Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Natalie Leah. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Natalie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on as of late would have to be my senior thesis. As part of the Studio Art BFA curriculum at Florida Southern College, students are required to create a mature body of artwork, install it in a gallery, and present and defend their pieces and their artist’s statement to the entire faculty and art department. Personally, I actually started working on it in my junior year of college, which means I put about a year and half’s time of work and effort into it. I decided to create a set of character designs and illustrations based on an original story of mine. In the end, I created 15 pieces, including three fully rendered illustrations, and 12 pieces detailing the character design process, such as turn-arounds, expression charts, and character interactions. I showcased my work to the department, and was able to eloquently defend my thesis; as a result, I received second place in the gallery show!

Natalie, 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 have always known I wanted to pursue art, but I wasn’t always sure how. As a child, I desperately wanted to be a fashion designer, but upon realizing that would require me to know how to sew, I switched gears to illustration. In early high school, I realized that I could apply my drawing skills to visual development for animated movies. This was especially true after seeing the art book for Disney’s Frozen; from that time forward, I have worked to achieve that goal. Over my college experience at Florida Southern College, I have made incredible progress on my skills, and I have had incredible opportunities to showcase my work, such as my Junior Show, and Senior Thesis Exhibition. Currently, as a new graduate, I am looking for work as a character designer and illustrator! I am in the process of breaking into the animation industry, and am also interested in illustrating children’s books. I had the opportunity to work on my first book, Diligent Derek, last summer, and I was able to learn a great deal about the book illustration process. As of right now, I am hard at work on expanding my character design portfolio, as I am heading to LightBox Expo at the end of the month to network with studios, and to get my foot in the door of animation. My artistic style is painterly, full of whimsy and fantasy, and emphasizes expressive storytelling. I primarily work with the app Procreate on my iPad Pro, but I am well versed in traditional mediums, such as charcoal and oil paint, as well.

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

I find that one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is getting lost in the feeling of making a piece, and then being recognized for the work I put into it. I feel so fulfilled when a client sees my work and says, “yes, this is exactly what I was looking for.” I also love feeling the flow of creating an illustration and watching it all come together. It makes my creative process feel so engaging. But somewhat contrastingly, I also enjoy getting critiques on my pieces. There is nothing more helpful for growth than critique. I simply would not be the artist I am without getting honest, constructive feedback. When combined, finding a solid flow state for my work, receiving notes on how to improve, putting those notes into practice, and then getting that “yes!” is incredibly gratifying.

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

Throughout my artistic journey, I have always loved learning through books and classes, but I have recently started learning on Schoolism.com, which is an online platform full of classes led by industry-professionals. Each course emphasizes a different technique, and ranges from watercolor to figure drawing to book illustration. Since enrolling with Schoolism, I have taken classes on visual development for television, character design for feature, and character design fundamentals. These classes have bolstered my artistic skills in such a meaningful way, and I can only wonder what I would be able to do if I had discovered them sooner!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://natalieleah.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natnat.studios/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-leah-7016561a1/

Image Credits
Natalie Leah