Hello, and welcome to the Community Focus. If you’re new around these parts, these articles give us some wonderful opportunities to introduce you to awesome members of the Destiny community. This week, we’ll be sitting down with a wonderful artist that caught our eye with their killer art pieces on social media.
Please welcome to the stage, Kim Mihok!
Hey Kim! Let’s get this show on the road. Tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, and how cold Canada is right now.
Kim: Hi everyone! My name is Kim and I’m a 2D artist/illustrator. We just had our first “fake Spring” here in Canada but now we’re back to cooler temperatures for a while. Ever since I can remember I’ve done art and played video games. In my spare time I mostly draw Destiny fanart and Hand Cannons. During the day, I work full-time in graphic design and marketing and do my illustrations in the evenings and on weekends. My goal is to keep improving and eventually work in video games.
It’s such an incredible honour to be featured in the Community Focus as both an artist and as a Guardian. I was in a dark place when the Destiny Alpha happened during E3 2014. I'd just been made redundant at my old job and was horribly depressed. Destiny gave me a reason to wake up in the morning. I’d spend my days helping lower-level Guardians complete activities in game. Vault of Glass raids were my specialty, and I would raid repeatedly just to help my newfound friends. It's been a long road, but Destiny has always been there for me. Can’t wait to get back to the Vault of Glass in Season 14.
Vault of Glass is a classic, and we’re getting pretty excited for its return in Season of [REDACTED]. Are there any standout experiences that come to mind when reminiscing?
Kim: People say you never forget your first raid, and I’ll never forget the Vault of Glass. Using Icebreaker on Oracles, Fatebringer doing work on ad-clear during Templar. I’m ashamed to admit that as a Sunsinger Warlock I cheesed Atheon to get my helmet and Vex Mythoclast. What do you do after getting an Exotic? You take it to the Cosmodrome to test it out. The way the enemies disintegrated, and that sound! So happy that I can test new weapons in the Cosmodrome in Destiny 2 now. This is going to sound silly but the jumping puzzle after the Gorgon Maze caused problems for some players.
Fatebringer 💎@Bungie @DestinyTheGame @A_dmg04 @thislukesmith #Destiny2 pic.twitter.com/SgFhoRPCET
— Kim Mihok (@hapicatART) August 27, 2019
So, the fireteam would stand at the doors to the Gate encounter. While waiting, we would melee the door and say, “Touch the butt.” (Adorable sea creature movie reference.) It wasn’t until everyone did it that the doors opened for the next encounter! This then became a Wolfpack Alpha Lupi (WPAL) clan tradition, even after we figured out that you just had to be there to trigger the doors.
So tell us, have you always been a Warlock, or have you dabbled with the other classes in Destiny?
Kim: I’ve been a Warlock main since the very beginning. I’m almost always Dawnblade, Attunement of Grace. My favourite thing to do is place a baby well down for my fireteam and throw healing grenades at myself and others when they’re taking too much damage. Generally, I play support as a healer role, but sometimes I like using Arc Buddy too. I have a Titan and Hunter for additional raid runs but Warlock will always be my true love.
Let’s talk a bit about your art. Is there any specific activity, destination, or theme of Destiny that’s inspired your art most?
Kim: The return of Saint-14 inspired me greatly during Season of Dawn. The lore entry “The Accolade” specifically. During that time, not only was I excited for his imminent return, but also his eventual confirmed relationship with Osiris. I like the idea that Saint really went out of his way to help so many, even though they had nothing to give him in return but the accolades, a true knight in shining armour. I coloured the accolades in rainbow to represent the diversity of the Destiny universe and how that diversity gives Guardians strength.
“Please, no.” #destinyart pic.twitter.com/PnTUngQt8L
— Kim Mihok (@hapicatART) November 14, 2020
With Empress Caiatl in Season of the Chosen, her uncompromising strength and willingness to do everything she can to help her people is so good to see such an unyielding character. Caiatl’s resolve to help her people despite everything she’s endured was very inspiring to see. The Cabal royalty have such an intricate elegance I just had to draw her and her gilded blade the moment I saw her.
Bow to your Empress#Destiny2 #Destiny2Art pic.twitter.com/g1SZPCIwWv
— Kim Mihok (@hapicatART) February 23, 2021
Other than the story beats from week to week I’m really enjoying running Deep Stone Crypt with my clan. Bungie is doing what no other game company is doing when it comes to the raid experience in Destiny. It’s the ultimate team building activity. We have lots of fun messing around with our call outs and trying new strategies. Garden of Salvation and Last Wish are also great. Raiding is what I do to relax and have fun so the more raids the better! They are incredibly beautiful spaces I can’t help but stop and take screenshots every few steps for inspiration.
Weekly raids have been the highlight of my Season as well, even if I haven’t gotten that perfectly rolled Commemoration... but stay on topic. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists who’d like to start spreading their wings?
Kim: The best advice I ever got was this: Draw something every day. Draw anything, and everything, draw what inspires you the most! Use anything that piques your interest and keeps you drawing. Like using ballpoint pen? Go for it! There’s no wrong answer. Try not to be hard on yourself when you hit a rough patch or need time off, the important thing is that you keep going, learning, and practicing – in a year’s time you will notice progress. There are so many great tutorials for free online and artists sharing their process and answering questions. It’s not easy and you’re going to have to work hard. I promise it’ll be worth it.
It seems a simple pen can be a powerful weapon on the road to improvement. Speaking of weapons... what Exotics are you wielding when decimating your foes between screenshots and artwork?
Kim: It’s a tie between Hawkmoon and Dead Man’s Tale at the moment. I’m partial to both Scout Rifles and Hand Cannons. There’s something about a Cand Cannon that is very uniquely Destiny. Since I run Well-lock most of the time, I use Lunafaction Boots for the benefit of my fireteam, even with the nerfs it’s still a good choice and you do miss it when it’s not there for the DPS phase.
Stalk thy prey and let loose thy talons upon the Darkness. #destinyart #Destiny2 pic.twitter.com/SI21bhabWj
— Kim Mihok (@hapicatART) January 28, 2021
You have chosen... wisely! Yeehaw or Cacaw, both are great primaries to choose from. As we’re nearing the end of our Focus, let’s get some links out! What are the best places for the community to find you and your work?
Any shoutouts you’d like to give before riding off into the sunset?
Kim: I would not have been able to do any of this without my family and friends supporting my creativity. I am so humbled and grateful to have their help and encouragement to keep improving. Even when I felt like giving up, they were always there for me. The Destiny art community is a great bunch of people. We help each other learn from past mistakes and provide much needed support to keep going. Whether it’s a game problem or an art problem the Destiny fan art community is a close knit, friendly group of Guardians that is kind, inclusive, and accepting of new people.
Also, I can’t forget to mention my clan the Wolfpack Alpha Lupi. Without them I would not have been able to have so many great experiences playing Destiny. The Destiny community’s sense of comradery breaks through societal boundaries. Come join us! Together we’ll keep fighting to make our dreams come true.
Many thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you again out there in the wild!
If you have any recommendations for future Community Focus articles, feel free to let me or Cozmo know on Twitter, or post a thread to the forums on Bungie.net.