We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melany Altuna. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melany below.

Melany, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I started my career as an illustrator back in my home country Venezuela,
I was living in Caracas working as an illustrator and designer for multiple advertisement companies at the time. The situation of the country was deteriorating really fast and making a living as an artist was extremely difficult, but also I was super determine to keep following my dreams and finding a way to make it work with my circumstances. I always wanted to persue a career in animation, to work as a designer for film and television. My family didn’t have a lot of money at the time so going to a Art school in LA was not an option for me, schools like calarts and art center are well know for molding incredible artist that end up working in animation but I didnt have the money to start there, so I had to get creative and so I found the next best thing, a small school in Pasadena that hired teachers from those schools and teach different skills for three months so people could learn without needed a student visa. I worked all year and saved money to take the summer terms for the three months and go back home after. I did that for a few years until My skills got better and I manage to find a job in the industry. It was all a big rick and slowly started to pay off

Melany, 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?

After taking the big risk to follow my dreams in LA to pursue a career in animation moving countries, I finally catch a break in the industry and started working on a small studio as an editorial illustrator. Then later found a job In a small animation studio that open the doors for me. ( I like to tell that side of my story because I truly believe everyone is capable of achieving anything they set their minds to, just have to make a path that works with your circumstances, without comparing yourself to others)

I’m an artist, I work as a character designer in the animation industry, currently working at Disney TVA on a show called hamster and Gretel and have been working for other shows in development.

I love infusing a lot of life in to my characters, I take inspiration from everyone around me, I think people are so complex and interesting and that gives you endless possibilities. I also love to design animals and new creatures explore their relationships need and wants. Its like giving birth in 2d haha
one of the things that always excited me and impress me, is when I design a character that its just a file on my computer and a few months or years later I can turn my TV on and see the files talking to each other from my couch haha. I think thats the coolest thing in the world and no matter how many times it happends it will always excite me and impress me.

I hope to continue working on multiple projects and collaborate with my piers, since animation its a HUGE collaborative effort. So I hope to continue learning and growing and working hard telling stories that make people smile and encourage them to follow their dreams and inspire them live a happy and fulfill life.

On my free time I have a little side hustle that mix all of my skills and helps me step away from the screens. I have a ceramic project I go back and forward too when my schedule allows it. Its called Melart ceramic and I can wait to see where this will lead me to.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish people talked openly about school alternatives. Art schools are so expensive and you graduate in so much debt, with the internet a lot of small schools got popularity and open doors for more people.

I think everyone would be able to afford an education.

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

I think the most rewarding is to be able to experience life and have the ability to transform the most mundane things in to Art that connect people.

To be able to create something beautiful out of nothing! That can make a space beautiful, or tell a story that inspire people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melanyaltuna.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melany-altuna-018ba045/
• Other: My ceramic project https://www.instagram.com/melartceramics/