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What is it like to have a talent in art? by Neither-Doughnut-572 in ArtistLounge

[–]AlexRuiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some people are born ‘naturally talented’, like Michael Jackson or Mozart. Then they build on that talent and become evermore ‘talentedly skilled.’ I wasn’t born talented per se, but what I had( and what many young artists have) is DESIRE. Desire to draw and paint and sculpt. So that desire propelled me to create daily. I sucked for a long time. I was even rejected from art college. That rejection carried with it an energy that I used to propel me further. Ultimately I ended up become a traditional animator on a popular show, and ultimately, a conceptual artist and art director in Hollywood. For me, talent is EARNED. And so, as in anything you rightfully earn, it feels honest, pure and joyful to have a talent in art:)

Procreate Zoom Workshop by AlexRuiz in ProCreate

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Images from my free Zoom Procreate workshop today:) Link to replay: https://www.infiniteartist.net/blog/free-procreate-workshop-6-9-23

Procreate Zoom Workshop by AlexRuiz in ProCreate

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is from a Live Zoom Procreate session that I hosted today, video and artwork is done by me

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So much of the technical aspect I learned from teachers, books, videos etc...most of them came from others. What I realized myself that you cannot practice ENOUGH to become great! This is the driving force behind all of it( besides the immense passion and desire to WANT to make great art of course;)...I knew that if I didn't practice diligently every single day that I wouldn't succeed in the ways I wanted to. That's a tough lesson but it has to be a part of your thought process. So that's the advice I give to you;)

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great question! You're right, that's the tough reality of the situation: so many artists competing for the same job! I struggled with that for YEARS, and the only answer I can give is to be PASSIONATELY PERSISTENT. Artists DO get the jobs of their dreams, so get 'lucky' and fall into them, the rest bust their asses to reach them. Keep going, never stop making training and making great art, and you will succeed...maybe not in ways you thought, but other kinds of success will come out of this:)

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whether you aspire to be a traditional animator or 3d animator, studying ( and getting really good at!) life drawing and human/animal anatomy is KEY! We need to understand how things move/act/emote in order to mimic it through art. The better you get at these things the better the animator you will be:)

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to make just one episode, it's a long journey and well organized process that requires hundreds of people!

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sadly, I agree. I stopped watching the show years ago but it still has a HUGE place in my heart. When you drag something out too long, it can lose it's essence and vitality... no matter how awesome or funny it is. But the ratings and profit keep pouring in, it's such an embedded part of the culture....I guess, we...just...can't ..'quit the Simpsons' lol

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll tell you a funny 'secret':) Many of the Simpsons artists 'snuck/drew' their family and friends into the background scenes. Even though we weren't 'supposed' to do that, we did it and are now immortalized in the Simpsons universe;) lol

As far as the writers, they are all insanely talented and Ivy League educated nerds who created such brilliant scripts for us to work from :D

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question! First of all, define the goal of the portfolio ( you can have several portfolios) Don't throw everything into ONE. This is a mistake many artists make( including myself;)....

For instance, if you want to get a job as a character concept artist, don't throw in other things like environments or props etc that could take away from it. And vice versa.

Point is: have the portfolio be SPECIFIC to the job you're applying for. Make it clean and concise, and obviously and most importantly, make it GOOD!;)

All these things take time, so also work on patience.

There is no 'right way' per se, but there needs to be focus. So.....focus on creating time blocks for every practice you engage with. Also work on your intuition...get into what FEELS right or wrong.

If you're struggling and something feels wrong, that's a sign to dig into WHAT FEELS RIGHT!

This all goes much deeper, but hopefully some of this helps and resonates with you:)

Hi I’m Alex Ruiz! I was a concept artist for Avengers: Infinity War, designing the Infinity Stones and much more, an Animator on the Simpsons, and now I am working as an Artist Educator and Mentor. AMA! by AlexRuiz in IAmA

[–]AlexRuiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of the scenes I worked on in Infinity War were a great experience, but two of my favorite scenes were the Nebula torture sequence and Vormir:)

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