Chingyi Liu

Name: Chingyi Liu

Location: Orange County , Soon to be in Japan :)

Job Position: Marketing executive

Current Employer: TVB

What are some things you have worked on: Flyers, Posters, Magazines, Character Design, Logo design and Set design.

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use: First start off with thumbnails sketch and overall composition, then either use pen/markers, or photoshop/illustrator to finalize my art.

What inspired you to become an artist: Drawing was the only thing I was good at when I was little.
What is your most favorite subject to draw/why: Girls, because I like the body shape and the fashion.
Any tips you can give: Keep drawing!
Favorite Artists: I have too many, the list keeps getting longer each day.
Favorite Animated Movie: Whisper of the Heart
Hobbies: Sew, make creative little things, read Japanese magazines, look at other artists website, sleep, music and stalk cute boys/girls.

Camila's self portrait

Name: Camila Davila Lohr

Location: Los Angeles

Job Position: Texture Painter

Current Employer: Sony Imageworks

What are some things you have worked on: Red Faction guerrilla, Alice and wonderland, and a pilot for boldly going nowhere :)

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the
types of tools you use: Firts I go over a bunch of ideas in my head and then when I get some free time I do some sketches in photoshop and then try to make a final illustration of the sketch i like the best. I use photoshop, body paint, maya... color pencils and all that, I am starting to learn painter now :D

What inspired you to become an artist: I don't remmember :S

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why: I like to draw girls with cool costumes... I also like to draw fantasy (anything), I am not so good with landscapes

Any tips you can give: Always work harder to pursuit your goals.

Favorite Artists: Mucha, and I can't remmember anyone else right now... my brain it's fried

Favorite Animated Movie: mmm... I like the disney movies when the girl fend for herself and it's not waiting for a prince charming to rescue her, like Mulan, and I found emperor's new groove pretty funny. I also like Howl's moving castle and the miyasaki films, finding nemo and walley are pretty awesome.

Hobbies: draw, write, read, watch movies, go dancing, riding horses... :)

Teresa T.C. Yau

Name: Teresa T.C. Yau

Location: Orange County

Job Position: UI Artist/Illustrator/Life Drawing Afficionado

Current Employer: Freelance

What are some things you have worked on:
Some indie film intro back in college, several kid titles for DS, Wii, PC, and some random websites.

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use:
My design process begins with pen/pencil sketches/storyboards first, then rough mock up in Photoshop, and final execution in Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, AE, or whatever. When I paint digitally I try to emulate traditional techniques and rarely use layers or blending modes.

What inspired you to become an artist:
Most likely Anime, hahaha... Oh anime...

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why:
Heads. So much to learn! So much to explore in hue/temperature/saturation change. So many planes to play with!

Any tips you can give:
Don't lose your inner child/creative spirit! I know I did and am still struggling to find it...

Favorite Artists:
Everyone! <3 ( But I REALLY love Leyendecker!)

Favorite Animated Movie:
Sleeping Beauty and Ratatouille

Hobbies: Spending time with loved ones, partyin, cooking, baking, fishing, cycling, taking my doggies out, not playing WoW.

http://www.tyaudesign.com/

Koala Cakes

Name: Elizabeth Romo

Location: Los Angeles

Job Position: Graphic Designer

Current Employer: Freelance

What are some things you have worked on:
I've worked on some brochures, business cards, not to
many things yet, I just graduated

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use:
I first look at some inspiring art books and then think of some
crazy ideas, grab my sketchbook draw it then scan it and take
it into photoshop or in illustrator. Oh and my wacom table

What inspired you to become an artist:
Sailor Moon and The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast.

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why:
Drawing poeple and funky characters

Any tips you can give:
Just let your mind go when your about to create something
don't think to hard about it just let it happen.

Favorite Artists:
Julie West, Tara Mcpherson, Ashley Wood, Miss Van, Koralie

Favorite Animated Movie:
The Little Mermaid

Hobbies: sleeping, eating, drawing, people watching,
knitting, reading comics, etc..

Harley Dwortz

Name: Harley Dwortz

Location: Orange County

Job Position: Animator

Current Employer: Freelance

What are some things you have worked on: Aliens RPG, Alpha Protocol

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use: For 2D art work and animation alike, I like to spend as much time as possible looking at reference and finding inspiration to contribute to a good idea. I then use my pencils to sketch out a "blocking pass," then throw everything into Photoshop / Maya to bring it all to life.

What inspired you to become an artist: I was always transfixed by the Disney films that were coming out when I was a kid (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King ), I have always had a wayward pencil in my hand, and I have always wanted to be the gal behind the scenes in the movies.

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why: Animals, because they are so remarkable in their variety of shapes, colors, movements, etc.

Any tips you can give: Don't half step anything or you will never be satisfied with your life or yourself

Favorite Artists: Bill Pete, Andreas Deja, Glen Keane, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones...

Favorite Animated Movie: do I have to answer this question? I love so many, Lion King and Finding Nemo to name a few

Hobbies: Being outdoors, being creative, exercise, social drinking /dancing

jane's q&a

Hi all! Sorry I'm not gonna have time to complete all of the q&a portion of this, but here's a run down of jane:

i work at home with my hubby (crash) we've been freelancing for 2 years, just hustlin for gigs and chillin like a villain! we've done a variety of gigs, including iphone apps, iphone games, websites, marketing videos, t-shirts, etc. i've also worked as junior level artist, then prop artist for what is now Double Helix Studios.

my tools of the trade are mainly photoshop and my sketchbook. currently trying to learn now to use illustrator to make awesome vector graphics.

i love all the miyazaki films as well, followed very closely by Pixar!

i was inspired to become an artist by the early disney animated films, The Little Mermaid being my fave :D then i gotz my first set of markers at age 6, where i proceeded to cover the walls in my masterpieces.

anyway guess thats it for me! thx for the invite and im excited to see more work from all you gals!

Potato

Name: Michaela Clisson

Location: So cal

Job Position: digital artist

Current Employer(s): currently freelancing

What are some things you have worked on: a couple cell phone games including Rock Revolution and Popple

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use: I usually try out a new process every time i start something, whether or not that is good, i dunno, but i like the different results i get. My main tool is photoshop, though i have used art rage and alchemy a lil bit...sometimes ill grab a pen and just sketch but mostly im a digital girl these days.

What inspired you to become an artist: My first set of crayons, i got them when i was 3

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why: Fantasy...because its awesome

Any tips you can give: Draw, just draw. All the time. Take classes. Learn from other artists. Network

Favorite Artists: Marc Brunet, Dan LuVisi, Elda The, Fealasy, klar, kalamu, loish, ...etc

Favorite Animated Movie: Anything Miyazaki

Hobbies: Fishing, arting, sleeping, gaming, hiking, reading...etc

Jessa Sininger

Name: Jessa Brianne Sininger

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Job Position: Cloth/Hair TD by day Sketch Fiend by night

Current Employer: Sony Pictures Imageworks

What are some things you have worked on: Night at the Museum 2, GTA 4, Gears of War 2, Ben 10 Alienforce, Sid the Science Kid

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use: I start out just scribbling down some gestures till I get an idea and/or how I think the pose should go. From there I start to work on the anatomy. I tend to deal with simple shapes a lot for my characters. I'm a stickler for details so I have to pull myself back to not get too trigger happy with it in the beginning stages of the sketch. For my main tools of the trade I'm content with just a 3b pencil and a sketchbook. I use Photoshop for coloring.

What inspired you to become an artist: When I was 8 I saw Pocahontas in the theater. After watching it I knew I wanted to be an animator

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why: People, I have a lot of fun drawing them.

Any tips you can give: Stay loose. That was the key I learned a little too late in the game. Make sure you gesture draw things before getting anatomy right etc. Also watch out for contour drawings they can kill ya.

Favorite Artists: Michelangelo, Iain McCaig, Glen Keane, Beauguereau, Brian Froud

Favorite Animated Movie: Aladdin

Hobbies: reading, cooking, writing, drawing, running, roller blading, swimming, and watching movies

Stefanie!

Name: Stefanie Huynh

Location: So-Cal

Job Position: Motion Graphics artist

Current Employer: VHN-TV

What are some things you have worked on: Opening sequences for Boogiezone.com, Family guy backplate, intros for Vietnamese television.

What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use: Thumbnails and storyboards are my friends! Even thumbnail storyboards. :D I work a lot with design, so I gotta get a good composition with my sketches. I use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, and Cinema4D (for the 3d aspects).

What inspired you to become an artist: Watching Sailor Moon when I was a wee girl. And reading the Sunday comics in the newspaper.

What is your most favorite subject to draw/why: Any kind of goofy/awkward situation/characters. Art allows you to really push your imagination and I tend to "push it real good" when it comes to comedy.

Any tips you can give: Learn and teach as much as you can! Everyone's capable of doing anything they want as long as they learn and practice it efficiently! Belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve in yourself!

Favorite Artists: Dstrukt, Erwin Madrid, Pascal Campion, Arthur DePins, Bobby Chiu and my peers.

Favorite Animated Movies: Up, Mulan, Lion King, Ghost in the Shell, Paprika, Spirited Away....and more!

Hobbies: Hip hop dance, rollerblading, skateboarding, laughing at farts, explosions and random humor.

AHOY

Ahoy!

If you have stumbled here, you might think it a bit naked at the moment. No worries, posting will begin shortly! Till then, have some rum!

-Potato

Michelle's Self Portrait

Name: Michelle Hall (Raised By Wolves)
Location: Santa Monica
What is the process you go through in doing your art, as well as the types of tools you use:

Any programs and tools I can get my hands on.
What inspired you to become an artist:

The drive to create and connect to others with visual expression
What is your most favorite subject to draw/why:
I've always enjoyed drawing animals, even made up ones because I study movement and I find animal motion more interesting to try to capture
Any tips you can give:
One of my favorite quotes that helps me:

"All the performances of human art, at which we look with praise or wonder, are instances of the resistless force of perseverance. If a man was to compare the effect of a single stroke of the pick-axe, or of one impression of the spade, with the general design and last result, he would be overwhelmed by the sense of their disproportion; yet those petty operations, incessantly continued, in time surmount the greatest difficulties, and mountains are leveled, and oceans bounded, by the slender force of human beings. It is therefore of the utmost importance that those, who have any intention of deviating from the beaten roads of life, and acquiring a reputation superior to names hourly swept away by time among the refuse of fame, should add to their reason, and their spirit, the power of persisting in their purposes; acquire the art of sapping what they cannot batter, and the habit of vanquishing obstinate resistance by obstinate attacks." Hope that helps others.
Favorite Artists: There is something about Joe Sorren's art that I feel a very deep connection with.
Favorite Animated Movie: Triplets of Belleville
Hobbies: Drawing Sessions, Drunk Scouts, Roller Derby, Out door anything.