We are super excited to have concept artist Shaun Keenan do a new art tutorial for us, it's coming to the video subscription on 4/22!
If youโre not familiar with his work, go check out his Instagram. He does amazing things with dinosaurs and warriors.
This is the first art tutorial he's done for us here at SVSLearn. We thought we'd ask him a few questions so you guys can get acquainted ๐
How did you decide to become an artist?
Early in my childhood, while watching the Disney classic animated films, I learned that it was someone's job to draw and create these stories. From then on I knew that's what I wanted to do with my life. It's been a long bumpy road, but I'm still going.
What kind of education did you get in art?
I went to an art school. Some of the teachers (like Lee White) were extremely instrumental in my learning and training. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for them.
How did you get your first art gig?
I got my first gig right after graduating art college. The studio director from Liquid Development would frequent our school, and he became familiar with my work as a student. So when a gig came up that lined up with my style, I was asked to work on it.
How did you come up with the idea for your Kickstarter?
Doing my own illustrated dinosaur book has always been a dream of mine. However, the way this idea was conceived was very organic. I began doing a series of drawings of dinosaurs and cowboys and posting them to Instagram. They became very popular, and I really enjoyed doing them. I had people encourage me that I should do something more with these drawings, so, I decided to make it into a book.
What was the Kickstarter process like?
It was a lot of work, but very fun! I broke up the process up into little chunks so I wouldn't get completely overwhelmed. For example, when working on the video portion, that's all I did for the week, nothing else. Then another week I would be focused on setting up reward tiers. I'm not a very organized person, but doing the Kickstarter really helped me see that I could take on a big project basically all by myself.
Why did you decide to create the Digital Illustration art tutorial?
I have always wanted to do teaching in some capacity. So when Lee invited me to do a tutorial based on my dino illustrations, I jumped at the opportunity!
What do you hope our students will learn from your class?
I hope they learn that process and fundamentals really work, and even if it's a simple process, it will make the drawings come out better every time.
What do you wish you knew before before becoming a professional illustrator?
That even if you get that "dream art job," in time it will become just a job, and that it's important for me to always be working on personal work to satisfy my creative itch.
Coming to the subscription 4/22!
If you arenโt already a subscriber, now is a great time to join! For just $24.99 a month, youโll be able to stream Shaun's video, and get instant access to more than 80 other classes. Stream all you want!
Plus, we have a bunch of new videos coming the in the next few months, including:
More art licensing with Gina Jane
Watercolors with Vesper Stamper
Drapery and folds with Shawna Tenney
Using color effectively with Yas Imamura๏ปฟ