We were lucky to catch up with Danielle Powers recently and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

My journey as a professional artist began after graduating from the Art Institute in San Diego. I studied CG modeling and surfacing for video games and animation. In my final semester, a recruiter from Nickelodeon came to my school in search of new graduates for their new CG department at the studio. I applied and got hired, the timing of it was perfect.

I worked at Nick for a year as a CG apprentice and learned a lot from my co workers and senior artists. There was a mix of new artists, like myself, as well as experienced ones. Each of them offered unique knowledge and perspective. I made life long connections and friendships that have helped me in my career.

After Nick, I gave birth to my son and decided to stay home with him for a while and take traditional art classes from instructors in the Los Angeles area who had professional experience in design and painting for animation. After working with super talented artists at Nick I had decided I wanted to be a background painter so I focused on crafting a new portfolio that demonstrated those skills. After a few years of instruction and practice I had a portfolio that I felt was strong enough to submit for work.

I went to animation conventions to get portfolio reviews and interviews. Eventually, after a year or two, an art director at Disney contacted me to work on a freelance project for a small studio in the United Kingdom. After a year, the project ended and the art director brought me onto his production at Disney. This led to more work at other divisions of the company via connections with co workers and sharing my portfolio. For years I’ve had steady and consistent work at various animation studios ever since.

Danielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve loved cartoons and specifically Disney since I was a child. My dream has always been to be a part of the magic of that field of art. I’ve had the honor of working for studios such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Warner Bros. and other independent animation studios on various projects, all of which I’m proud to be involved in. My primary job titles have been background painter and visual development artist. My favorite productions to work on have been Young David, Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai and Fairly Odd Parents: A New Wish. My focus in my professional and personal art work is on color, design and storytelling. I love to paint environments with an emphasis on mood and lighting. My personal work consists of digital fan art and plein air painting whenever I travel. I enjoy being in nature and capturing iconic landscapes such as the Teton mountains in Wyoming or the beauty of Yellowstone. In addition to working for animation studios, I sell prints and greeting cards online as well as commissions.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to express myself through painting and to convey a mood or story that others can relate to or feel a connection with emotionally. If a client asks me for a specific illustration and I can deliver it exactly the way they imagined it, I feel like I’ve done my job.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

This past year has been difficult. A combination of factors have caused a lack of work in the animation industry. Many of my collogues in the field have been out of work for over a year. I’ve also had difficulty finding full time work. My union job at Nickelodeon ended last September and since then I’ve only had on and off freelance opportunities. There have been a few leads that ended up being canceled, which has been discouraging. However, in response, my strategy has been to make the most of my time by strengthening my skills, learning new tools, such as the software Blender, and spending more time networking more than ever. During the many years of steady work I was able to save up money and that has helped in times like these as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.powers3d.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powers3d/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powers3d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellepowers3d/