We were lucky to catch up with Paul Pate recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, thanks for joining us today. 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?

I’ve found that drawing at the level you want simply takes time and practice. Of course, you’ll always want to improve and level up. I think it is the nature of artists never to quite be satisfied. We’re always exploring new things. So, I also think it is important to take some moments to enjoy where you’re at skill wise and try to enjoy the process of creating art. I like to work on big projects that take a long time to complete, like graphic novels or short animated films. But, I break it up with shorter pieces like portraits and caricatures. I find I learn and get better with each piece, long or short.

Paul, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve written and illustrated two graphic novels and I’m working on a third. It’s a series called Detective Perez, a hard boiled mystery, that can be found on Amazon. I’ve written and drawn several other one off comic books. I’ve done 5 animated shorts. My animated western called The Train Job won Best Animation in the 2015 Made in Michigan Film Festival. I also love to do portraits, caricatures, and cityscapes. Live caricatures are one of my favorite things to do.

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

When I was younger I used to talk a lot about art, but didn’t create as much as I should have. I liked hearing people tell me I was talented, but didn’t put in the work. As years went by, I realized I didn’t have much art to actually show. When I finally decided to complete some art, I found out it was more difficult than I thought. I also realized I wasn’t quite as talented as people were telling me. As I continued to complete my art projects, I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I improved and how much more fun it was to actually do art instead of just talking about it. I suppose I wish I would have learned that lesson sooner, but I also think maybe life gives you what you need when you’re ready for it.

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

Early on I didn’t realize how important community is in art, for me anyway. I didn’t go to art school and didn’t know many real artists. When I did meet artists, I was intimidated and jealous. That changed when I decided to focus on completing some of my own pieces. I looked at other artists and I was impressed and inspired because I suddenly had a little bit of an idea of what it took for them to accomplish what they had. I began reaching out to them and befriending them. Now my art tribe is quite large. They are local and worldwide, thanks to the internet. They are all a great resource for learning, inspiration, and friendship. It is probably my favorite part of what is otherwise a very solitary endeavor.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.paulpate.com
• Instagram: @pate_paul
• Youtube: Paul Pate and Paul Pate Animation