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

Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

Since I was real little I’ve always gravitated towards more of the artistic path which essentially made me a little different than most of the kids I grew up with – so I hadn’t entirely took art seriously and considered it only a hobby until my Senior Year of highschool when I learned you could ultimately pursue an artistic career. Since I was in my last year, however, I felt a little behind in this pathway since I didn’t necessarily have a cohesive portfolio for art schools, or know exactly what I wanted to do with my skills and passions – I just knew I had a love for it. It wasn’t until my third year of college, that I realized Visual Development existed and was exactly where I could see myself be professionally and happy, and two years later, found myself Interning at one of the most incredible experiences I could ever had. So I feel like starting something you’re passionate about, it’s never too soon or to late, and you’re journey happens just as how it’s supposed be and you will ultimately reach the goals you’re passionate about, no matter where or when you start :)

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.

I’m a Visual Development and Concept artist based between LA /NYC and grew up in Rochester, NY ! Since I was young, I’ve loved animation and graphic novels and always enjoyed drawing and painting up throughout the entirety of my childhood ! My favorite shows growing up were Avatar the Last Airbender, Teen Titans, Courage the Cowardly Dog and Ghibli films which inspired my environmental artistic passion. I’m most excited about worldbuilding and visual storytelling, and developing props/assets and researching new things to create a whimsical and fantastical worlds, with lots of plants. My last couple years at the School of Visual Arts, I developed two thesis projects as a Visual Development Portfolio project, which included multiple botanical aspects, fantasy, and academic storytelling. This past summer, I had the honor of being a Visual Development Intern at DreamWorks Animation this summer, which was truly one of the most incredible learning experiences I’ve had in my career so far. I’m so grateful to my mentors and supervisors there who have taught me so much, and leaves me excited for my future!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, is simply the people and the community I’ve had the absolute pleasure of surrounding myself with. It’s truly amazing to be an artist and collaborate with other artists/creatives consistently and reflecting the work we’ve all done together, and watching a story come to life by so many passionate people. The people I’ve worked with have made the experience for me, and they aren’t just co-workers but they’re your friends !

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I used to do a lot of artistic research just by watching tutorial videos – which are still super helpful !! However, I found myself advance a bit more strongly by researching what the professionals have in their portfolios !! I gained immense insight on what the industry searches for in their artists, by researching professional Vis Dev artists, Art Directors and Art leads, their portfolios and what they showcase, any Portfolio Reviews or Q&A events, and ultimately just developing my portfolio as if I’m on professional level by the time I graduated! Any favorite artist you have? Look at their websites/portfolio reels and notice how they set up their websites, and the type of work in their portfolios, it helped me a lot!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rachelgonzalezart.wixsite.com/rachelgonzalezart
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachhkell/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gonzalez-89059a186/
• Other: [email protected]