Takeover Tuesday with Cynthia Soe
An interview with Cynthia Soe: a motion designer, animator, and illustrator
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thanks so much for joining us for Takeover Tuesday, Cynthia! Please give us a lil' intro.
Cynthia:
Hi! Thank you for having me :) I am a motion designer, illustrator and animator. I mostly work in the 2D field of motion but lately I’ve been venturing into different mediums and techniques. I am originally from Myanmar, Burma but I spend most of the undergrad and grad life in the States. Oh and when I’m not working, I am probably binge watching a show or baking.
Bella:
What sparked your interest in motion design?
Cynthia:
I’ve always loved telling stories and drawing but I never knew where in the design and art field I belonged to. I dabbled in architecture during my first two years of undergrad but I decided that it wasn’t where my passion lied so I made a 180 switch to Animation. After graduation, I was able to get a freelance opportunity with Digital Kitchen where I worked on a title sequence as an animator and that was when I learned about the field of Motion Design and everything unraveled from there.
Title sequence from Helstrom: a psychological family thriller about Ana and Daimon’s traumatic past
Bella:
How do you think your experience at CCA as well as SCAD have influenced you?
Cynthia:
I think they both helped me grow immensely as an artist. While I was at CCA, I was still unsure of what kind of artist I wanted to be. I explored a lot of techniques from hands-on building, illustration and prototyping. When I came to SCAD, I was more in tune with the field of Motion and knew that it was exactly the field I wanted to work in. My professors and peers from both schools are amazing. They really shaped me in how I view the world of design. I want to thank them so much for helping me become who I am.
Bella:
Do you think having formal training makes a difference in getting a job in the motion design industry compared to being self taught?
Cynthia:
Honestly, I don’t think it does. There are so many amazing self taught artists. I believe you just need ambition, grit and constant motivation and eventually you will earn the job you want. I also think connection and networking is very important in the industry.
Frame from The Great British Bake Off, title sequence.
Bella:
You are skilled in both animation as well as illustration. Do you prefer doing one over the other?
Cynthia:
Yes! After working for a few years now, I would say that I like designing/ illustration over animating. I love researching about the project and envisioning different ideas that will satisfy the client by creating different styles. I do enjoy animating but since I was formally trained in cel, sometimes it can get tedious. Both are definitely fun, especially to see your designs in motion as it comes to life to tell a story.
Bella:
What's your favorite kind of project to work on?
Cynthia:
So far it would be title sequences or brand packages. I do want to work on other types of projects such as 2D and 3D mixed with live action or even music videos. I am honestly excited for any project.
A series of styleframes based off Robert Frost’s poem “Fire & Ice”
Bella:
Your work is colorful and playful and I love the use of texture. What advice do you have for someone trying to "find their style?"
Cynthia:
Oh thank you so much! I think it has very much to do with who you are. It took me a while to find what type of drawing style I liked and fit me. I played around with a lot of drawing styles but the more I drew the more I gravitated towards specific types of colors and design languages which has become my style.
Bella:
What motivates you? How do you get out of a creative rut?
Cynthia:
My friends and family are the main motivators. Since I have a lot of creative friends, seeing all their amazing work helps fuel my creativity as well. When I am in a creative rut, I try to give myself breaks. I would either go on a walk or maybe just take a day to do nothing. I feel taking a break really helps me become creative again. Overall, having a great support system keeps me motivated.
Bella:
What's your proudest moment in your career thus far?
Cynthia:
I would say that the proudest moment in my career is to see my work out in the world. It feels great to see my friends and family going out or watching a show and to send me a pic of them seeing my work.
A frame for Hermès: a French luxury design house established in 1837.
Bella:
Anything coming up that you're excited about?
Cynthia:
Well, I recently just graduated from SCAD and earned my Masters. I have some new projects that I am currently working on and I am hoping to share very soon :)
Takeover Tuesday with Nicola Gigante
An interview with Nicola Giganta: an illustrator based in Orlando, FL whose focus lies in signage design, illustration, background painting and concept art for both the film and themed entertainment industries.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Yo Nico! Can you give a lil' introduction for those who aren't familiar with you?
Nico:
Hi y’all my name is Nicola but my friends call me Nico. I’m an illustrator and concept artist originally from Mexico but based in Florida for the past 16 years. If I’m not in the studio working on a project you’ll catch me painting outside, playing soccer, traveling a la backpack, or trying to tire out my restless Aussie.
Bella:
What led you to a career in the art world?
Nico:
I feel very lucky to have discovered art long before I knew it could become a legit career path. When I was a kid, I’d fill out my homework papers with fantastical sketches from top to bottom, my teachers weren’t necessarily happy about that, but everyone sort of knew I was “the kid who can draw”. I also feel very lucky to come from a family who fostered and encouraged me to do what made me the happiest, and that was art! (but trust me, they weren’t very happy about me sketching on my math homework either). My mom is an award winning chef and my dad an architect and pottery artist, so if I wasn’t hanging out in the kitchen, you’d find me making clay sculptures. This cross-pollination environment helped a lot with fueling my creative imagination. Fast forward a bunch of years later, and I found myself making both the hardest and easiest decision of my life, should I go to art school, or should I pursue another non-creative career path at a more “traditional” university. I ended up choosing to attend SCAD for illustration. To me that was a “no-brainer”, easy choice because I knew I’d be pursuing my passion and love for art, but it was also hard because I still wasn’t unsure about what a life as an artist outside of school and home might look like, and all the challenges that my decision could bring in the coming years. That was certainly scary.
A self portrait of Nico.
Bella:
How do you think your time at SCAD made a difference in your life?
Nico:
My time in SCAD made a huge impact in my life. It was very much a right of passage for me, and I’m very lucky to have had that experience. I joined as a transfer student in the spring of 2015, and made a few friends on the first day, many of them whom I’m still very close to. SCAD is located in Savannah, a beautiful Spanish moss-adorned city just by the South Carolina-Georgia line. Living there was very inspiring in so many ways, and my peers, professors, and friends all contributed to my growth as an artist.
Bella:
Is there a project you've worked on that stands out as a favorite to you?
Nico:
I’ve been a part of many projects that have been in a way cornerstones in my career, most of them spanning different industries. When I’m posed with the “what’s your favorite project so far” to me is like asking a parent to chose a favorite child! But one project that I really enjoyed doing was the concept art I was tasked to do for the award-winning short film FATHEAD. Within the first meetings I had with the film director c. Craig and the producers, I knew this was a passion project for many in the production, and I immediately felt both very lucky and the pressure to do my very best. During the production, I got the chance to collaborate with many talented people in all departments of the filmmaking pipeline, and I got my first end-credits mention in a movie! FATHEAD has been shown in many film festivals around the world, and it’s won a lot of awards so far such as gold at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France! It is also the first film to be produced in Amazon’s LED volume, a new technology in filmmaking that’s already breaking ground in the industry, with shows like The Mandalorian and HBO’s House of Dragons using it after FATHEAD paved the way.
Concept art from FATHEAD.
Bella:
It must be so cool to see your work out in the world, like at The Children's Music Museum in Upstate/Greenville, South Carolina. What was the workflow like for this project?
Nico:
The Marsh Music project at the Children’s Museum in Greenville has to be also one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on so far in my career. No short in challenges though, I was very fortunate to have worked alongside creative powerhouses Jessica and Henry Marchant of Marchant Creative Group to bring this space and it’s characters to life. It started with a story about a frog and his swamp friends, all living in the South Carolina marshlands. The big element to the story is music and education. Each section of he story, or “beat”, features a different musical instrument that kids can learn to play as they go around the room. The concept/beginning stages of this project involved a lot of meetings to come up with the instruments that needed to not just sound good and work well but tie in to the story and setting, so we designed them all to fit the swamp/marshland theme. After a few brainstorming sessions, we came up with a lot of fun things, from rain wheels in the shape of lily pads, drums shaped like turtles, to a giant banjo/harp instrument that looks like an alligator! I then proceeded to illustrate 12 murals, character designs, and a few posters in an animated style that was quite new to me, but one that I’ve adopted well into other projects and personal pieces afterwards. If you’re ever in the Greenville area make sure to stop by and check it out!
Bella:
What advice would you give someone who is trying to "find their style”?
Nico:
When I was in college, and slightly after graduating I had a really hard time being happy with what I was producing as an artist. I remember being surrounded by lot’s of very talented illustrators and artists whom styles were so well defined it left me thinking “I’m so behind”. Finding your style isn’t a straight path, but a windy and bumpy one. It takes a lot of trial and error. One of my favorite quotes from a mentor I had earlier in my career is “practice makes progress”. If you find yourself having doubts about your work and your own style, just keep producing, don’t stop. A baby who stops at the crawling phase will never learn how to walk. I don’t mean to sound cliché or anything like that but everyone has a style, just like we all have different fingerprints! It’s just a matter of time before you find it and hone your skills, because most of the time you’ll likely be the last to notice it while people around you will see it first.
Bella:
Where do you find inspiration? How do you combat creative burnout?
Nico:
Inspiration is everything, everywhere, all at once. I am inspired by other artists, the masters of old too. When you imagine you’re inspired. Music is a big player in my inspiration along with traveling. I sometimes find myself listening to a song and imagining the lyrics transform into a music video inside my head. Going places is a way I relieve burnout, it allows me to have a break from the screen and tablet. It’s a way to recharge by doing other things not related to your daily routines back home. Traveling is a big source of inspiration for me as well. When I break up my daily routine to go someplace new or old, I try to look at everything from an artist point of view. Inspiration is fueled by intrigue. I like to question how things are made, like what makes a certain object interesting that most people would otherwise consider mundane or ordinary. Finding beauty in the mundane is a great way to overcome the “art block”. Once I started looking at the world through that lens I started producing art that I was very happy with!
Planning for the Marsh Music Exhibit in Greenville, SC.
Bella:
What's your favorite type of project to work on?
Nico:
Good question! I love projects that have a story behind it. To me, stories are the veil of good art, because without a story then how can anyone relate? The nature of being an illustrator means sometimes I’d be tasked to a project that doesn’t necessarily have a specific story to tell, but by looking at it through the lens I talked about in the previous question, I try to make it interesting and fun. I specifically love animation and film. Growing up I remember being so intrigued by the backgrounds in Disney movies and other tv shows that I’d sometimes forget about the plot. Some of my favorite projects have been illustrating backgrounds and landscapes. To me they’re just as important as the main characters themselves!
Bella:
What are your favorite softwares and tools to use when illustrating?
Nico:
I like to think the ax doesn’t to the tree cutting, the lumberjack does. Tools are there to help, not create. A lot of amazing things have come out of a simple napkin sketch, like the design of the new Chevy Camaro for the Bumblebee movie! But when it comes to client work, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are my bread and butter. If I’m doing personal work, I often bounce in between Procreate and HeavyPaint, depending on how much time I want to dedicate to the piece. I love the user-friendly ui of Procreate the most, I was able to pick it up and master it in a few weeks! HeavyPaint is a great app that allows you to paint quickly without worrying too much about details, it’s great for plein air painting for that matter. Additionally, if you’d ever met me in person, there’s a good chance I was holding my sketchbook in hand. I carry a pocket-size Moleskin sketchbook with a few micron pens everywhere I go! It’s the best way to capture anything that inspires me while I’m on the go, and it allows me to further develop drawing skills.
Bella:
Anything exciting coming up/final words of wisdom?
Nico:
I recently started becoming more serious about freelancing versus looking for an in-house job. It’s been quite challenging and scary, alas terrifying, and the road stretches far and wide. I’ve been struggling to find something stable, being an artist is no smooth path. But I try to celebrate any wins, big or small. When I’m feeling like I’m not heading anywhere or that my career is stalling, which happens more often than I’d like, I try to focus on why I decided to pursue art as a career in the first place. Keeping my goals in check, writing stuff down, sketching things and ideas, reading books, connecting with other artists, these have all been some of the ways I’ve been keeping myself from quitting the creative world. If I had any final words of wisdom, it’d be to remember we’re all in our own timeline. There’s no shame in being or feeling like a “late bloomer” in your career, or feeling that you haven’t found your style and you’re falling behind. Stop comparing yourself to others much more ahead in their careers than you, instead, learn from them. Reach out to your heroes, even if not all of them respond you never know who might. You’ll get there, but in your own time. By having trust in the process, and practicing as much as you can every day, things will come your way and doors will start to open. Just have faith and patience in yourself and try to have fun while you can!
Takeover Tuesday with Megan Pelto
Q&A with Megan Pelto, a freelance illustrator in Portland, Oregon.
Q&A with Megan Pelto.
Read time: 5min
Madison Caprara:
Hi, Megan! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you find yourself getting into the illustration game?
Megan Pelto:
Hi! I am a freelance illustrator, originally from Massachusetts but have moved around a lot while working on my career. I love hiking and getting outside, so if I am not drawing I’m usually somewhere outdoors. I have loved drawing my whole life and spent a lot of time, from elementary school through high school, creating art. I really gravitated towards illustration as I loved the storytelling aspect combined with drawing. I ended up majoring in Illustration at SCAD, but when I first chose that major I was still learning what I wanted to do with it.
Madison Caprara:
For those who may not be familiar, how would you go about describing your personal style?
Megan Pelto:
My style is pretty fun and combines simple shapes with chosen details. I like using different textured brushes and limited colors. Focusing on the outdoors and cozy scenes within my work is pretty standard for me, but I also feel like my style is constantly growing and changing! I used to work only traditionally, a lot of pencil drawings and paintings, so when I started to work mainly digitally at the end of college, my work shifted too.
Madison Caprara:
As technology continues to expand, do you believe there is still room in the game for those hand-drawn, or in your words, “traditional” illustrations, or is it all about the digital designs now?
Megan Pelto:
I think there will always be room for hand-drawn work. I am not sure how much so in the motion design industry, as a lot of projects do need things to be easier to animate and thus digital, but I know many artists who still do hand-drawn or a mixture of the two. That will always remain even if a lot of careers in animation or advertising tend to lean more towards the digital.
Madison Caprara:
I think I would have to agree with you, Megan.
Pivoting back to the topic of style, how important do you think it is to have a strong, recognizable aesthetic?
Megan Pelto:
I believe it can be a benefit but it is not a requirement. I have worked with amazing artists with a large range of styles. Some are super-specific, while others are skilled in a variety of areas. Being able to do both is a good skill to have, it takes a lot to have your own style but it also takes a lot to be able to jump into new styles for different projects! In my personal work, I have an overall style, in my client work, however, I work in a wide range of styles.
Madison Caprara:
It’s all about that adaptability!
Where are you based right now? Are you still in Massachusetts? Either way, what is the industry like there?
Megan Pelto:
I am based in Portland, OR, but I just relocated here from LA in March of this year. I had moved to Los Angeles to be able to work in the motion design industry. It was the necessary step to be able to work with all of the studios I admired. Now that I am in Portland, there is still a strong industry here but on a much smaller scale when compared to LA. I work remotely for the most part and hope to continue to do so moving forward so that I can work with studios both in Portland and beyond!
Madison Caprara:
You work primarily freelance now, correct? What has been your overall experience? Good? Bad?
Megan Pelto:
I have been working fully freelance since the summer of 2019. My experience has been really good, but it did take a lot of time and work to build up to that point. Prior to this, I did freelance for two years after graduating from SCAD in 2015. From 2017-2019 I was on staff at BUCK in LA for two years before transitioning back to freelance. I think freelancing in motion design is awesome, but I know it is also different than freelancing in other creative fields.
Madison Caprara:
From the two-plus years of experience you now have, do you think working as a freelancer is a suitable career path for a graduate just beginning their career, or would you suggest working for a larger company or agency first?
Megan Pelto:
I really think it can depend. When I graduated I wanted to try freelance right away, but that was hard to do. Though I had majored in Illustration, I took a motion design elective class my senior year and fell in love with that work. Prior to that, motion design had never been talked about or mentioned as a career path for illustrators and wasn’t well-known in my department. That may have changed since I graduated, however. I spent the majority of my time working on personal projects, while consistently contacting new people and researching opportunities.
After graduation, I had moved to Chicago and was looking for opportunities there. I ended up interning at Digital Kitchen for seven months which really helped me get some studio experience. It’s there that I learned from people what freelancing in motion design was like. I began freelancing after that but it was tough getting enough consistent work to feel comfortable, especially when having to afford to live in a large city.
Megan Pelto:
I had been freelancing for two years, hoping to break into the motion design industry. While I had had bookings with studios, things changed when I received a two-week freelance opportunity at BUCK LA. After that, I decided that I would move to Los Angeles to freelance and really pursue working with all of my dream studios. Shortly before my move I heard from BUCK and was offered an internship which led to being staff a few months after arriving in LA. Being on-staff at BUCK is what truly helped me take that next step, so I do strongly believe that working at a studio can ultimately help your freelance career. By having to illustrate every single day, I really saw self-improvement. I was working with amazing designers and ADs who helped my work grow. Also, it was pretty invaluable to meet people in person and form connections, which I find to be harder when working remotely or even when freelancing at a new place each week.
Madison Caprara:
Great advice all around. Do you have any other tidbits you would give to those just beginning their career?
Megan Pelto:
It’s not fun to hear, but I really encourage just giving it time. Be patient! Even though it was tough for two years before moving to LA, I was still able to freelance full time as an illustrator by being careful with money. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to people in the field, most people are really nice and want to help! I have connected artists with studio internships and freelance work in the past and always strive to help, whether it be through advice or passing along an email. Always keep trying, I probably applied for jobs at BUCK at least four times before ever hearing back about a freelance job with them, so it's always worth it to keep pursuing even when you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere.
Madison Caprara:
In my experience, some of the best advice is the hardest to swallow.
So you went from studying at SCAD to working at BUCK, to now doing freelance work in 2021. With how crazy this past year has been, how does the external affect your art?
Megan Pelto:
It definitely affected my passion for creating personal work. I am really thankful that freelance work stayed just as busy, but the year certainly took a toll on my motivation. It was healthier for me to take a step back from personal work. I really value getting outside, so feeling a bit stuck in my hot LA apartment far away from any family was a hard year. Remember to take some pressure off of yourself. I let myself take more breaks and just focused on getting through. It was difficult, but I am grateful for being able to work and stay safe when many could not. My personal work hasn’t really picked up again yet but I think as things continue to improve, I’ll continue building motivation. Right now, all I want to do is be outside and I’m okay with that!
Madison Caprara:
And when you find that motivation hitting, where do you go for inspiration?
Megan Pelto:
Outside! Nature is my biggest inspiration. I love to draw the things I enjoy, like trees and cozy cups of coffee. Also, I am often inspired by other artists' work. I truly just love to draw, so sometimes that entails trying to come up with an idea just to have something to work on.
Madison Caprara:
Outside…I should’ve known!
Do you have a top three favorite illustrators list?
Megan Pelto:
I definitely don’t have a top three. I love so many illustrators' work and so many different genres. Often I tend to have favorite illustrations versus a single artist. I have all kinds of stuff saved on my phone and it’s made up of so many different types of creatives. My favorite work does usually come from motion design, be it the studios or individuals that work in the field, so much amazing work is made in this industry and I will always be grateful to be part of it.
Madison Caprara:
Looking forward, what does the rest of 2021 look like for you? Is there anything special we should be looking out for?
Megan Pelto:
I am keeping 2021 very open! I have worked on some really fun projects with places like oddfellows, BIEN, BUCK, Facebook, and SodaStream. I never know what work I will be able to share, so I am just excited for the fun projects I have had and will continue to work on this year. I am not making long-term work plans as I am leaving more free time to finally get to travel to see my family in Massachusetts.
I plan to head to the East Coast in July and then backpack with some of my family in the North Cascades in WA in August. I also am still super new to Portland so I am excited to continue to meet people here and explore all of it and try new hikes each month. Work is still important and I love what I do, but after last year, other things are my priority for 2021!
Madison Caprara:
Yes! I’ve noticed that the balance of work and life is a little skewed within this industry. More priority needs to be placed on the mental health upkeep of all you creatives out there.
Well, we’re reaching the end of our time, Megan. Do you have any closing points or statements you would like to share?
Megan Pelto:
Whenever possible, strive for a healthy work/life balance! Motion design is often 10a-7p which can be late hours compared to most jobs, so make sure to take time off or take a long walk on slower workdays. It’s good to put a lot into your work but put equal parts of that energy into your personal life as well.
