Armand Serrano‘s inventive compositions, visceral line work and story-rich environment designs have made him a living legend in the animation industry.
Join us today as we discuss the start of his long road to success in the animation industry which led to the creation of his trend-setting work on Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, Surf’s Up and Big Hero 6…
Listen To Part 1 Of My Interview With Armand Serrano:
Are You Trying To Escape From “Art Jail”?
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Start a free 30-day trial today and you’ll also get access to our monthly live portfolio review presentations, extended interviews from some of our favorite podcast guests and way, way more.
More From Armand:
Learn More:
Top 10 Essential Concept Art Books (Part 1)
Hidden Strengths?
Even though he transitioned into animation, Armand’s background in engineering has aided him in his career as a layout and environment artist…
What seemingly unrelated aspects of your life have influenced your art in unexpected ways?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
I can relate to Armand.
My family didn’t have money for college so that was never an issue anyway.
Though i think my parents would have supported it, i didn’t really know what i wanted to do with myself as a young man the “artist” side of me was never really cultivated so i never really thought about it.
But i i liked drawing. i never really thought i was good at it.. (And i still don’t…. but now i “KNOW” i’m not really good at it LOL 🙂
Anyway… my parents saw what i did not. My mom said i was always really good at drawing as a kid so……
I should be a draftsmen. and that’s what i went to school for.
Just in case there’s any parents out there with the same train of thought… drafting is not art. it seems like it, but it is not. It is purely technical drawing.
but it has teached me three useful traits.
1: I see perspective all most automatically. years of 3d drawing will do that to you.
2: i have no emotional attachment to work or to it seams, my art lol
it doesn’t bother me if someone changes design or details of my work i don’t care i’ll throw it all out if you want me to .. it’s your work not mine.
It’s a blessing and a curse. sometimes i “Should” be more vested in a job but… i’m just not.
3: I can switch and learn software extremely fast.
Iv had to switch ware for work so many times it no longer intimidates me. i can learn any piece of software… its just a tool to me. A hammer is just a hammer.
i try to leverage these things to my advantage as i am seting more and more serious about Art and i have found these and other nuances useful but i think i would have preferred art school… it would have saved/save me a lot of time and frustration LOL 🙂
Wow, Stephen!
Those are HUGE advantages for an artist.
…and it’s impressive that you’ve been able to apply this all to your art.
Art school has it’s advantages and it’s disadvantages. I can say that I’m delighted you’ve found OA!!!
Haha don’t be so sure that going to art school would have been better! You’ve learned an actual skill. I went to school for fine art and still had to teach myself everything! It was partially my fault.
I thought that if I did a general fine arts degree, I could gain some skills to apply to illustration, comics, etc. Nope. But I did learn how to create a concept-based project from a prompt! Not good projects, but projects nonetheless 😛
Great interview!
I really liked 2 things he mentioned
1) You can never be that exact artist because you’re a different person, but you can kind of take a few bits here and there. It’s such a cool way to think about it, and very forgiving to yourself.
2) Only show you’re work to a few people. It’s so true. The quality of critique I get from my circle of trust here is lightyears away from the crits I get on FB.
As far as the discussion topic, slowing down is mine as well. Had I never gotten really hurt, I never, not in a million years, would have slowed down enough to even think of joining OA. But, when your hurt and can’t do much of anything, you have lots of time to think about what your really want, because it forces you to.
I’m only in OA because I got so hurt I couldn’t draw or run for two years, and needed to re-think my life. If that never happened to me, I would be in a totally different place right now. It’s a bit amazing; it might be the worst, and best, injury I’ve ever sustained. I’m very glad to be here, now. Life is kind of weird at times. 🙂
heya Sarah!
You bring up great points.
I’m really sorry of how you got in OA but I’m really glad you did!! Slowing down is so helpful and underrated.
And yeah, I myself joined OA after a long time where I stopped art entirely. Isn’t life crazy sometimes?
*HUGS* 😀
i believe that too I still remember how my brother has specific writing style when he writes his stories, and there are times when i envied him but when i talked to my brother about my stories he said the same thing to me “I wish i could think like you.”
I realized, wanting to become my brother was not the answer, we are two different people with two different mind and soul, so, yes I think my brother is far better at creative things than me, i still envy my brother but i never let it affect my way of doing any creative things cause being me bring the best in me.
An yes, when i came across OA i was hurt too. not being able to find a single person who understood how much i loved drawing was really painful for me. Of course i still feel alone out there but it’s things are better now than before.
One of our mantras is “Artists are not meant to work alone.”
…even if one is an introvert or a shy person – that doesn’t mean they have to be feel alone or abandoned in their work.
Artists and storytellers are far too important to languish in loneliness.
Biochemistry.
I hadn’t really thought about it, but my venture into biochemistry has made my writing/art stronger. Genetics is like history. The DNA that creates you is a product of the history of those that came before you. I can treat my characters the same way. They need to be a product of something that came before. And I get to create that! SO FUN! Infuse that history with a theme, or dare I say, armature, and my stories have much more depth.
This podcast was amazing. I’m going to listen to it again. <3 Thanks OA family!
That is such a cool way to think about character development.
Thanks Sarah! Yeah! It’s very neat and it’s very universal. ^_^ I’m loving seeing your progress on your project btw. I haven’t had a chance to comment on it lately, but I really love seeing what you’re doing!
Aww thanks! I’m having a wonderful time with it. There’s so much to learn, so many new challenges, and lots of great people to help along the way.
Oh wow, that’s an awesome story Britny! And love the way you brought it up.
Well, they do say the best lies are based on truths, so I guess that same rule applies to character development, right?
Also. I love you. 😀
I love you too Ania. 😀 And all the kittens and unicorns and the love spreading and the cookies. Especially the cookies. <3
Ohhhh the cookies. Kitten shaped cookies…
YES! My good friend and roommate in college was an Environmental Sciences major and I would always quiz her and listen as she read through notes. I learned so much!
Also, all of my geography courses really pay off when world building. I’m not sure how I could do it without that knowledge!
That is amazing Abrian!
Funny how those little coincidences (like your roommate being an Environmental Science major) shape so much of who we are as an artist.
I think it was Bobby Chiu in who said the best advice he could give to artists was to seek knowledge in the sciences. Especially if you cannot afford to an expensive art school, he recommended enrolling in a community college and get into anthropology, archeology, biology classes, whatever stroke their intellectual fancy.
I just thought of something. Theres lots of talk about collaboration. Collabs are good, but they aren’t really my style (at this time) – for lots of reasons.
However, I just wanted to say that OA is amazing for the “lone wolves” too, because partial collabs can also be a thing. I don’t want to work with a partner for the whole project, but, I’m working with AnnaMarie on the writing part. She’s being my editor. It’s a huge thing for me!
I just got a wonderful crit from a graphic designer on my thread. It was like, “Bam! lets talk about typography”, and I really needed that!
Being able to interact with people from all walks of life and various disciplines is huge for the “solo” person making a project too, because, really, you can’t truly be solo on a project, that’s no good.
So yeah, OA community is good for everyone 🙂
Oh wow that’s a really cool point.
Yeah, even within my personal project, the Tales of Three collab, we have been getting help from other folks. And the help they provided has been immensely helpful .
Thank you for bringing this up Sarah! Super insightfil.
Also, Sarah, you’re one of the most collaborative people I know. Just because you might be in a season where much of your work is solo, doesn’t mean you’re a lone wolf. There’s a big difference.
*lone wolf howl* But I agree with Chris. You’re very collaborative. Even though I’m not a fan of being in collaborations, I absolutely benefit from being involved in a community. Even just to bounce around marketing ideas 🙂
I never thought of it that way before, but you guys are right.
I definitely love to make art near other people who also love to make art. 🙂
Great podcast as always! Sounds like a crazy journey, you have done an excellent job of taking advantage of your opportunities. Plus, your work is incredible!
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and advice,
Best,
Tim
We LOVE Armand. Thank you, Timothy, for the encouraging words!!!
Maybe you are more comfortable working in tone?
To this day, I still often find line restrictive. …beautiful when Claire Keane or Wylie Beckert or Justin Rodrigues or Brett Bean or Eric Canete use it but clunky when I do. I feel like tone is a much better fit for me personally.
Great interview guys! Such great topics raised and awesome advice too 🙂
I can think of two unrelated things: crocheting and theater.
Theater has always been part of my life and well, it has influenced everything in my life. The storytelling needs, the acting, the empathy, the emotional connection, the staging, it just comes natural to me and it is something I think about when trying to translate it to the page.
I recently took to crocheting and it has taught me a lot about art. Every stitch counts, showing up every day and getting down the yarn mileage. How the foundation is super important to build up a good piece (I usually re-do my first chains several times until they are even, perfect and the right amount). How your first pieces will be awful because you are learning but that this is normal… To treat myself kindly when learning a new skill. To not fear a new stitch and just go for it even if it will take several attempts… I really recommend it!
Maria! You’re a fellow crocheter? Woo!
That is such a fascinating combination 😀
It’s very interesting to see the ways in which these activities can provide insight in other areas.
I’m especially touched by the idea of learning to be kinder to ourselves when learning; it’s very easy to fall into a cycle of self-beratement…
Thanks so much for sharing that!
Woohoo! Another fellow crocheter 😀 Yeah, I just picked it up but it’s quickly becoming a great way to help me defuse and change my perspective.
Being kind to ourselves is so important. Why do we expect us to be awesome in the first try at anything just confounds me. And yet every single time we do. Stephen McCranie, an artist I adore, wrote this great post http://doodlealley.com/2012/10/10/be-friends-with-failure/ I come back to it often! I need to practice it more often 🙂
I spent a year in high school in a vocational-technical drafting program before the program was shut down. So I agree mechanical drawing is not art but it definitely breaks any fear of perspective and helps you, or at last helped me, see things spatially. Later I discovered i’m more a visual/spatial learner to.
My varied learned skills, experiences and travels in the military has not only helped my imagination of things for future stories and accompanying art, but it also helped fuel my passion for learning new things and discovering how to use them in different ways.
I think everything has lead to my off the wall and outside the box thinking, not just in my creativity pursuits but in problem solving and life in general.
Never forget that something you learn, even if you don’t see an immediate use for, may help you later down the road, but it’s part of what makes you.. you.
Words of wisdom from the AWESOME Rich 😀
I can’t count the many times these has been a truth for my life. Things that seems totally unrelated to the path you are pursuing, becoming super handy unexpectedly.
You must have seen so many things, just so many, during your time in the military. So many things informing your sensibility as an artist. The craft can be learned with practice, but there is a never ending road of things to live and feel.
Keep spreading wisdom Rich!!!
Yeah – focus and fortitude are generally under-taught in the arts. …and yet they’re very helpful for artists.
Also – technical drafting gives you a sense of dimension and structure that can not only apply to props and environments but also to organic forms like the human figure.
So true Rich!
It took me a while to accept that, actually. I was going through a phase where I felt like EVERYTHING had to have something to do with art. But what I ended up with was lack of input and inspiration.
Nowadays I try to remind myself how wonderful it is to discover, years later, how something very mundane (and not related to art) has settled into your work. It helps me to loosen the blinders a bit 😉
Personally, I’ve found myself doing customer service for the past few years, since I graduated college. Not by choice – because I’m an extreme introvert, dealing with people all day is mentally and physically exhausting. However, improving my people skills has helped me be a little more confident about myself and how I present myself and my work. Which is pretty helpful since I do sell my art at a few pop culture conventions each year, and I’m always trying to put myself out there more – whether it’s bonding with new or repeat customers or connecting with neighboring table artists. Not to mention interacting with people online, which isn’t always easier than talking to people offline.
I always thought I wanted to work for a big animation studio! Now my day job is doing customer service and rudimentary design work for a large corporation and I have to say, I’m no longer about the corporate studio life at all, haha! I’m extremely thankful that I am able to learn more about graphic design/typography but I am starting to think being just another cog in the machine is no longer what I want to do with my life.
Anyway, I loved listening to Armand’s journey. What an inspiration! And I’m definitely going to follow his advice about trying to limit your inspirations. I have a giant folder of art that I’ve saved for “inspiration” over the years, but it’s kind of overwhelming to look at now because it’s so big and all the artists are so different from each other. It’s probably a good idea for me to start picking and choosing whose styles I really want to emulate…
Hey Casey!
I can relate a lot to what you are saying. Curiously, I’m the customer support girl in the OA (although we prefer to call it Support Ninja! lol)
I never pictured myself on these because I’ve always been shy and of course I am an introvert. Approaching to people is hard for me; I fear being awkward and to lure away people because of that.
I’ve personally have found that this happens a lot during merely social interactions, but when the is some sort of job to do it is way easier for me. Having a goal gives me the safety of moving around confidently, instead of just forcing interaction unnaturally. So far in my life, most of my closets and more valuable friends are those with whom I have worked in some way.
Anyway, typography is awesome 😉 haha I’ll follow you in your course of action and clean up my inspiration folders.
Hi! That’s really cool! I wish I could put Ninja on my resume, lol.
Haha I’m in the exact same boat! Actually I’m typing this At my customer service day job…
I thought I wanted to work in a big studio too, but I found out that I really just want to make a living from making my own stuff! Of course, I would love to work at a studio, but it’s not my end goal anymore.
My day job, if nothing else, has forced me to be very disciplined with my time management and project marketing so I can gain enough leverage to leave! 😛
I am fortunate that my job lets us listen to music/podcasts, too! ;D
That is so true about time management! Because I work 30-40 hours a week, plus commute time, I’m not left with large blocks of free time for doing whatever I want. I’ve learned that I can’t spend hours just sitting around thinking about doing art (or watching TV/video games/etc all the time) because then I end up with no time to actually DO art and then I just get sad.
Stay strong CJ!
“One must always draw, draw with the eyes, when one cannot draw with a pencil.”
-Balthus
You both talk with so much wisdom. Time management is something I have only reaaally learned working. At the times things get more intense, you can either die or organize yourself! lol
I love how you put it CJ: do the art instead of just thinking about doing the art.
I’d love to hear what you two do to keep organized, what habits do you follow?
Oh yes, I am still trying to break the habit of talking about art but not doing it. Sometimes at work I’ll listen to a podcast or see artists I follow on social media posting things, and I’ll just get so inspired that I have to share my feelings!…but I can’t do anything about them because I’m at work lol. It’s tricky to keep that energy flowing for when I get home so I’m still motivated to create.
I am definitely not a master of time management, but I will share my method and if it helps, awesome!!
ADHD runs in my family, so I’m very easily distracted. So when I’m working on art I have to give myself tasks to do in chunks. My usual workflow is this: do some pose thumbnails and pick the best one, then go grab a drink/snack. Come back, draw up a sketch. Go to the bathroom and/or get another drink. Come back, start inking/painting (sometimes I do lineart, but sometimes I skip it). If I’m feeling good here I might continue on to refining and touchups. Otherwise I might take another small break to go outside, get the mail, let the dog go potty, etc etc. And then the piece is done!
Aside from that, I find it necessary to make to-do lists, on paper instead of digitally because it helps me remember better. Usually stuff like “email so-and-so in morning” or “submit __ by ___”. Crossing things off makes you feel really productive!
Wow Neru!
Working hard is indeed a matter of questioning what is more efficient in every single way. Developing good habits to take care of our bodies is vital, yet so easy to ignore.
I totally understand you, I can’t really draw well by memory. I’ve actually met few artists that do. I always need reference. If I can’t find an image I’ll take photos of myself. But I really believe that observing is the best way to go. If we can draw something by memory, most likely we will land on a formula and just re do it. But with research we are going to discover new things, and instead of limiting ourself to the abstraction we have on our head, we have a full range of new information to play around with 😀
You are awesome!!! Have a space kitten hug 😀
I love Miyazaki AND food illustration! Keep a consistent output on social media and you’ll have made a fan out of me!
And my watercolor course is coming soon to a computer near you 😛
But seriously, I switched from colored pencil to watercolor after saying I’d never use watercolor because it was too messy. Silly me. The pattern of my career is that whatever I swear off doing, I’ll end up using professionally…
Hey Chris, great episode, and I loved the question, so I had to answer!
When I was a younger, my life was ballet and music. I went to ballet class 5 days a week as a teenager.
First of all, ballet taught me discipline and hard work even when I was ignored. This has helped me be more resilient when I am rejected in the publishing world.
Second, I think both ballet and music informs the way I draw. In ballet, we had to form the correct lines with our bodies, and the graceful flow of lines in I learned in ballet influence the way I draw lines on paper. Music and ballet are all about rhythm and patterns, and this influences my compositions and how I lay out a visual story. Ballet is all about pantomime, and telling a story without using any words. So is illustration. Even though I chose not to go into ballet or music, these are things that will always stick with me and help me be a better artist.
*micdrop*
That is an incredible story Shawna! I can totally see the ballerina in your work now.
During a critique session in live drawing class our teacher pointed out how he could tell who had a “backstory” in sports. Not that those students could draw the figure more accurately, but they seemed to be more grounded and balanced. The overall sense for posture, weight and muscle movement was better.
Wow, that’s so cool that the teacher could tell who had been in sports. Very cool. I’m going to start trying to see if I can see that in people’s work.
Totally! That explains all the tippy-toes!!! So fun!!!
That’s really cool! I love that about ballet, that it’s telling a story without words. Now I want to go watch one…
Haha, me too!
This episode has become so dear to me! Armand’s awesomeness is off the charts.
In my case, the not-so-art-related thing that informed who I am now, was Magic.
As a child I would watch movies’ Making Of repeatedly, but being the daughter of a magician I was never disappointed to know nothing was real. Quite the opposite. I the production teams as magicians, like my father. They were working together bringing to life imagination and ‘the impossible’.
My grandfather was a magician & my father is a magician. I can’t play with coins or cards like they do, but I follow their magic legacy through storytelling 🙂
Magic takes many forms, to me personally a magician is someone that makes the impossible seem real, regardless of format. You’re cards and coins are just slightly different.
I really love the way you put it Rich 😀
Storytellers are definitely magicians.
That is such a beautiful way to look at things, Érika!
I also love to find out how exactly the things I love are made; I think it’s magical that people are able to create experiences that actually make people feel!
OMG Edge! Make people feel. That’s the real magic!!!
That’s really cool! I love seeing how varied each of our own histories are. And
I think as others have said, being able to tell a story (with or without words, like a novel versus a ballet) that makes people feel something is its own kind of magic! 😀
Also, Ania- Send a kitten to my house- stat!!
Kittens for the win!!
Kittens on their waaay!!
Awwww! I got a shout out! I didn’t catch that the first time (I was driving, so I missed a little bit). Thank you guys! ^_^ <3
Love you Britny! <3
One thing I’ve been coming to terms with over the last few months is my English literature degree and how it might unexpectedly help me in my artistic growth. During OALive especially I saw how studying literature for years has enabled me to analyze the “heart” of stories, I guess you could say–which we’ve heard so often now is what can set a story or piece of art above the rest. My mind always thinks of that core first before anything else when it comes to storytelling.
Another random thing that popped into my head was how growing up I was surrounded /constantly/ by highly symbolic compositional religious artwork, and lately I’ve been seeing that come out in how I draw my own finished illustrations. It’s crazy when you start to look at things in your life that you never thought would influence you.
Anyhow, another fantastic artcast! Armand is so quietly eloquent and humble, but it’s easy to see just how hard he was nonstop working to get where he is now (and how he’s still passionate about always, always learning!). Can’t wait for part two!
Armand is an inspiration. And so are you, Annamarie!
Such a great interview. I’m still digesting it.
I’m so jealous of Armand’s confidence in himself. Generally, I don’t think artists are scared of hard work, but a lot of us are scared of hard work not paying off. I don’t sense that Armand worries about that too much. He just sees something he wants and decides to achieve it.
Don’t ask me why, but for the longest time, I saw art and writing as being mostly unrelated. Growing up, I always wanted to write books and do art, but the only overlap I saw in the two was in the children’s picture book market, and I preferred telling stories in a longer format. I always saw myself as both a writer and an illustrator, but figured I’d practice them as completely separate hobbies.
Then in college, even though I was an art major, I got hired at the university’s writing center and spent all my after school hours helping students hone their writing. That job really helped develop my skills as a tight storyteller and editor. Following graduation, I wrote a piece of middle grade fiction that got the attention of a number of literary agents. I was happy with the story I wrote, but always felt it was missing something. I would draw pictures of the characters in my sketchbook, and found myself wishing there was such a thing as an illustrated, long-form story format.
Well, there is. And it’s called comics. Since I “discovered” comics a couple years ago, I finally found the perfect place for my hobbies to live in harmony. I love how, in comics especially, writing informs art, and art informs writing. It so seems obvious now, but I can’t believe I saw the two as unrelated for so many years! *face palm*
Great to hear about this important discovery, Erin. Sounds like you might have found your calling – which is more than a lot of people can say. That’s huge.
RE: Creating with confidence – Have you listened to the “Blank Page” series Adam and Maike did for The Storytellers’ Summit? http://oatleyacademy.com/blankpage1/
It’s fantastic. Part 2 should be up this week or early next week.
I have! And it was fantastic! “I don’t care” is sort of my new mantra now. In fact, I almost scrapped a comic page just yesterday because it wasn’t “perfect,” and I heard Maike’s and Adam’s voices in my ear. Adam and Maike: Saving Artist from Themselves Since 2016
Hey Erin!
Don’t you fear. Hard work always pays off. Most times it won’t pay off exactly how we pictured it or in a short term. I’m sure Armand speaks with all his confidence because he is now able to look at the past and connect the dots!
Seed good stuff today to harvest great stuff later 🙂
It’s great that you found your media! It’s certainly no easy path to find and understand what makes sense to us! The calling is a big deal.
Thanks, Erika! That’s so true. I feel like hard work always opens doors, even if they’re not the doors you expect.
I am so refreshed and encouraged by all the people I have listened to on your podcasts. Armand like the others you interview seem so down to earth, honest and just awesome giving people. I worked for many years as a Graphic Artist. Most places I worked were negative environments. Art Directors were snooty and critical and not in a good way. Advertising, layout and design was not where I wanted to be. While raising a family, I pursued my hobby and now coach ice figure skating. I have often wondered how coaching worked into me wanting to be an Illustrator.
I have been writing and painting and finished a few self-published books. However, my art has not been where I want it to be although now its getting closer with you guys helping me. I know I was meant to tell stories that give good food for thought. (Like Armand was talking about filling yourself with good things.)
I can relate to Shawna how that dance carries over to her art. When I am choreographing I am telling a story with the help of my students. If I were not connected with people, I would not know the world and its trials. Each beautiful student young and young at heart has a story to tell all their own. I study their expressions a lot. I have to figure out how a particular skater with a certain frame can perform specific elements. I have learned how the body moves and reacts to floating in the air, spinning and falling.
I have boxes of sketches for a few books and some still in my head. Coaching perhaps is a stepping stone or something that keeps me in the real world. Thanks to your podcast, I am looking forward to working with great people because I now know they exist.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Melissa!
Yeah, I’m just constantly amazed at how many wonderful people there are in this industry. I don’t understand why so many work environments have to suck so bad. Life is so short and we all spend sOOOOO much time at work… It just makes no sense.
I’ll be interested to hear about the conclusions you draw from trying to understand this coaching/ art relationship. I think there’s probably a lot to discover…
Keep in touch.
mind if i ask you guys do all of you guys have a blog of some sort to put your art work well all i have is a facebook page were i put it up for friends to see me practice.
Should i create a blog of some sort but i don’t have anybody who could actually critique my work so i never really bothered with them 🙁
looking at some of the blog here should i make one or not?
I think Facebook is a good start, but maybe if you want to reach a wider audience a blog would be helpful too. I guess it depends on your goals.
Hi, Nikita. Check out our recent series on “Escape From Art Jail” about creating social media and blog content:
http://OatleyAcademy.com/eaj6/
http://OatleyAcademy.com/eaj7/
http://OatleyAcademy.com/eaj8/
This was a great listen! Armand’s such a good example of someone whose thirst for learning and willingness to work hard really paid off.
For me, I’ve done a ton of non-art related things that I’m starting to see have shaped me as an artist and storyteller. In fact I’ve spent so much time doing other stuff that in pushing 40 (yikes!) and still feel like I’ve barely gotten started as a cartoonist. But I don’t think it’s been a waste.
I’ve come to see that I’ve been “collecting experiences” that have really given me a perspective I never had growing up in suburban Canada… The biggest, of course, is that I’ve been living in Japan for the past 8 years. All these experiences make me feel like I actually have something to say to the world, whereas when I was thinking of making comics back in high school and college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to say.
Oh totally. Have you seen Adam Westbrook’s series about this idea?
http://delve.tv/the-long-game-part-one/
http://delve.tv/the-long-game-part-2/
http://delve.tv/the-long-game-part-3/
Not yet, but I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!
I can identify with the story of Armand as an artist. Like him I am also a Filipino and I also discovered that I can draw when I was around 8 when I won 1st place in my school’s art competition. I continued drawing until I was 10 when my classmates would ask me to draw Voltes V, one of the popular cartoon characters during those times.
Unfortunately, I pursued engineering in college because I was also told by my parents that there is no money in being an artist. My love for drawing was again ignited when I was hired as an art workshop instructor in one of the private schools in Dagupan City, Philippines where I also became a professional teacher.
Now a teacher and a college instructor in Humanities, I have been given the opportunity to share with my students the beautiful and interesting world of art. Although, I still dream of making my own comic book and maybe an animated cartoon someday. I also dream that I would be inspiring my students to pursue their dreams as an artist. This is also the reason why I created a fan page in facebook entitled bestsellers.
Thanks for sharing, Audelio.
Teaching has made me grow more as an artist than anything else. There’s just nothing else that I do with my time that feels as significant.
…and engineering will, no doubt, continue to inform your artistic growth. …just like it has for Armand.
Stay strong.
Audelio, this is so inspiring.
So many people find it so easy to push back young people dreaming of art. It is a great mission you are pursuing and I’m sure you will be the difference to inspire this students taking the leap to their dreams.
Start small, but start soon. Don’t keep delaying your comic! Maybe just one or two pages for a short one. Take what you know and can do and take the leap! Art and stories are so noble, there are VERY few actual impossibilities that might come to our way.
Take the leap to your dream! You’ll have all the support from this community 🙂
I guess Chris after thinking about it, coaching may help me in creating fantasy characters with supernatural powers. I really should use the videos and pictures I have taken of skaters jumping and spinning to sketch from.
There is an app I use called Coach’s Eye. It allows you to analyze an athlete’s body positions by enabling you to see and draw conclusions based on individual video frames. This could be and inexpensive tool for Animators and illustrators.
Because, there are only so many hours in a day, I need to spend more time being an Artist but I suppose a little coaching can help me along the way.
Whoah. That’s super-awesome…
And yeah, trying to adjust the balance of art and other commitments is an ongoing struggle…
Like literally a day ago I was thinking about how I missed the artcast and then this happened!! Such a good show. I’ll be listening to this episode again and again over the next couple of days!
Olof I’m totally with you! You can’t stop listening to this podcast. You’ve got to make sure the wisdom sticks!
Oh man, you’ll truly love the second part. It’s just so inteeeense 😀
Awww Neru! Don’t hold back the tears! We can all cry together hugging kittens and eating the cookies.
😀 Don’t ever leave us.
The most drastically unrelated thing that has influence my art has to be video games. World of Warcraft of all things showed me how playing the long game (pun intended) can pay off. The trick to getting the good loot was to take smaller well planned out steps to achieve your goal. Like running x quest a bunch of times to make the armor I needed to fight the boss to get the cool loot I wanted. The trick to getting it done fast was to do a little research. Once I knew which quests to do and the right monsters to kill. It was just took an hour a day farming when I was waiting for something else to happen in the game. Long story short it showed me how working smart over a long period of time can really pay off.
I’ve used the exact same steps to improve as an artist. When I run into a road block or see something I want to learn I start with research. I find the right exercises, the right tutorials and teachers so I get started on the most efficient track. After that its just a matter of time, practice and patience to get to where I want to be.
OooOh tat’s a really awesome analogy!
I was just talking about that yesterday with some friends actually… How life is just like an MMO. Farming outside of your village (comfort zone) brings you new items that will help you on your journey.
Thank you Nick! That’s a really awesome way to look at things 🙂
Great interview guys,and loving the comments section!! I also was in engineering and can relate with Armand about how hard the math gets, so I actually ended up with a Biology degree. This gave me two things: in engineering I had to use Autocad, which led to my first 3D job — in the early 90’s Autocad looked almost exactly like Autodesk’s 3DStudio, so I told a little white lie about “knowing” the software. And biology gave me a love for animal anatomy and behaviour, which I get to use in Sarah/Rachel’s Animal MAshup Thread:
http://oatleyacademy.com/forums/topic/animal-mashups-thread-drawing-stuff-just-for-fun/
BTW Ania, no way I’m going to settle for just a cookie…
http://chrisfram.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/anias_bucket_o_kittens.jpg
i love you… hahahaah! SO AWESOMEEEEEE!
Such a great episode! I’m still a student so I don’t think I have enough perspective on how my art was influenced but I think I gained a lot from non art-related subjects. I did my A-level in Sciences and then did a 2 year degree in Web, Communications and Multimedia (which had a lot of technique and communications and a bit of art). And I think studying subjects like Maths or programming gave me that logical and synthetic thinking and it made me very organised as well (In programming you can’t just decide to start coding and see where it takes you). It’s partly because of these skills that I tend to be the project manager in group projects.
I also loved the little talk after the interview and totally agree with Chris, I tend to think I have more time than I actually have. And I am so unfocused! I guess one of the other skills I learned from my studies would be versatility (After my 2 year degree, I did a third year in Computer Animation and now am doing my Master’s degree in Illustration) but I have such a hard time being good at one thing I just get so excited by everything so easily. I really am trying to be focused and finish what I started but I have two new projects I want to do every week, it’s so hard! And every time I see a new technique I’m like: I want to do that!
But for this year I’ll really try to find “my thing” and focus on it! Thank you everybody from the Oatley Academy to be such an inspiration and give such great advice!
I agree very much with Armand that everything has a purpose. I believe that things come together thanks to God drawing us to certain people or organizations that like in Armand’s case, help him to grow his artistic skills. I love how Armand put it that “if it’s something that I would want to put up on my wall that it means that there is something in there that I cannot do. But I want to apply that to my artwork.” This resonated with me so much because now that I think about it the art I put up on my own wall has these qualities as well and I was unconsciously responding to that.
It was also good advice he gave to try to filter what art I choose to draws inspiration and learning from since it’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the huge amount of awesome art online!
I also agree with him saying “be very careful what you take in. Because what comes in will come out.” Oh man, that was so great to hear a professional artist like Armand say this as it’s a message that is essential for artists and everyone else to hear and never gets old.
When he said to look for artists who you looks up to and respect and whose style is similar to yours and ask for their opinions and just stick with those. It was important for me to hear as I used to think I should ask many like he did until what he said about just asking a few sunk in and really made sense to me. Great job with this first interview Chris and everyone! It was interesting to hear your thoughts on art and life before and after it. Armand’s positive attitude and sense of humor made this really fun for me to listen to and I’m looking forward to part 2! 🙂
Wow!!! another nice episode!!! I hear it twice!!! Great comments about your experiences and great interview to Armand Serrano, I enjoyed a lot!!! I can’t wait for the second part!!! 😀
Yeah, this was extremely inspiring to me as well. Aw man Armand knows how to talk!
To be quite honest, my art directly not sure but staying away from the whole “starving artist” thing came from something not even related to art. My family showed me that you always needed a job because that’s life. You have to eat.
So when I heard what a starving artist is (quit your job and start just making artwork everyday) I immediately thought it was a terrible idea. For me anyway. And its good to know that many professionals have said that the problem with that is after a week or so your mind will be filled with your worries on how to pay your bills and put food on the table.
So at the moment I can’t think of something that affected my art directly but there is something that affected how I keep the dream alive.
Great interview Chris, I love the way you let the interviewee go in depth with their answers to the questions and embellishing with stories and anecdotes. Thanks for giving them them room to shine!! Great insights from everyone, I am excited for 2016 for sure : D
One great thing that Armand said that stuck with me, was in regards to “eating the knowledge” of greater artists; I like how he talked about making the logical connection. It’s a great way to think about learning and studying from the masters… “they are doing ______because ________.” really powerful way to learn! I also need to apply his tips about consolidating influences, just thinking about that is inspirational and clarifying!
In my current dayjob; graphic design for advertising, I have learned so much about doing creative work within a pipeline, and separating production art I create on the job from art I would create for myself.
I no longer get emotionally attached to the point where my vision is clouded when doing in-house projects. I have learned so much about making things that work toward the goals of production, taking feedback and applying it to zero in on the target goals. At times there are forces outside of my control with questionable taste, but learning to do the best I can within these constraints is satisfying. This has been a critical for me to learn, especially in the context of my dream to work in a studio one day. Working on tight deadlines with many people with different goals is challenging and at times, upsetting. I am thankful I’ve been forced to get realistic about the difference between expressive art and functional design.
cheers! excited for part 2!!!
Arman is just like me, i feel confused and don’t know where i should go! how to be an Comic Artist, how to make money from it. it’s feel like i’m in the dark way.
i’m studied Architecture, i have an architecture design job as my daily job. but what i want is drawing my story, my comics, and painting more! i feels like i found the way step by step.
This interview is so AMAZING!
i think i have to join the magic box! *exited!!
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