Conversations with Katrin Ignatova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katrin Ignatova.

Hi Katrin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a Storyboard Artist and Revisionist with a passion for comedy. I also love to write, draw comics or just doodle random things in my sketchbook. I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, but my family and I moved quite a bit when I was growing up. I spent a good part of my childhood in Germany and that’s when I really started to find my passion for storytelling and drawing comics. The whole situation of being in a completely different country and having to learn a whole new language in order to fit in was a bit confusing to me as a kid, and I think coming up with stories and visualizing them on paper became a way for me to process everything. Eventually, I found a way to turn that into a career and I somehow convinced my parents to let me go to Ringling College of Art and Design to study Computer Animation. After taking some Storyboarding classes there, I realized that’s what I wanted to do for a living. I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love as a profession now, and I couldn’t be here without the support of my family, friends and mentors.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think everyone’s path has its own unique challenges. For me, there have definitely been ups and downs, but I try not to focus too much on the downs. My BFA program in college was quite challenging, and it took a lot of energy for me to balance it with my job as a Resident Assistant. However, it felt very rewarding in the end, and I made some amazing friends along the way. I completed a thesis film, which showed me that I was capable of a lot more than I thought before. I was lucky to get a job almost immediately after college, and I was able to move to LA thanks to that. Moving to LA as a 22-year-old comes with its own set of challenges, especially as someone whose family lives on a different continent. I’m not able to visit my parents as often as I would like, and that can be tough. I have a niece and nephew who are growing up really fast and it’s hard not being able to spend much time with them. Otherwise, I do consider myself very lucky and I’m extremely thankful for all the opportunities that I’ve gotten, as well as all the amazing friends and mentors that I have met and continue to meet along the way. Besides, I think it’s pretty amazing that my niece and nephew in Bulgaria might be watching some of the things I have worked on. Definitely adding to my “cool aunt” points.

What are you the most proud of in your work?
I’m a Storyboard Artist and Revisionist with a love for comedy. I feel very lucky for the career opportunities I’ve gotten so far, the projects I’ve had the chance to work on and the talented people that I’ve met along the way. I also draw comics and post them on Instagram as often as I can. With those, I try to let loose as much as possible and just have fun with the process. A lot of it is about discovering new ideas, styles, cartoony gags and stories for bigger projects that I might work on later on, and they’re usually inspired by my personal life or other ideas and rough doodles from my sketchbooks. In terms of my personal art, I would say I’m the happiest whenever I notice progress or whenever I can feel that I’m simply having fun with a project. That’s always a very special thing. This is actually a bit of a hard question for me. Those who know me well know that I rarely use the work “proud.” I also like to acknowledge how lucky I am to be able to do what I do before saying that I’m proud of what I do if that makes sense. It could have to do with my Bulgarian upbringing, but it feels strange to say I’m proud of, for example, drawing something when I know that not many people where I’m from get a chance to do art for a living. I’m beyond grateful to my parents for letting me pursue a career in animation, and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without their support. Regardless, I try to acknowledge how far I’ve come every now and then. It’s a nice reminder to keep going.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I think what has worked best for me is going to events in the animation industry and meeting people in person. Making genuine connections is very important. I have made a lot of friends that way and I can’t stress enough how much that has helped me both professionally and emotionally. Having a network of people that you enjoy being with who share the same interests and passion as you is a really valuable thing. LA, of course, is an amazing place to find people like that in the animation industry. Plus, I made a ton of friends in college who have also moved out here to work, and we keep in touch, go hiking or skiing together and hang out. Some people from my class even work at the same companies. When I was in college, I would sometimes reach out to professionals that I looked up to, some of whom were alumni from my school. Luckily, everyone I’ve talked to in this industry has been really nice and they’ve given me some of the best advice I could’ve gotten as a student. I received a lot of great portfolio tips before I started applying for jobs that way, and I still keep in touch with many of those people to this day. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to someone you admire if you’re a student. I know that can be challenging, but my experiences have always been very positive and encouraging. Just be kind, polite, be mindful of people’s time and be patient.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katrinignatova.wixsite.com/portfolio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katzdoodles/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrin-ignatova-0b605416b/