Em Louk

UWM BA/DVC Student | Sophomore

Goals and Interests Statement

Created for Sophomore Review in April 2026.

My original intentions when entering UW-Milwaukee's program were not to get a Bachelor's in the arts, but I became such after realizing how much art has become in my life and the skill level I would be putting behind it if not to pursue it. I had been drawing for as long as I could speak, and further took an interest in the arts by taking an Advanced Placement course in high school that challenged me to create multiple works under one research process. Alongside schoolwork, I further enhanced my art-world experience by being a part of my local art museum, MOWA, and the newly formed Teen Council. This experience allowed me to curate art exhibitions, meet local Wisconsin artists and create work similar to theirs, travel to art events and locations, and host a teen art event yearly. Furthermore, I was also fortunate to take digital art and illustration-focused classes at MIAD's pre college in the summer of 2019.

Multiple different elements influence my work, including what I surround myself with in my work station, media I enjoy, and even fellow artists I hold dear connections to. I display many trinkets on my desk, including but not limited to franchises of Sanrio, Nintendo, Chiikawa, Pokémon, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, and would argue that each help to inspire what I am looking for in my own works. I have always been fascinated with children's media, but specifically the science behind the design of such- how a simple look of a mascot can change everything and engage further interest in children. With my works, I want to chase this fascination- how can I create something memorable, yet still engage others?

I would argue that my current rough drafts for my ART 221's T-Shirt Design project are the strongest work I have to showcase at the moment. It is my most recent work, and I really have never been more engaged and driven to create something to an extreme before in a class- I would even argue this current class to be one of my favorites, and the reason behind a degree change into the arts. I'm further learning how a simple design can illustrate more than a complex one, and what makes a successful design- can it be recognized? Can its meaning, may it be to cover a deeper message, also be understood?

ART 221: Introduction to Design

Design Process Book Example

Smithsonian Museum Exhibition Project: Wordmarks, and Rough Poster Ideas

Final Design and T-Shirt Mockups for T-shirt Charity Design. 1. Created in Adobe Illustrator. 12x12 inch Canvas. 2026. Tasked to create a set of rough designs for a T-shirt, with the design focusing on a charity organization. The project is being chosen for the Tokkari Seal Center of Japan.

Project 2: T-shirt Design for Charity Rough Draft 1. Created in Adobe Illustrator. 12x12 inch Canvas. 2026. Tasked to create a set of rough designs for a T-shirt, with the design focusing on a charity organization. The project is being chosen for the Tokkari Seal Center of Japan.

Project 2: T-shirt Design for Charity Rough Draft 2. Created in Adobe Illustrator. 12x12 inch Canvas. 2026. Tasked to create a set of rough designs for a T-shirt, with the design focusing on a charity organization. The project is being chosen for the Tokkari Seal Center of Japan.

Project 2: T-shirt Design for Charity T-Shirt Model. Created in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. 12x12 inch Canvas on Image. 2026. Tasked to create a set of rough designs for a T-shirt, with the design focusing on a charity organization. The project is being chosen for the Tokkari Seal Center of Japan, and with the exploration of outputting the design onto a shirt.

Project 1: Icon Set of Famous Figures (Jerma985). Created in Adobe Illustrator. 17x11 inch Document. 2026. Tasked with creating a set of icons to represent a popular figure. This project is meant to represent streamer Jerma985, with icons of a rat, their logo, and a meatgrinder.

ART 212: Computer Games and Interactive Art

Project 2: Virtual Daydreaming. Created in Maya and Nomad Sculpt. Inches Document of Maya. 2026. Tasked with exploring the concept of "virtual daydreaming" and what it meant to the artist. Further exploration of the program Nomad Sculpt was done and imported into the Maya document.

Project 1: Message In a Bottle Item. Created in Maya. Inches Document. 2026. Tasked with learning the basics of the Maya program and recreating a real-life object with the program. Item being based on a Calico Critter.

ART 277: Introduction to Digital Fabrication

Reverse Engineer Project Class Warm-Up. Created in Rhino 7 and KeyShot Animation. Inches Rhino Document. 2026. Tasked with reverse engineering an everyday object and creating it in the program Rhino. This project being a class demo on what can be done with learned programs.

Hyrbrid Creature Project: Lazer-Cut Trinket. Created in Rhino 7 and Adobe Illustrator. Inches Rhino Document. 2026 Tasked with designing a hybrid creature from two or more animals, this being between a ferret and a Luna moth. Required to then output said design through different methods- this being lazer-cut on plasic.

Hyrbrid Creature Project: Embroidery. Created in Rhino 7 and Adobe Illustrator. Inches Rhino Document. 2026. Tasked with designing a hybrid creature from two or more animals, this being between a ferret and a Luna moth. Required to then output said design through different methods- this being embroidery.

ART 118: Introduction to Digital Arts

Final Project: Book Page Design. Created in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. 6000x3750 px Canvas. 2025 Tasked with exploring the Illustrator and Photoshop programs with a focus on a specific feature. This project focusing on elements of text and design to create a rough book page draft.

AESTHETICS Project. Created in Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator. 1200x1200 px Canvas. 2025. Tasked with creating four different images from the Pen tool to create a series. This set is meant to be around abstract fish, and exploring on a mounted-frame element.

REMIX/MYTHIC Project. Created in Adobe Photoshop with Personal Photo(s). 940x1200 px Canvas. 2025. Tasked with further exploration of Photoshop basics and early exploration. This project is a refinement of the first installation of said project.

REMIX Project. Created in Adobe Photoshop with Personal Photo. 10800x7200 px Canvas. 2025. Tasked with exploring Photoshop tools and basic functions. Play with items such as layer masks, color, and layer effects.

ART 109: Introduction to 3D

Project 4: BRUSHES Set. Created from Carved Cherry Wood, Bristled Straw, and Colored Pencils. 2025. Tasked to create a set of brushes from learned wood-carving tools and exercises. This set focuses on a theme of insects- a worm, a small grub, and a beetle.

Project 1.1: GOOD FORM. Created from Folded Printing Paper and Scotch Tape. 8.5x11x5 Inches. 2025. Tasked with exploring how paper bends and moves. These projects both focus on how paper can create an everyday object (cup) and something unnatural.

Other Projects

Esports Designs

Rivals UWM Jersey Icon Mock-Up and Examples on Social Media Posts

UWM Esports' Instagram

Marvel Rivals UWM's Instagram

Both of these social media accounts are currently run and operated by Em Louk. I have created a majority of graphics and posts.

UWM Esports' Mascot, PiXel. Designed and Drawn by Em Louk, with initial concepts created as early as 2024.