Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Well, here it goes.




My first post here!
My "stage name" is Izzy Zee. Sometimes I go under Liz or L. 
I am a character designer and an art teacher!
I started drawing at age 3, inspired by Don Bluth films, older Disney films, and musicals. I was an oddball.
I made my first characters around 4, about some weird looking thing named smiley and his girlfriend who went on neighborhood adventures. I'd narrate the story as my mom wrote it down next to the illustrations, stapling pages of printer paper together. I would pretend I was a lion in most cases and I wanted a tail.  I'd make up imaginary friends and draw them on the sidewalks growing up in a quiet studio city neighborhood.
I decided at 8 I wanted to draw cartoons for a living and at 13 I realized character design and visual development was my niche. Character design and animation is my life, I couldn't imagine my life without it.
I've always been a hard worker, a bit of an over-achiever. I'd charge into things that most would be afraid of doing, I felt as if my age never mattered and I still hold that theory to this day.
Later in life I was the youngest to attend a college class in animation at age 14. Most of my peers didn't take me seriously, in fact some of them went out of their way to show they didn't like me with dirty looks and ignoring me when I had a say in a project. Ironically I left the class with full credit, an A, and a recommendation letter for a university or work.
I went to an art school in LA for a while. I learned a good amount of skill there for 2 years, taught there, upgraded to every class, and got caught in a whirlwind for a while.
I have now been teaching for 3 years to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Currently I am working on various projects for various people, including illustration, character design, private instruction, etc.  I plan to post those projects as time goes on.
I also do volunteer work for my local community, working with small children in arts and crafts. So yeah, I'm around little ones a lot.
I am majoring in Animation and Visual Effects!
My artistic influences are Don Bluth, Chris Sanders, Glen Keane, Jim Smith, Jin Kim, Chuck Jones, John Nevarez, the list goes on and on.
Outside of animation I am fascinated with theatre. I love making people happy and I am always on to entertain others. Improv theatre is amazing. I am a  huge Green Day fan, something you will come to know as I post tidbits of me. I love 60s and 70s pop culture, cooking, and psychology.  I also really love anything Charlie Chaplin.

I hope to post the journey of my life as an artist, maybe getting to know you all a bit better! I still have much to learn, as any artist. But what knowledge I do know, I'll gladly share.
See that panda up there? Her name is Izzy too! And she likes hugging people, just watch out because she is kind of stinky and gassy. But she means well.