Takeover Tuesday with Victoria Blair
Q&A with Victoria Blair: a motion designer & illustrator based in D.C.
Q&A with Victoria Blair
Read time: 10min
Madison Caprara:
What’s up, Victoria?
Could you give us a little intro to yourself and your work? Some background if you will?
Victoria Blair:
Hey, I’m Victoria!
I’m a freelance motion designer & illustrator currently living in Washington D.C. I’m originally from Pennsylvania (the Philly/Wawa side) and I’ve been a doodler since my early days in diapers. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a lot of collage-style motion work, as well as experimenting with lighting in my illustrations.
Madison Caprara:
Nice!
Building off of that, how did you get into motion design and illustration? When did you know that this was something you wanted to pursue? Did you have any support in your decision?
“lately, I’ve found my best art comes from allowing myself to just create what I want, and how I want it while ignoring all the rules and trending styles.”
Victoria Blair:
I’m really lucky that my parents have always supported my creative side. I studied film production in college, and during my time I loved learning about cinematography, directing, and editing, but I struggled to find that motivating spark with anything production-related. Towards the end of my senior year, I saw a few computer science majors working on a kinetic type project in After Effects for one of their classes, and I thought that was the COOLEST thing. I think that very night I downloaded the program and started to play around with it while sorting through every tutorial on YouTube.
After graduation, I worked a few odd jobs in arts marketing & editing. I told my managers at the time that I was interested in learning motion design, and they encouraged me to incorporate it into the work that I did. Those projects were very simple, but looking back I appreciate how supportive my teammates were. I eventually discovered School of Motion, and after taking Animation Bootcamp, was able to land my first gig in the industry. I’ve been working ever since!
Madison Caprara:
So, I’ve noticed that some of your most recent pieces are collage works. Your reel looks amazing, by the way! What’s been one of the most challenging styles for you to get into or learn?
Frames of Fear 2020, Unkempt Beast - By Victoria Blair
Victoria Blair:
Thank you so much!
I feel as though I’m still in this exploratory phase of my career. I know what I love to do and what I want to learn (which lately seems like everything). But I don’t have a ton of experience in a variety of styles. One of the first real projects I ever worked on was a collage-style animation, and I think that helped me get hired for projects requiring that particular style. I’d love to learn more traditional frame-by-frame animation, as well as character work.
Madison Caprara:
What about one of your favorite styles?
Victoria Blair:
I love those styles that are a hybrid of 2D & 3D, to the point where I have no idea how it was accomplished but I desperately want to dissect it and try to create something similar. I love the look of 2D illustrations, so when that gets placed in an environment that plays on perspective giving it a 3D feel, I think that looks incredible!
Madison Caprara:
So, in your opinion, what are - if any - some visual trends right now to focus on?
“be proud of the work you do! not every project will be a masterpiece, but you’re always learning and will continue to improve, and that is a beautiful thing to experience.”
Victoria Blair:
Hard to say!
I feel as though there are a lot of visual styles I see frequently. I’m drawn to the weird and outrageous, where the characters are odd and almost ugly looking, but in a really beautiful way, you know? At the same time, I also admire the pieces that can accomplish the story with simple abstract visuals and geometric shapes.
Madison Caprara:
I tend to gravitate more towards the “weird” and abstract pieces too!
How do you personally stay relevant in this industry when there are so many talented creatives?
Victoria Blair:
Lately, I’ve found my best art comes from allowing myself to just create what I want, and how I want it while ignoring all the rules and trending styles. I feel really lucky to be a creative, but it can be a funny thing when you make that your career. Most of my professional work tends to fit a standard or commercial style, and sometimes I let that creep into my personal work.
My brain sometimes thinks my personal work isn’t good because it doesn’t fit a trending style, or isn’t presented in a way to fit a fancy algorithm. As a kid, I was always creating something without a care for other people’s opinions, so I try to maintain that kind of attitude and enjoy each piece I create.
Madison Caprara:
That imposter syndrome. It’s a b. We’ve spoken about it a lot recently. It seems like everyone battles with it in some aspect.
Being a woman in this industry, you’re a bit of a minority, have there been any particularly hard hurdles to overcome?
Victoria Blair:
Definitely. There were some difficult moments in college, especially in my major where I was one of only three women in my class. At the time I was just a quiet kid with no clear direction of where I wanted to go, so I struggled to speak up and advocate for myself and my skills. There was always someone with a louder voice or a bigger ego in the room, so I just kept my ideas to myself and helped everyone else out as best as I could. Even though that approach gave me a lot of experience, I left college without a real project that I was proud of and could call my own.
Breaking into the industry wasn’t super smooth either. I like to think I’m a very easy-going person, so when I was hired on a long term contract with a boss that turned out to be extremely sexist, condescending, and ultimately cultivating a toxic work environment, I had no idea how to handle it and failed to stand up for myself. I left that contract early for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest takeaway from that was learning the importance of self-worth and the power of confidence.
Madison Caprara:
Self-confidence is game-changing, but EXTREMELY hard to put into practice. I’m a big fan of the fake it ‘til you make it mindset.
Do you have any advice for young women just beginning their own journeys?
Victoria Blair:
Talk to others, experiment and fail, and enjoy the ride! It can be really really really difficult when you are just starting out. Know that you aren’t alone and that teammates, managers, or other animators in the industry you admire are incredibly helpful and important in developing your career. Ask them questions, share your struggles, and chat through your goals. In school, it was drilled into my brain that success in the industry is “all about who you know.” Strong professional relationships will pave the way for opportunities in the future.
Madison Caprara:
Who is your absolute FAVORITE artist or work?
Victoria Blair:
Impossible to pick just one because I have so many favorites! For illustration, I’ll always have a soft spot for Edward Gorey’s work. His illustrations inspired me to continue drawing in college during my free time (and during lectures…). I love his creatures and characters, specifically the ones from The Gashlycrumb Tinies.
School of Motion Holiday Card - Victoria Blair
Madison Caprara:
So pivoting from there, where do you go for inspiration?
Victoria Blair:
Everywhere! Cinematography in films, artwork in museums, old crumbling architecture, weird creatures in nature, and especially music with how lyrics and instrumentals paint their own visuals in my mind. When I hit a creative block, I know that’s when I need to leave my computer and go to my sources of inspiration to find that next idea.
Madison Caprara:
Nice! So we’re reaching the end. Do you have any closing advice or statements you would like to share?
Victoria Blair:
Something I’ve been trying to preach to myself lately is to be mindful in the moment, admire the progress I’m making, and all the people that have shaped me into being who I am now. It’s so easy to dismiss and doubt your work when you only compare it with what you see on social media. Be proud of the work you do! Not every project will be a masterpiece, but you’re always learning and will continue to improve, and that is a beautiful thing to experience.
Madison Caprara:
Great speaking to you, Victoria!
We’ll catch up again this Friday on our Mograph Lunch podcast!