My Creative Journey
How I ended up launching Shannon Brouk Art
I've been drawing since I was a little rascal, and most of those early adolescent illustrations were funny, quirky comic strips. By the time I was 9 or 10, my mom's love of sophisticated fashion rubbed off on me and I started to draw the more elegant fashion spreads I saw in her Vogue and W magazines. I remember in middle school going to Hobby Lobby with my mom and buying my first set of Copic markers, thinking to myself, 'wow, I'm so cool, I've got really fancy art supplies!'
When high school rolled around, I had an art teacher who saw a lot of potential in me and encouraged me to apply to art schools. Before this point, I genuinely thought of art as just a fun hobby. However, I ended up going to SCAD (the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA) and received my Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Illustration in 2018.
Shortly after graduation, I began working remotely for Too Corporation Americas, otherwise known as the company that sells Copic markers, working as an in-house illustrator focusing on product education, social media strategy, and product marketing. This job was a true dream-come-true, especially for someone who started using Copic markers at age 13.
At the end of 2022, however, my life began to change as I had just started dating my now husband. I decided to leave Copic full-time in the spring of 2023 due to lifestyle changes. However, I still work for them as a contracted artist - writing their blogs, creating downloadable line art, and working as a demo-artist for events and trade-shows. By working for Copic on a contract-basis, this has allowed me to expand my horizons to work with other brands like Holbein, Luxury Brands of America, manage my Etsy shop, and create new work to put on this site!
Shannon Brouk Art
Q: If your name is Shannon Meis, then why is your business called Shannon Brouk Art?
A: At the end of July 2023, I got married!
My husband has been supportive of my artistic goals since our first date and has been instrumental in helping me officially launch my business and take my creative career to the next level. Before that, it was just Shannon Brouk making Art and occasionally posting it on social media and my former website.
Even though my legal last name has now changed, I have decided to keep my maiden name Brouk for my art business since this is the name that people recognize and associate with me. Plus - let's be honest - just how it takes a lot of time and paperwork in changing your legal last name, it takes a lot of time changing your brand name! And I'd rather spend that time making new art to share with y'all.