Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
Hiya! My name’s Natalie. I’m a Background Artist and Illustrator based in New York. There’s nothing I love more than working with color these days, and although art has always been a part of my life, I never thought I’d find myself working in animation. I went to college for film studies, where my curriculum was very theory-focused, involving lots of research papers and reading. In my second year though, I remember seeing artists I followed announcing that they’d be interning at places like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
Getting to work at the studios that made the shows I grew up with? I thought that was so cool! And up until this point, it had never occurred to me that maybe I could do this too. So I grabbed my tablet (which I had barely ever used before this) and got to work. I started researching artists I liked, studied their work, and even signed up for classes at School of Visual Arts that I could take after getting out of my college lectures. Eventually, I managed to build my own portfolio based on what I had learned from artists I looked up to (many of whom are now my peers)!
Even though I never landed that internship at a big studio in my time as a student, I took every opportunity to attend portfolio reviews and always got some pretty positive feedback that kept me going. I was lucky enough to get my first industry gig at Disney TVA working as a Background Artist on the pilot for Primos just a few months after graduating. Since then, I’ve also worked as a Background Painter at Netflix on Carol & the End of the World, and I’m currently background painting at Titmouse on Disney TVA’s Kiff, which has been an absolute blast!
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
For a very long time when I was starting out, I felt some imposter syndrome for not having gone to a traditional art school like many industry folks have. It felt like I had missed out on an experience that would’ve made me way more skilled, prepared, and above all, desirable to studios. But when I started hearing from my friends and peers who had attended art schools, especially those who had graduated in 2020 with me, I realized this wasn’t entirely the case. Learning that I shared all of the same fears and uncertainties as people who had gone to school specifically for illustration and animation made me feel so much less isolated and led to a sense of community I never thought I’d have.
Now the biggest challenge I face is achieving stability in my career, like many industry folks. It’s disheartening to see so many extremely talented people looking for work because there’s so little to go around, especially after the wave of layoffs we’ve had. I remember spending the better half of 2022 looking for consistent work and coming up empty. It’s an extremely hard time to go through—having to constantly look for new contracts, which often only last for months at a time, can be exhausting. And living in that uncertainty can be so daunting. I hope it’s something that becomes less and less common in the industry. There’s so much wonderful work waiting to be made, and so many amazing folks who want to make it real!
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
I think there’s too many for me to list! My sources of inspiration are pretty fluid and tend to shift over time, but ever since I started focusing on background painting, Genice Chan and James Gilleard have been huge influences on my work. I really admire how effectively Genice communicates space through color and graphic shapes. Similarly, I love James’ graphic style, and the way he portrays light sources was absolutely game-changing for me. Their work has really informed my own process when approaching backgrounds.
I’m also lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the most talented, hard-working, and kindest people I’ve ever worked with on Kiff. I’m always inspired by everyone’s work, but how they all work together on a team has also been a huge inspiration. I’ve learned so much from them ever since I came on to the production, and I’m so grateful for their constant support and generosity.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
In addition to achieving more stability and longevity from project to project, I would love to start branching out into other parts of design, and get back into some of the background design and vis-dev work I was doing before! I’m also hoping to explore new roles like becoming a Paint or Color Lead, and maybe even moving into art direction eventually. More than anything, I want to be a resource for other artists, especially those who are also coming from non-traditional backgrounds.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
Being in the Union means something monumental for an artist on the East Coast. I feel extremely lucky to have been a part of the group at Titmouse that achieved the first Union contract outside of L.A., which is a tremendous feat. Many of those on the Negotiating Committee were my coworkers—seeing all the hard work they were putting in to ratify a contract that we would all be happy with, while working full-time on a production? Their willpower and strength astounded me (and still does)!
I never thought I’d be a part of the Guild and always assumed that maybe one day I’d have to move to the West Coast if I wanted protection and career stability. Now we’re seeing more and more studios around different parts of North America making incredible strides to unionize, and it’s invigorating to witness. I hope to get more involved in TAG and bolster our peers as we fight for a more unified community and industry!
Learn more about Natalie at her website.
Follow her on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
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