As a visual development artist, I create concepts and assets that guide the animation process – from the detailed backgrounds to characters and how they interact with their surroundings.
I work as a visual development artist in the world of animation. While I’m not the one animating the moving pictures you see on screen, my job is to design the objects, environments, and characters that bring animations to life. As a visual development artist, I create concepts and assets that guide the animation process – from the detailed backgrounds to characters and how they interact with their surroundings.
Animated movies and TV shows played a big role in my childhood. The characters and worlds I grew up immersed in fueled my creativity and inspired me to create my worlds. I’d dream up fantastical beings and creatures, and I could bring these ideas to life with my love of drawing. As I got older, my passion for storytelling and creating only grew, and I knew that becoming an artist was the right direction for me and my pursuits.
It wasn’t until university that I understood what type of artist I wanted to be. There, I discovered visual development artistry as a career path after learning about the work that goes into creating the films and shows that I loved so much as a child. What I have long known, however, is that I wanted my art to inspire people, and to spark creativity and wonder in others’ minds.
Sofie Levin, Class of 2014