We were lucky to catch up with Jiaxing Yang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jiaxing, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I have always been captivated by the power of visual storytelling and the ability to bring imaginative worlds to life. Since my early years spent filling sketchbooks with drawings, I developed a deep passion for artistic expression. As I delved into the world of art contests and had my first televised art exhibition as a teenager, I realized that my true calling lies in the digital animation industry.

The allure of 3D animation, with its capacity to create immersive and dynamic narratives, has been a driving force behind my career choice. I find joy in the process of modeling, texturing, rigging, and animating, transforming static ideas into moving, three-dimensional realities. The challenge of mastering the technical aspects of 3D art, combined with the endless creative possibilities it offers, fuels my enthusiasm.

Moreover, my academic journey has provided me with the opportunity to delve deeper into the intricacies of 3D animation, allowing me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry. I am committed to honing my skills in the pursuit of excellence, aspiring to contribute innovative and visually compelling content to the field.

In essence, my desire to be a digital artist stems from a lifelong passion for art, a fascination with the storytelling potential of animation, and a commitment to continuous growth and mastery of the craft. I am excited about the prospect of contributing my creativity and technical skills to the ever-evolving world of digital art.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a digital artist based in Atlanta, Georgia who specializes in 3D animation, 3D modeling, and video editing. Although I have a strong background in producing traditional artworks, like figure sketching and traditional painting, currently I am more into the digital art industry. I create three-dimensional artwork for various industries, including gaming, film, animation, virtual reality, augmented reality, and more. The primary focus of my job is to generate visual content that appears realistic or stylized in a three-dimensional space.

I had my Bachelor of Science degree at Purdue University, majoring in Computer Graphics Technology. Currently, I major in Animation, pursuing my Master of Fine Arts degree at Savannah College of Art and Design. My education experiences deepened my understanding of the digital world, opened my eyes as well as strengthened my skills in 3D modeling, 3D animation, and composing as an artist.

At my undergrad and grad school, I took classes including digital sketching, character designing, storyboard creating, 3D modeling, and 3D Animation. The knowledge and skills learned supported me in gaining a place to produce an animation for Purdue University COREC. From searching for the target client to producing the animation, I gained a general idea of the animation production pipeline. I also improved my modeling and animating skills, as well as my sense of business. Interning at Mushroom Cloud, Inc. brought me the down-to-earth experience of working in a company. I designed visual effects for post productions by Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere Pro, and output logical storylines. I also edited and produced a video for advertising a developing App. From understanding the needs of my client to producing animations and editing videos, I applied the abilities learned and figured out the abilities that I needed to improve as a digital artist.

My goal is to contribute to a team by offering my relevant experience, a deep understanding of the content, an eagerness to collaborate, and an unyielding passion for the animation industry.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice

NFTs have been around for a few years now. As a digital artist, I think NFTs offer a new way for artists and creators to monetize their digital work, providing a secure and transparent way to verify ownership and provenance.

Additionally, NFTs incorporate the feature of programmable royalties, thereby ensuring that artists sustain an ongoing entitlement to a percentage of the proceeds generated through the resale of their works.

Having previously undertaken the conception and sale of my own NFTs on a digital platform, I can attest to the positive outcomes derived from such endeavors. This method significantly enhances the expediency and efficiency of art transactions, thereby presenting a considerable advantage for both sellers and buyers.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I was always obsessed with high-tech, computer-related stuff, of course, including the digital arts—animation. Since I was a child, I have been a big fan of traditional Chinese animation, such as Black Cat Detective and Journey to the West. Getting older, Toy Story series and Cars series astonished my field of vision. I had never seen anything extraordinary like that. At that time, I decided that I wanted to become a digital artist in the future.

However, I found out the core of animation was the concept rather than the visual form of animation. With that being said, animations like Frozen and Toy Stories were successful ones in the perspective of business. But I prefer animation that is inspirational and culture-oriented, like the animation called Bao produced by Domee Shi. I believe this type of animation is more capable of resonating with the audience, and that is also the fundamental reason why I study animation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yangjiaxingmax.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiaxing.art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiaxingyang/
• Other: ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/jiaxingyang