Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelica Skies.
Angelica, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I remember I began drawing the moment I was able to hold a pencil in my hand. My mom was very strict and would not allow me to go outside the house. I decided to pass my time drawing, watching cartoons, and playing video games. I was completely enthralled with the idea of creating a world that anyone can interact with. That’s when I wanted to try and create a world of my own.
We all start somewhere. At first, instead of drawing, I traced all of my favorite characters (Mainly the Powerpuff Girls and Sailor Moon). They came out so well, but I always had this overwhelming guilt that it wasn’t truly my work. I continued doing this until I could no longer tolerate the feeling inside my chest. One day, I wanted to test my art abilities and drew without tracing. It wasn’t a good drawing however, I was extremely proud of myself that day, especially because I felt no guilt when I looked at my artwork. Ever since that day, I promised myself that I would never trace again.
When the time came for me to choose a career, I knew I wanted to do something with art. My mom on the other hand, wanted me to go into the medical field. I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I complied and chose to study dental hygiene. I only stayed in school for a year until I finally came to the realization that I only had one life, I don’t want to waste it doing something that I had no interest in. It took a while, but I was able to convince my mother to let me study art.
Confident in my art skills, I enrolled at Platt College in San Diego to pursue a career in 3d modeling. Before I got into the 3d classes, I had to learn graphic design during the first year. I honestly thought I wouldn’t enjoy my first classes, but I had a lot of fun learning and doing the projects. I am currently in a 3d modeling class and I still use all of the fundamentals of design I learned in my previous courses. I hope to be part of a team that creates a world full wonderful experiences for those who play video games or watch movies through my art just like others had done for me.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I create a lot of flat design for both web and print. I began making web icons and fan art from a few shows that I enjoy. I make a sketch and then I use Illustrator and Photoshop for my flat design work.
I recently started to create 3d models, which is completely different from my flat design work. I first think of the object that I want to create and try to find a lot of references online. I look for images that show the top, front, side, and bottom of the object. I try my best to create the object from the images I gathered with in Maya 2018. Afterwards, I “cut” my model into pieces that will later be “sewn” in order to color it and add details. It’s similar to clothes, there’s big and small pieces that have to be cut and sewn in order to become a shirt or pants. I add details to the model in either NDO (Quixel) or Zbrush to give the illusion of having something come out or be pushed in. Lastly, I add color and textures in DDo (Quixel).
I try to tell a story with my 3d art. For example. a gramophone that has been a lot and someone stored in the garage and totally forgot about it. Then years later their kids explore the garage in hopes of finding a toy but they discover a device they have never seen before. I hope to inspire others try to tell a story through their art as well.
How can artists connect with other artists?
There’s a lot of ways to connect with artists nowadays thanks to the internet. Instagram is very popular among artist. I suggest direct messaging someone you admire and ask them any questions you might have or if you’re not brave enough to ask them something, you can always leave a comment, a lot of artists do respond (even if it’s just a “thanks”). You can also join a group on Facebook who are full of artist striving to get better by posting and critiquing each other. I would say you can connect with just about anyone through any app or website. My main advice is to not be shy about asking and trying to reach out. In time, who knows, you might even make a friend!
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can see my work on social media.
https://www.instagram.com/angelica_skies/
https://dribbble.com/angelicaskies
Contact Info:
- Phone: 614-284-6603
- Email: skiesangelica@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelica_skies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skiesangelica/?ref=bookmarks
- Other: https://dribbble.com/angelicaskies
Image Credit:
Angelica Skies
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