practice built around storytelling, collaboration and visual communication.
Proudest Milestones and Achievements
Major Production Collaborations
Susan has contributed to major video game and animated film productions, working within teams where visual development plays an important role.
Shaping Immersive Storylines
Her concepts have helped define ideas, characters and visual directions that support more immersive storytelling.
Building a Respected Portfolio
Susan has developed a body of work recognised by clients and fellow creatives for its detail, imagination and professional execution.
Global Creative Reach
Although based in Seattle, her work and portfolio connect with clients and creative teams beyond her local community.
Story-Driven Design
Susan has continued strengthening her ability to create artwork that supports a larger narrative rather than existing in isolation.
Collaborative Growth
Working across creative productions has helped Susan build the communication and teamwork skills needed to bring complex ideas to life.
What Challenges Has Susan Faced?
Tight deadlines, creative blocks and shifting project requirements are familiar parts of professional art production. Each challenge requires both creative flexibility and clear communication.
Susan approaches these moments as opportunities to solve problems rather than as barriers to creativity. Instead of waiting for the perfect idea, she focuses on making progress, testing possibilities and working with the wider team.
Her team-first mindset helps her respond constructively under pressure. By staying open to feedback and new directions, Susan can continue refining the work while supporting the goals of the project.
Creative pressure can become a source of growth when it is met with curiosity, communication and a willingness to keep refining the solution.
How Does Susan Approach Creative Problem-Solving?
For Susan, problem-solving is not separate from the artistic process. It is one of the main tools that helps transform a rough idea into a strong final visual.
- Understand the story: Susan considers what the artwork needs to communicate before deciding how it should look.
- Explore multiple ideas: early concepts make it possible to compare different directions before choosing the strongest solution.
- Communicate with the team: feedback and collaboration help ensure the artwork supports the wider production.
- Refine with purpose: details are developed in ways that strengthen the character, mood or narrative rather than adding complexity without reason.
- Stay adaptable: openness to new ideas allows the work to improve as a project evolves.
What Is Next for Susan Lau?
Susan plans to continue growing as a 2D artist while taking on projects that place storytelling and design at the centre of the creative process.
- Expand her 2D art and visual development portfolio.
- Push creative limits in video game and animation design.
- Explore new approaches to character design and concept development.
- Lead more projects where storytelling and visual design meet.
- Continue collaborating with creative teams across different productions.
- Develop work that remains detailed, innovative and emotionally engaging.
Susan’s Advice for Fellow Creatives
“Embrace problem-solving as part of the creative process. Stay open to new ideas, and remember that teamwork and communication are key to bringing any vision to life!”
- Treat challenges as part of the work: creative obstacles are often where the strongest and most thoughtful solutions begin.
- Stay open to new ideas: flexibility makes it easier to respond to feedback and discover directions that may not have been obvious at first.
- Communicate clearly: strong visual work still depends on understanding the needs of the people and project around it.
- Value teamwork: games, animation and media are collaborative, and every contribution becomes stronger when the team works toward the same vision.
- Keep developing your craft: technical skill and storytelling ability both improve through consistent practice and thoughtful reflection.
Turning 2D Artwork into Custom Merchandise
Character illustrations and concept artwork can extend beyond a portfolio when adapted thoughtfully into physical products. Strong silhouettes, expressive poses and recognisable details can translate especially well into collectible merchandise.
Artists working in games and animation can begin with one or two products that suit the artwork, then build a connected collection around characters, environments or story themes.
Connect with Susan Lau
Follow Susan to see more concept art, character design, visual development and updates from her creative practice.
Susan is based in Seattle, Washington, USA, and works with a global creative audience. The supplied profile mentions an online portfolio but does not provide a confirmed portfolio URL.
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