Richard has always been drawing and doing something creative since he was small. In high school he usually was drawing in his text books instead of reading them. It came as a shock to him as a senior when his art teacher entered one of his paintings in a contest and he won a scholarship. Until this time he had never considered that he could make a living at what he got in trouble for doing in class. Hilyer attended Savannah College of Art and Design and graduated with a BFA in advertising illustration. Richard was introduced to screen printing in college, not as a school subject but a part-time job. This was his first exposure into the printed apparel business and he liked it.   After college he came back to the Greenville area, where he had family and had attended high school. With aspirations of taking the advertising world by storm, he blanketed the local advertising community with resumés and samples only to get the old "you need agency experience" (SCAD did not arrange internships at that time). Falling back on what he knew he could use his talents in, he went back to screen printing.   Through the years Richard has worked for several companies gaining much experience in the graphics field including color separation, embroidery digitizing, vinyl signage, and large format output and color control. Richard says "I still continue to learn something new every week and enjoy taking seminars because things are always changing."  He is also known for his design skills, having created art for notable companies such as Wilson Sporting Goods, Gulfstream, and Perception Kayaks. Now at the tuna, after escaping fatuity, Richard is thoroughly enjoying the creative surroundings and the fun atmosphere that is the Purple Tuna!