Today we’d like to introduce you to Asia Ellington.
Asia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in the Bay Area, California. I’ve been drawing since I was very young and took a lot of inspiration from what I was shown as a child, mainly animation and film.
With yearly family vacations to Disneyland and growing up learning Walt and his legacy, I knew from the start I wanted to have a career in art. My first job in high school was as a Caricature artist at a local theme park, and after I graduated I traveled doing caricatures for a while and drew people from all over the country!
Eventually, I took to social media to document and share my art and my life, and that’s grown and lead me to become a freelance illustrator, while also being a full-time student currently studying at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco- with a major in Visual Development.
Today, I let my culture, passion for character design, fashion, film, musical theater, and pop culture inspire my work. Though I’m still striving toward my goals to get into the animation industry and working hard every day to improve my skills, I’m humbled and happy knowing I can make people smile with my art along the way.
Has it been a smooth road?
Being someone in the art world today does have its struggles, especially in the world of social media. You’re constantly surrounded by such amazing and inspiring work, so sometimes you might get stuck in your own head on how your work and productivity “compares” to others. Though it’s pretty easy to fall into that cycle, I try to remind myself every day to be as genuine as possible and to stick with what I love and what makes me the most happy about life.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
While I’ve mentioned I’m currently studying in Visual Development, I have the great fun of supporting myself as a Freelance Illustrator! Freelance for me means taking on many different types of projects, whether its private commission works, merchandise and logo design, and even illustrating books! I also run my own Etsy shop where I sell prints of my work.
I think I’m the most proud of my diverse range of work I do, and while people do know me for certain things (whether it’s caricatures, fan art, etc.), I try not to limit myself to one “type” of art. I’m super grateful for the support I get through social media, and they’ve definitely been a big factor in my success today.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
California, especially the LA area, is such a juggernaut for all things art and animation!
No matter what industry you’re in, whether its illustration, concept art, children’s books, animation, or visual effects, this really is the prime location to be in no matter what level you are.
It’s such a great melting pot for different artists, cultures, and stories, so being around that makes for great networking and growing your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ellingtonasia3.wixsite.com/website
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @asiadraws
- Facebook: @asiadraws
- Twitter: @asiadraws
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
