Meet Brandon Touloujian of Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Touloujian

Hi Brandon, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Brandon has been fascinated with narrative artwork and cartoons since he was a very young child. He spent days recreating master works of impressionism for fun on the weekends. His grandmother was his first inspiration, she painted prolifically as a hobby and sold many paintings. “I’ve always known narrative artwork in some shape or form would be part of my life, because I believe we all have a story to tell, and I am interested in how story connects us all. I was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Orange County, so there was quite a bit of material to pull from. My father is from Lebanon and owns a prominent hair salon in West Hollywood. My mother was an actress, and she grew up in Orange County. When I was about 10 years old we moved to Orange County. From amazing opportunities like the beach and Disneyland being so close by, to my favorite television shows and theater productions, there was never a shortage of inspiration. I remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with my parents to see the Duncan Phillips Exhibit. My favorite painting of all time was Renoirs, “The Luncheon of the Boating Party”. Somehow that painting, besides its beauty, told a story that I found very moving. It, like many of my favorite animated films at the time, captured an essence–it was storytelling. I had painted copies of it many times and had brought my sketchbook along to do some studies of it. I remember the museum guard was astonished to see such focus in such a young child that she even took down the rope and let me get closer. My parents always encouraged me to pursue my creative endeavors. My mother being an actress by trade, would read my favorite books to me in such a fun way. She would even do voice impressions of the different characters. Whenever I would spend time at my dad’s salon I would meet people from different walks of life from all over the world! So I suppose I’ve felt this need to try and storytell with my creative work. This led to my interest in animation, illustration, and filmmaking.

In 2017, he attended the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where in 2021 he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Entertainment Illustration. He enjoys walks on the beach, time with family and friends, old movies, great food, and of course bringing the sketchbook and camera along to document it all! “I have many to thank for my success thus far, family, friends, and teachers.. it is because of all of them that I’ve had the strength to keep pushing this far.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been, and still is not easy. Long before Covid, the challenges of growing up are always present. As an artist, and perhaps just having a personality like mine, while optimistic and easy going most of the time, it is easy to be discouraged by the expectations I have had for myself and others . I was always told even in high school that I inspired people to follow their passions as well, however it can come at a cost, and to this day I am always trying to balance out my dedication with self care and socialization. Community is important, and as a creative I fear at times we are often in isolation. I served on my college’s student government, constantly trying to kickstart better social opportunities for us. Along with taking care of yourself, it can be difficult to make money as a creative starting out, so diversification is key. Saying yes to any opportunity that comes your way is important.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I consider myself to be an artist and a storyteller. In school and on my own leading up to working as a freelancer, I have made films, written screenplays, created characters, and created art prolifically. I think that I have a unique ability to notice potential for a creative idea or story in just about any situation. Creativity is a funny thing though, because I see it to be a sort of amalgamation of past present and future thoughts and experiences that all blend together in our heads. I just have an ability to transcribe those things onto paper. I love comedy, and listening to other people speak. I actually was a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland when I was in college as well and that was one of the best jobs I ever held because I was able to learn how to tell stories to a crowd. I learned about comedic timing and was able to make many people’s days.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I think the most important lesson I’ve learned thus far has been that resilience is key. There’s always another day, and if you keep a good attitude, a better day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artofbrandontouloujian.com