Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’m from the East Coast, and came to the West Coast to work in animation. I explored a lot of possibilities in art—fine art, graphic design, illustration, and motion design—before deciding to go into animation. To me, I felt like animation had the most learning opportunities within the career path. My mom and dad were really supportive, and I’m very grateful for that! I love my parents so much—it’s been especially hard during the pandemic living so far from them.
I recently started as a Visual Development Artist at Wild Canary on an unannounced Disney Junior show. For the past few years I’ve been painting backgrounds at Disney TV on Big City Greens. I’ve also worked in other animation roles, such as storyboard revisionist and character design freelance. And recently I’ve done illustration work on the side for book covers and middle grade chapter books. I’ve learned a lot from trying these different roles, but currently I am loving just focusing on visual development full time.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
There have been many! One that stands out is constantly changing technology demands for jobs as new technology emerges. 3D is becoming increasingly more valued and used in different types of jobs (visual development, storyboarding, etc). Trying to keep up with these new trends can be tough.
Another is having to keep your overall skill set sharp. In the majority of animation jobs, the skill set required is usually very specific, i.e. color for background paint/color design or perspective/design for background design/props. And if you’re in a certain job category for a while, it’s easy to lose track of skills not required for that job. So in order to not lose proficiency, it’s important to keep your other skills honed in your free time, or you can forget some things. I’ve definitely forgotten and had to relearn a few things myself through trial and error!
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of talented people in animation—one of those being my good friend Michelle Lin. She is currently an Assistant Art Director at Wild Canary and also one of the co-founders of Warrior Painters. I find it inspiring to see how she excels at whatever she sets her mind to, whether it is character design, plein air painting, or visual development. She can do it all! In addition to that, she is one of the kindest, most organized, and reliable people I’ve met in the field. She is a natural leader, and I have learned a lot from her ability to maintain a good work/life balance.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
As an artist, I would love to keep improving my skill set and take on job opportunities that I can learn from. Working on a medieval feature as a vis-dev artist would especially be a dream come true!
I’ve worked on a lot of different types of shows, in many different roles (revisionist, background painter, vis-dev artist, etc). I’ve learned that while it’s important to keep learning and taking on challenging tasks, what’s overall valuable to me is a happy home to come to at the end of the day. Making investments in my personal life have paid off so many dividends. I feel lucky coming home every day to my partner and my dog. While artistic accomplishments are great, as I get older I value family and home life more and more.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
Everything! I had no idea what it meant when I started—it just sounded like a cool thing to tell my parents about. But now that I’ve learned more about it, I truly value it for the stability it has provided me. Having base working conditions and salaries has helped so much when transitioning from job to job. It guarantees a basic quality of life for as long as I am employed. I am also grateful for the ability to build a pension that can be locked in after five years straight in the industry, and look forward to the future benefits offered if I can keep working an additional ten years.
The healthcare benefits via MPI insurance are also amazing. I especially appreciate the access to the quality care of UCLA doctors—and their dermatologists which I recently found out about! The $5 co-pay for therapy through Optum is an amazing deal I hope everyone tries out. I’ve also recently done a sleep study and gotten a massage through our insurance. Please take advantage of your awesome health care. Your body will thank you!
See more of Kelsey’s artwork at her website.
Follow her on Instagram.
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