Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’ve always been a “use all the crayon colors” kind of artist, especially as a kid. I would rush past the line-drawing portion of a piece to jump into throwing blotches of paint everywhere. Turns out, in the world of 2D animation, there is a role that fits just that! My career has focused on both color design and background painting, and I love to see how I can take the beautiful line work of others and give it that extra spice of life.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
Fear of failure kept me nervous about deciding to go to art school, then wanting to pursue animation, and finally putting myself out there to apply for the role. It was always easy to compare myself to others at their best and assume I wasn’t enough. Jumping out of my comfort zone meant making mistakes in the search of learning my craft, but I ended up loving who I am. Now, failure is no big deal—just another stone on the path to bigger, better things!
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
Mary Blair from both her whimsical art style to her ability to stand strong as an odd one out in her industry at the time deeply inspires me. Her use of color and shape is so iconic and bold! The world often looks down on those who commit to overly “feminine” or “childish” types of expression, yet she was able to grow past others’ doubts to create a lasting impact on her time.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
I want to continue to push my own art through experimenting with style to make something that feels truly my own. Embracing my perspective and experience and then infusing that with the work of others to make something emotionally impactful to an audience. I’d love to continue to work on the color pipeline of TV animation as well as experiment with visual development!
What does being in the Union mean to you?
To me “union” means a community that is proud to stand with me as I am with them! That together we can fight for not only what will make my life better, but for the safety and security of others who even now are overlooked. In a world where it is easy to feel small and disempowered, the union gives me a space to share my voice and be supported.
Learn more about Courtney at her website.
Follow her on Instagram.
.png)