ANIMATED

“Happy Place”

I remember

growing up watching animated films, I found them entertaining, but I was more intrigued by the look and production of the animation. While other kids laughed at the jokes (me too, of course!), I wondered, "How in the heck are they making these things?"

Little did I know that seed would grow into a career in the animation industry, an industry that would drastically change over the next 20 years of my life.

Skipping the creative kid stories (that's for another day) and jumping to the end of high school, I found myself in the same boat as many others at that age, facing the question: "So, what are you going to do for your career?" For me, the broad answer was always something art-related, but choosing a specific kind of art was much harder. E-commerce wasn't yet booming, so the idea of being a self-established artist selling products online wasn't even a consideration. And while I loved indulging in contemporary art at local museums, that world felt like a mix of emotions. It would be cool to have my work on those walls, but it also felt like a dying way to present ideas and talent. Animation, on the other hand, felt more relevant, more "now," so I dove right in.

University presented a new and exciting world of using creativity to create worlds alive with motion. Also, 2D animation—the style of films I grew up with—was no longer the main method. 3D animation was now the way, thanks to films like Toy Story and those that followed, ushering in a new style. While I didn't realize it then, this way of making films, while using creative and artistic skills, was very technical. The tools and methods felt less like art and more like creating a technical CAD drawing for an architecture firm. I gravitated more towards the pre-production of the film, rather than animating for hours at a desk. It was more exciting to put together a huge design packet where I could draw, plan, and ideate.

Eventually, I found myself working in advertising. Here, 2D design and animation were at the forefront, and I could live out my desires to design and bring them to life without it feeling overly complicated. I worked with a wide range of clients with different needs, which allowed me to explore many styles. This is where I really honed my graphic design senses. While I was always a good artist with a strong eye, graphic design has its own additional set of rules revolving around efficiency, speed, and clarity. You want things to read fast and be as clear as possible when viewed. Interestingly, this is also where I found that all the skills I gained from university still applied. All the Principles of Animation, guidelines to give you the best chance of making the most appealing animation possible, could now be combined with my understanding of graphic design to make clear, simple, and unique animations.

“Buddies”

You can see all of these principles in my work. There is a very graphic approach to the look of the figures, while still being appealing in their poses, where you almost feel the motion.

It wasn’t until I connected the dots between drawing activities I loved and whatever I was feeling in the moment that the figures truly came alive. It suddenly all made sense. They felt so natural, and ideas have continued to flow. My hope is that whatever I may be experiencing in the figures, others can too—or be able to craft their own feelings from them, allowing them to feel seen, while also enjoying a shared love for something. Isn’t that what it’s mostly about at the end of the day?