Services

Queen of Hearts

Illustration

Drawing and painting are the butter and jam on my toast. There’s something cathartic about immersing yourself into a project that has a real, visible result. I attended UC Berkeley for Practice of Art, so I have a strong fine-art influence in my work. Proportion, color relationships, and composition are all very important in my illustrations.  Since I’ve been working in the animation industry for the past few years, my style has evolved to be more whimsical and gestural. In other words, more approachable than traditional “fine art.”

That being said, I’m always open to new projects, whether they be illustrations for a book or magazine, art for a cause, T-shirt design, you name it.  And because I have a background in animation, I can also draw flexible characters, props, and backgrounds that can used for a variety of purposes.  Have a project in mind?  Let’s talk.

 


Animation

My background in animation centers around two things: communicating complex ideas in a simple way, and making those ideas fun to watch. Animation is more than making objects move, it requires a sense of timing, anatomy (even if it’s distorted), and composition.

Animation is about creating the illusion of life. And you can’t create it if you don’t have one.

Some of my past animation projects include e-cards, online education, commercials, short films, and Flash UI.  Although my style is flexible so as to accommodate my clients, all of my work shows an attention to quality and smooth, realistic movements. I am available to work on freelance projects or as a part of a team.

Prop design by Mari Collins

Other Services

One of my greatest skills is being good with people. I’ve found that no matter how talented, brilliant, or beautiful you are,  you will not go far in life if you neglect to make people feel valued.  So I’m really good at team work. And making people laugh. And even working with jerks, if I have to.

I’m also really good at refining an almost good idea into a truly great one.  This comes from years of producing a whole lot of mediocre work, then finding that one diamond in the rough and polishing that bad boy ’till he shines like the sun. And that’s my approach to most projects – although every idea has its valor, sometimes the winner is covered in a little soot. I love to collaborate on creative projects because it brings so much more than my own ideas to the table. Finding the gem in other people’s ideas is terrifically satisfying, and can teach both of us to approach problems from a different perspective.