Tabla de contenidos para October 2023 en ImagineFX

While art can cover many genres and areas of focus, I’d suggest it’s fair to say that character work makes up by far the largest proportion. With that in mind, we thought it high time to speak with top character artists from around the globe to share their work. Over the course of this issue you’ll discover a collection of stunning character art, in a multitude of styles and genres. And if you want something meatier to get your teeth into, then we have a feature on the concept art for the video game Wayfinder, as well as an insight into the art and mind of Kenneth Anderson, the wonderful artist behind some gorgeous work for younger fans. Not only that, we spoke to Betsy Bauer and Luis Gadea about…

LOCATION: Malaysia MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.artstation.com/kudaman Tan Zhi Hui, AKA Kudaman, is a freelance digital illustrator and concept artist based in Malacca, Malaysia. He works primarily in the video game industry, specialising in visual development, character concepts, character stylisation and illustration. Some of Kudaman’s most notable clients include, Epic Games, Supercell, Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard Entertainment, Amazon Games and Tencent Games. “Drawing inspiration from daily life, my surroundings, and animated films and series, I firmly believe that pursuing a passion, even from within the confines of a comfort zone, greatly contributes to an artist’s development in the long run,” Kudaman says. 1 2O22 “Jumping into the Year of the Tiger with boundless energy and leaping towards new opportunities.” 2 2O23 “As the Year of the Rabbit neared,…

LOCATION: Montenegro MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: https://aciidea.artstation.com Helena is a character artist who is inspired by real life. She loves hearing stories about people’s lives; how they feel happy or lonely, or when they are misunderstood. “Once my friend said to me, ‘Let’s go draw funny postcards on the computer’, and that’s how I became a digital artist,” says Helena. “I’ve drawn since I was a child, but I never thought that it could become a profession for me. “But one day at work, I had to make a 3D visualisation for one of our projects, and I couldn’t create beautiful grass. I decided that I needed to draw it using a tablet and I asked myself, ‘Why can’t I draw all the time?’” 1 HEADLESS “This story is…

LOCATION: France MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.artstation.com/badmiaou After studying cinema in Paris, Chloe spent 15 years working in the animation and video game industries, specialising in cinematic editing and storyboarding. The studios she has worked with include the likes of Naughty Dog, Riot Games, Don’t Nod, Ubisoft and Activision. A love for concept art led her to venture into drawing eight years ago, where she started from scratch and learned everything on her own. Her forte is drawing stylised characters, but she also enjoys creating ultrarealistic characters. "Beyoncé was my main inspiration for this character, and I loved drawing all that gold" 1 GLORY “For Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, Don’t Nod’s visual novel, I had to draw the Aspirations, who are a kind of modern god, and this…

LOCATION: US MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.artstation.com/qfang Qiu Fang is a US-based artist and instructor, who currently works as a principal concept artist with Riot Games. “Manga had a profound influence over my art as a kid,” he says. “I’d pore over Dragon Ball, Naruto and Bleach, and draw pages of my own panels. In high school, my passion for games merged with my love for drawing and inspired me to become a concept artist. “As a concept artist, I see myself first as a problem solver. I approach each character design first by crafting a unique puzzle, and then unravelling them. Ultimately, I want my characters to be memorable because of their ideas, evoking a sense of a broader world and narrative beyond just drawings.” "In high school, my…

LOCATION: US MEDIA: Procreate WEB: www.stephanierizo.com Stephanie is a Mexican-American character designer and story artist in animation. She grew up in Costa Mesa, California, where she attended Orange Coast College and studied narrative illustration. After graduating she worked at Starbucks during the day and as a freelance character designer at night. Her first job in the industry was working for a short time on the Unikitty! show at Warner Bros. Animation. Since then, Stephanie has been a freelance character designer for studios such as Nickelodeon, DreamWorks TV, Disney TV, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and Netflix, where she was part of the team that created Arlo the Alligator Boy. She is currently a story artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios. “I keep it loose and don’t worry about a perfect…

LOCATION: Armenia WEB: www.artstation.com/grafit Grafit Studio is an outsourcing art studio based in Armenia with a team of over 100 artists. Since 2007, they have provided a variety of commercial art services including marketing art, illustration, concept art, visual development, 3D work and more. “We’re passionate about art and want to make our contribution to the art community in many ways,” they say. “We own a photo studio where we create reference packs for both selling and for using in our internal and commercial projects. Our team strongly believes using photos is great for learning and developing art skills, and for making efficient commercial pipelines. “Another key milestone was launching Grafit Academy with online courses for CG artists. We’ve built up massive experience of commercial work, with many of our…

LOCATION: Brazil MEDIA: Photoshop, Procreate, Paint Tool SAI WEB: www.instagram.com/mz09art Also known as MZ09, Julio is an art director, character designer and visual artist. He has worked for major companies as a freelance character designer, such as DreamWorks TV, Nick Jr. and Disney Animation. “Currently I’m focused on my career as a visual artist on my project Alleathorium,” he says. “It initially emerged as a reflection of the personal tastes that have influenced my development, steering away from the trends imposed by the Western animation market. “That’s why in many of my artworks, the characters seem to be dissociating. It’s my way to understand what I want to convey, what I want to say, and where it belongs. “The project has evolved, and now I aim to merge…

LOCATION: China MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.instagram.com/djangojy Yang J is a digital artist based in China, who has created concept work for a number of companies in the video games industry. “I currently live and work in Shanghai,” he says. “I previously spent many years at Epic Games, where I provided concept designs for various projects including Fortnite. Currently I’m working for a mobile gaming company. “I haven’t been actively managing my social media platforms lately, but I plan to begin uploading more of my artwork onto my Instagram page. You can also see more of my work on ArtStation.” “I wanted to depict a queen sitting on a throne of corpses in the shape of a tongue„ 1 THE TIP OF THE DEVIL’S TONGUE “I wanted to depict…

LOCATION: Belgium MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.artstation.com/lovk1y Concept artist and illustrator Evgeniy first started drawing as a child. He has loved video games and movies for as long as he can remember, and has a particular passion for anything science fiction. “As a teenager I went to art school, but I was there for only three years because I got expelled for poor performance,” he explains. “I got into the industry at around age 25 as a 3D artist, as I wasn’t sure I had enough talent for 2D, especially concept art. “After reading a thread online where one guy, from scratch, became an incredibly strong artist in just two years, I realised that it’s not about talent, but conscious practice. At the end of 2016, at age 32,…

LOCATION: US MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.artstation.com/stellachenyui Stella is a self-taught artist working in the game and animation industries. Although originally from Taiwan, she now resides in Los Angeles and currently works at Riot Games as an illustrator. “Having had the chance to live in France, my artistic journey has also been profoundly influenced by the tranquillity of European forests, charming cottages, and the delightful variety of the local cuisine,” Stella says. “I’ve always been fascinated by miniature houses too, where little animals cook and bake just like humans, but using tiny pots and stoves. It’s my passion to create characters and worlds that are rich in emotion and evoke a sense of calm and serenity.” "It’s my passion to create characters and worlds rich in emotion and that evoke…

LOCATION : US MEDIA: Paint Tool SAI, Procreate WEB: https://marcusthevisual.com Along-time lover of video games, comic art and all things animated, Marcus began dedicating his young artistic years to finetuning his illustration by way of freelancing. “Over 18 years later, I’m catching my stride and still growing in the hope of being a wellrounded illustrator,” he says. “I spend most of my time toiling late nights on everything from illustrating comic art, fan art and children’s books to random character commissions. “A proud father of two, I somehow manage to steal away enough time to create loads of art and check homework. I’m excited for the direction my comic properties are heading, and look forward to creating more forms of visual entertainment and stories to enjoy.” 1 AFRO…

This is one of my latest side projects. It emerged from a desire to draw with a different mindset. I started it in 2022 right before LightBox Expo, and I wanted my table at the convention to be something unusual, something unrelated to animation. I also wanted to work in a more artsy way and create something that would appeal to a bigger audience, so I did a few tests with various materials. I started with watercolours, but this didn’t work out because the colours weren’t strong enough. I then tried gouache but wasn’t happy with that either, so I tried acrylics. This was the right path, but I had to adapt to what the drawing was calling for. I did a bunch of tests that didn’t work out and…

LOCATION: Canada MEDIA: Photoshop, Procreate, Storyboard Pro WEB: https://droidbrush.carbonmade.com Jon is a professional storyboard artist and character designer who works in the video games and animation industries. His clients include the likes of Riot Games, Blizzard, Marvel Studios and The Line. “There is nothing that brings me more joy than telling stories with my artwork, whether it be through storyboarding, comics, writing, illustrations or character designs,” says Jon. “Finding out who a character is, what it is that drives them, and how they interact with other characters has always sparked my interest, and there is always something new that can be learned. “Observation is important, but living and having new experiences is even more vital. Grow with your experiences, and be curious, and your art will improve naturally.…

LOCATION: Portugal MEDIA: Photoshop, Illustrator, ZBrush WEB: www.artstation.com/aronelekes Aron is a veteran illustrator and concept artist. He has previously worked on major game projects including Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat XL and Assassin’s Creed, and now also serves as a mentor. “My background is rooted in fine art,” he explains. “I went hard on figure drawing and anatomy at university; attending autopsies was a weekly activity. My enthusiasm earned me the university’s most prestigious award. “My game development career got started with Mortal Kombat XL, which was a reallly cool project, and I also worked on the Magic Spellslingers project with Wizards of the Coast. I then moved to LA and became a part of Riot Games for over five years. Currently I’m mentoring and working on my personal…

LOCATION: US MEDIA: Procreate, Photoshop WEB : https://andresmoncayo.com An art director and illustrator, Andrés has worked with the likes of Disney+, ESPN and Paramount Pictures. He also leads a design and illustration course on Domestika. “My work expresses a relationship and the connection between nature, the environment and humanity,” Andrés says. “I like to give an open message to the viewer so everyone can have a personal interpretation of what they see. I typically use neon and vibrant colours to make the painting fun and attractive. “I see myself more as a graphic designer than an artist, and I think that is reflected in my paintings. I love to use typography on them and play with the position of different elements on my pieces.” 1 GAARA “I’m a…

LOCATION: Italy MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: https://francesca_gaia_serafini.artstation.com Francesca has worked in the video games world for a number of years, and is currently with Reply Game Studios. She also has a dream of working in the animation industry. “I’m a person that’s enthusiastic about life,” Francesca says. “I love to learn new things; drawing and studying nature are two of my greatest passions. I always try to combine them, creating stories and characters that are inspired by the world around us, or inventing educational products for kids. “My greatest dream is to work in animation, and to be able to give back all the emotions I felt since the first time I watched an animated movie as a child. I love stories, as they can give you the opportunity to…

LOCATION: China MEDIA: Photoshop WEB: www.artstation.com/warmdong Wei Ming Dong, also known as Ming, is a concept artist based in China. A graduate of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute based in Chongqing, they have since garnered 10 years of experience working in the industry. “I like to draw magical and science fictionthemed designs, and I’m also interested in fashion and cyber themes,” Ming says. “I like to draw simple sketches and spend more time creating design series defining worlds.” 1 SKETCH 1 “This is a set of sketching exercises, looking to draw different character designs. Little detail is needed, but I wanted each character to be unique. I also wanted to try new ways of drawing lines; it’s a new challenge and a way to find inspiration.” 2 MACHINE…

Working out of his business Character Cube, Kenneth Anderson has created character designs and illustrations for the likes of Nick Jr., Sesame Workshop and CBeebies. He tells us how his characters and stories work together, and how he captures both in a single image. How did you get started, and what has your career been like so far? I’ve been working as an artist since around 2005 and I’ve just realised that’s almost 20 years ago. I didn’t realise it’s been so long! I always knew I wanted to draw for a living and to work in animation in some capacity, so I studied animation at university up in Dundee, Scotland. I was lucky enough to start working fairly quickly after graduating, but my first job was as a junior…

LOCATION: England WEB: https://mooncolony.co Mooncolony is a concept art and illustration studio situated in vibrant Cambridge, and was established by creative director Emrah Elmasli in 2016. “We pride ourselves on providing premium 2D art and illustration services to video game developers across the globe, from free-toplay mobile games to AAA blockbusters,” they say. “We set out to partner with the best studios globally and have had opportunities to work on amazing IPs such as Hearthstone, Diablo IV, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Wayfinder, Clash Royale, Brawl Stars, Palia, The Elder Scrolls Online and more! “Our tight-knit team drives our success, sharing a united passion, enthusiasm, and high standard for digital art. Decades of combined experience meet with a diverse range of talent and skills, which allows us to adapt to any…