Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Lee.
Hi Elaine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 2004, my family returned home to South Korea. My love for sunshine, wild nature, friendly communities, and quirky saturated illustrations and cartoons stuck with me. I loved going home, but an American nostalgia followed me there.
I was fortunate enough to discover early that art is my life’s purpose. My mother was fundamental to my growth as an artist. As a kid, I’d go to her studio, where she painted delicate porcelain. She broadened my horizons, especially with her sense of color. Watching my mother work drove me to attend an arts high school in Korea, majoring in fine art. Korean schools are focused on rigorous or academic painting; they grade students on how realistically they could draw. This education helped me to have a strong foundation, but it hampered my creativity. I felt like I was doing the same thing as everybody else. The art I created seemed realistic but I didn’t feel like it had any personality.
In pursuit of more freedom to explore different styles, I went back to the States to study at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. At ArtCenter, I slowly saw the light that it’s okay to be unrealistic, abnormal, and different. ArtCenter has specific tracks within its majors to guide you along. I grew up watching animation or music videos that were made by motion designers. Seeing the various unique stage designs that are specific to their styles and themes thrilled me. It was there I knew this was the path for me.
The motion design industry deals with various clients with different styles and tones, so I’m never bored. I tried my best to experience a little bit of everything at ArtCenter. Thankfully, the Motion track taught me a wide range of skills such as illustration, photography, and compositional and conceptual thinking. I wore a lot of hats—I enjoyed picking up different styles and adapting to the needs of a project. My passion for motion design blossomed among the many professionals who shared their knowledge and experience with me.
Being a motion designer, I think it’s of the utmost importance I remain determined to be a versatile artist. I began as an artist drawing on a sketchbook and I moved into the digital world, dealing with 2D and 3D. Now I play with photography, ceramic, and printmaking on the side.
While dealing with different mediums, emotion is a big part of my work. I like to start by thinking about what I want the audience to feel. I love illustrating for both 2D and 3D, animating, and constantly exploring different ways to create art that resonates with viewers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I thought if my art is visually pleasing in itself, I don’t need to explain it, and the art could speak for itself. I want to direct my own projects, which is a very social job, but I’m an introvert. Sometimes I get queasy worrying if I sound stupid in my presentations. Now I’ve realized that being able to communicate is really important in this industry. I may never actively get on to center stage commanding a large audience, but I will communicate my ideas with confidence while expressing my own personality.
I have one term left before graduation at ArtCenter, so I am trying to be more proactive with giving feedback to peers, and I’m assisting my Sequential Design Professor Ara Devejian, which is forcing me to break out of my comfort zone. I’m still learning and growing on the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Forging a strong bond with the audience through my art is the biggest aspiration that keeps me moving forward. When I start the ideations and storytelling, thinking about what the essence of my storytelling is, I think about what I want my viewers to feel? It may sometimes make viewers happy, touched, uplifted, alert, enlightened, and so on. I want my artwork to give a viewer some breathing room from a world that can often feel cynical.
Even though I’m living in a world that can be cynical, that is full of very serious issues that appear in my other work, I still want to create work that evokes emotions that call back to a more child-like state of mind. I like to take a breath to preserve my innocent heart and channel it into my practice in hopes to inspire others to find that kid inside all of us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elainelee.info/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3laine.art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-lee-525a00236/
