We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristin Gaston. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristin below.
Kristin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Before I studied art in college, I was mostly self-taught. I drew everything I could see or imagine as a kid and I eventually became known as the class artist. During my time pursuing my BFA I took a lot of inspiration from animation schools in California and how much emphasis was put in learning the art fundamentals such as gesture and anatomy. My goal at the time was to be a 2D animator and that lit a fire in me to become one. I grabbed as many books and resources I could get my hands on to learn and practice the art fundamentals. I’ve watched many art tutorials online watching how the masters drew and painted. I’ve filled countless sketchbooks practicing what I learned and experimenting with different mediums. Looking back, my limitations to learning how to draw and improve my skills was mostly money. My resourcefulness to finding the information I needed to know in order to practice certain skills took me far, but learning from a mentor would have fast-tracked my progress.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
As a kid I had aspirations to become a 2D animator. I went to school to study animation but eventually switched tracks to study studio art instead. My focus was on drawing and painting and soon after graduating, I wanted to pursue illustration as a career. I had a rough time searching for work right after college and I turned to freelance work to keep myself busy within the arts and to make an income. There was more of a demand for logos so I had to teach myself how to use programs typical to graphic design such as Photoshop and Illustrator. Over time, I saw my illustration skills mesh with these digital tools and grew to like this medium and the opportunities they opened for me. It’s pretty cool seeing my work printed on merch and even walls of businesses.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Seeing people buy and post my work for others to see. I’m hard on myself as an artist, so seeing others praise or appreciate it makes me feel I’m doing something right.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
In the beginning, I hopped on several trends to stay relevant online like inktober, draw this in your style challenges, and drew artwork related to pop culture. Posting or updating regularly really helped me build a following, however participating in more in-person events and introducing myself to others helped attract more supporters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://krisigeeart.wixsite.com/kristincreates
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisigeeart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krisigeeart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisigeeart/