Disney Character Designer answers your questions about Concept Art, Character Design for Animation, Digital Painting & Illustration.
Legendary Disney artist Armand Serrano told me: "They hire you for your art, but they keep you because of your ideas."
There are a million concept art portfolios out there...
...and very few compelling concepts.
A professional concept artist designs the future. They don't simply copy current trends.
They envision environments, props, characters, costumes, color palettes and compositions that audiences have never seen before.
A professional concept artist is collaborative and infinitely curious.
A professional concept artist has an inexhaustible visual library.
A professional concept artist is a master of the fundamentals and knows numerous efficient, focused techniques.
Here's a collection of my best interviews and articles to help you stay focused on what really matters to concept artists who are serious about breaking-in, staying-in or getting a better gig...
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…
[Read more…] about Interview With Armand Serrano (Part 1) :: ArtCast #90
Many artists are under the misconception that “the portfolio” is a fixed, finish-able thing…
This misconception can be particularly restrictive at conventions, job fairs and other recruiting events where you get frequent feedback from industry pros.
In this episode we share a strategy that will help you design a physical portfolio that can adapt to the feedback and unexpected opportunities you’ll encounter throughout the event…
In part one, Justin Rodrigues shared healthy ways to deal with rejection and how his character design style combines 2d and 3d sensibilities.
Now, in part two, he talks about how the internal and external aspects of a character inform his designs, why ‘personal style’ can be a problem and the most important question an aspiring character designer can ask…
Plus: Sarah Marino‘s mentee, Austin Light, shares an extraordinary breakthrough story that involves Robert Downey Jr. and a deal with Chronicle Books!
[Read more…] about Interview With Character Designer Justin Rodrigues (Part 2) :: ArtCast #87
Justin Rodrigues is a good friend and one of my favorite current artists.
In this episode, we discuss the most productive way to respond to rejection and how his character design style blends 2D sensibility with 3D structure.
After Justin’s interview, Spanish concept artist Juan Francisco Bautista Zambrana shares the story of a recent career breakthrough and what he learned while breaking into game design!
[Read more…] about Interview With Character Designer Justin Rodrigues (Part 1) :: ArtCast #86
In part one of this interview, we learned how Robert Simons’ career in concept art began before he even graduated from art school.
His designs for an indie sci-fi short called Project Arbiter demonstrated artistic maturity beyond that of the average nineteen-year-old artist and opened doors to the vfx industry.
Now, in part two, Robert and I discuss his experiences working on Hollywood blockbusters, breaking into the big-time, how his childhood inspired his concept art portfolio and a whole lot more!