Cartoon Network - June 2019 to March 2022

Growing into the role of Art Director has been by far my most challenging and rewarding position. Having already experienced such varied roles in my animation career ranging from intern to production to designer to supervisor has been incredibly fundamental in preparing me for the wide range of never-ending tasks that come with the job. Here’s a general breakdown of my contributions as Art Director:

As a creative leader on this production I’m excited to be involved in nearly every aspect of the animation pipeline. From the very beginning I scrutinize the final storyboard, looking for any visual inconsistencies, visualizing the changing palettes and choosing which assets our team will be responsible for creating, as well as which we may be able to reuse or provide as reference.

Next I decide how to allocate assignments, balancing workloads, strengths and preferences amongst our team of talented artists. Along with their assignments I like to anticipate questions by including all relevant reference to help designers succeed such as development art, lead sheets, tips and/or existing assets.

As artwork is submitted, I offer constructive notes if needed and will work closely with the creator, producers and other supervisors to make sure our shared vision for the episode is still on track.

Before final assets are sent to our overseas studio, I create detailed lists directing the animation team on which assets to use and/or informing them of any special instructions scene by scene for each of the hundred scenes per episode. This last step ensures all assets are accounted for and helps to guide the studio through our vision of the episode, hopefully cutting down in post production work and studio costs.

At every stage I am always aware of maximizing our talent and resources efficiently and respectfully. I approach the production with a keen eye for detail and prioritize upholding an aesthetic consistent with the show’s existing style. Collaboration and open communication is always encouraged, and I enjoy maintaining an environment that allows for fluidity in the process, especially in this new work-from-home era.

Cartoon Network - April 2018 to March 2019

As Lead Color Designer for Infinity Train my responsibilities included developing color palettes for all animated characters, props and EFX. As this project is very dramatic visually, this often meant multiple palettes per asset/per episode to fit with various location and lighting changes, as well as adding rim lights and shadows to help models become more cohesive with environments. I would create scene mock-ups for busier scenes and breakdown model color composition and/or add detailed notes for more complicated sequences. I also provided color reference sheets for overseas studios. When needed, I would hand out assignments to freelance artists with and review incoming work for accuracy and continuity.

Cartoon Network - June 2017 to April 2018

As Color Supervisor I was responsible for overseeing the work of our two color designers, including handing out assignments, tracking submissions and ensuring accuracy and continuity. I would also create thorough model reference lists for our overseas studios and handle any color retakes. Working closely with the creator and art director, I helped develop unique color palettes for special show related projects such as the opening title sequence, key art assets and marketing materials.

Nickelodeon Studios - October 2016 to April 2017

As Color Designer for ‘Rocko’s Modern Life – Static Cling’ I was responsible for creating color palettes for all animating characters, props and EFX. As this project was a reboot of a past Nickelodeon property originally animated with painted cels, I had the unique task of translating traditional cel paint palettes into a digital color key. I also researched old episodes of the property to ensure continuity with any recurring characters and props.

2007 - Present

Throughout my color design career I have worked with a variety of studios on many projects creating unique and identifying palettes. Some past and present projects include:

‘Among Us’ (In production), Titmouse Studios

‘Velma’ (Season 2- Unaired), Warner Brothers Studios for HBOmax

‘Jessica’s Big Little World’, Cartoon Network Studios

‘Regular Show’, Cartoon Network Studios

‘Regular Show: The Movie’, Cartoon Network Studios

‘Uncle Grandpa’, Cartoon Network Studios

“Secret Mountain Fort Awesome”, Cartoon Network Studios

‘Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack’, Cartoon Network Studios

‘Bottom’s Butte’ by Minty Lewis, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘The Fancies’ by Stephen P. Neary, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘Jammers’ by Lizz Hickey, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘Legendary Place’ by Calvin Wong, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘Long Live The Royals’ by Sean Szeles, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘Summer Camp Island’ by Julia Pott, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘Tiggle Winks’ by Myke Chillian, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘Unlovable’ by Esther Pearl Watson, Cartoon Network Shorts

‘OKKO Let’s Be Heroes!’, Cartoon Network Studios

‘Deathstroke’, Titmouse Studios

‘Luna Around the World (Pilot)’, Joe Murray Studios for PBS

‘Toasty Tales’, Amazon Studios