We were lucky to catch up with Gabriela Venegas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gabriela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve been an artist since I was born, since I first scribbled on the walls in my parent’s house and colored with crayons. I figured I wanted to be a professional artist because of the feeling I would get in the movie theater after watching an animated film. When I was 14 watching “Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse” for the first time, I subconsciously decided that one day I wanted to work on something that made people feel the way I felt that day sitting in that theater. I felt pure passion, pure hope, and pure wonder. In the finished film, I can see all the hands that were involved in breathing life into these characters. I can see the thought put into crafting the set designs, the color choices pushing and pulling your feelings along the storyline, and the expertly staged compositions and shots used to support the visual storytelling. All this is the work of the writers, visual development artists, storyboarders, animators, and so on. I get this feeling whenever I go to the theater and watch a beautifully crafted animated film. I got this same feeling watching TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, and recently Transformers One. There’s just something about storytelling through artistic eyes, hand-crafted composition, and beautiful animation that speaks to me on a different level. In this age of stylized 3d animation, I’m even more inspired and determined to find my way into a studio someday so that I can be a part of the magic. Animation and art have become my whole life and I can’t see myself in a world where I wouldn’t want to pursue it.

Gabriela, 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 am currently a student in Los Angeles studying Animation. I am a visual development artist and background painter for animation. I also make digital illustrations and I plan on opening a print shop soon to sell prints of my artwork! My background comes mainly from traditional painting, I started painting digitally around 2020 but before that, I painted with acrylics and gouache. I am also a plein air painter, so I’m a big believer in going outside to paint and experiencing life while doing so. When you paint from life you understand color, light, and form in a more personal and engaging way. On the side, I also make Photoshop, Clip Studio, and Procreate brushes. My classmates and I also started a small student-run animation studio called Studio Candlewick where we are currently working on our first animated short film! As a Visdev and background artist, I mainly paint sets, design background layouts, and paint them according to a color script, and I create key art based on story moments.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Go watch animated films!! Watch animated movies in the theater, stream them, buy them, but watch animated movies! Many people shy away from watching films that are animated because they don’t like animation or they think it’s just a movie for kids. Storytelling is for everyone, and animation is simply a medium, not a genre. Animation allows you to suspend your disbelief and enjoy a story full of imagination and wonder. Animated movies are made with art that is meticulously crafted and designed by a team of artists to further support the story. Character designs tell their own story, set designs tell their own story, and even props tell stories. Everything in an animated film has to be designed and created to match the style and mood of the film’s universe. Supporting these animated films (and TV shows) supports the artists and also creates more demand for these projects to continue to be made.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am driven by my improvement. When I look back at my art five years ago or even one year ago and see how much I’ve grown I wonder how much I will improve in a year. I imagine where I will be in ten years and It pushes me harder. The only way to improve is through hard work and self-evaluation, I constantly have others critique and look at my work so I can find ways to improve. As artists we get comments about being talented, but it’s not talent, It’s skill earned through hours of work and studying. I want to get better and work harder so I can become a successful artist. I hope to one day make my whole family sit through the end credits of an animated film to see my name roll through and I want to work alongside the artists I admire on a visually stunning film. I am pretty ambitious, but I feel my goals are simple. Many people ask why I create art, and the honest truth is that I just like to create art. I like the process and I want to improve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lynx-chiton-rzcs.squarespace.com/config/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artswagonist/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriela-venegas-6355a8227/
• Twitter: https://x.com/artswagonist

Image Credits

The first Image of me was taken by Moishe Ham, the rest of the images are painted by me.