Meet Erica Liu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Liu.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
From a very young age, I always knew I was going to wind up doing something with art. My parents growing up provided me with an outlet to continue to design and create as much as I’d want, whether it was rearranging my furniture in my bedroom every month or finessing my skills in finger painting 101. It soon became abundantly clear that from a very young age I was obsessed with animation, with some of my favorites being SpongeBob SquarePants, 101 Dalmatians, The Wild Thornberrys, and Jungle Book (which by the way I was SO obsessed with I wanted to name my little sister Mowgli…which didn’t happen, just FYI). I was so lucky to have realized my passion at such a young age. From then on, everything I did was with the intent of becoming a part of that world.

After taking every possible art class in high school and dedicating weekends to making movies with my friends in our basements, I eventually wound up attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts. I majored in Film and Television with a minor in Game Design through NYU PolyTech. It felt like an important stepping stone for my own personal growth into adulthood as well as my artistic career. But soon after I realized I was far from ready to join any of the animation studios I had dreamed of joining as a young child. I was lost after college. I asked myself: How could I have dedicated all of this hard work and still not feel like I was where I needed to be? Passion and hard work got me to this point but my own self-doubt, lack of technical skills, and an entire coast kept me away from pursuing my dream jobs. After a little soul searching, a three-month stint in Japan teaching English, and some research into the industry I wished upon a star to be a part of, I hopped on that damn plane to LAX, moved across the country, hunkered down and went back to school.

Gnomon, located right in Hollywood, was where I needed to be. I am so grateful for all of the amazing teachers and artists I met while attending. Not only did each one of them push me to want to be my best and produce the best work I could make but they made me value this opportunity and want to get as much out of the program as possible. I put in my time, weekend classes, long days, long nights, extra tutoring sessions, and a lot of coffee. The dream was finally becoming possible in my mind. My passion was there and my skills were up to par after all the work I had put in. And then as soon as I finished school, I FINALLY did it! I finally got my first studio job at Nickelodeon, the studio I had grown up watching every show they made. I had fond memories of Saturday morning breakfasts with SpongeBob and Friday evenings surfing with Rocket Power. To see my journey finally come full circle after so many ups and downs, I am so happy I pushed myself as hard as I did. Dreams aren’t fulfilled upon stars; they’re manufactured by the work and time you put in.

Please tell us about your art.
I am a Look Development Texture and groom artist. For those of you who are not familiar (hi Mom!), I help add color and life to CG characters and prop models. I, with the help of designers and directors, figure out what substances and materials are within this world. Through texturing, an entire story can be told in one prop. Is this a knight’s first day on the job with his newly bestowed sword or is this the sword of a highly skilled and accomplished noblemen who has seen the battlefield countless times? What I love most about animation is the telling of age-old stories within these masterfully created worlds. My art is derived from childhood nostalgia of fantastical worlds I would visit every day at 4 PM when I’d get home from school. I would dream of taking naps on a belly as fuzzy and furry as Totoro’s or flying as high in the sky as Dumbo. I hope that through my work, I can connect others through their shared sense of empathy for heartfelt characters and extraordinary worlds.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
Artists today have so many opportunities! I think schooling specifically for the CG industry is expanding rapidly. There are so many programs and classes you can take to learn more. Between my time at NYU and Gnomon, I took online classes through Skype and digital tutoring schools. When I started my education in animation, I had no idea there were so many roles and departments that go into a production. I mean, there’s an entire department dedicated to ONLY HAIR! Educating yourself on the industry you’re interested in is crucial. I learned a little about every department until I found one that I wanted to delve into more.

In addition to institutional education, YouTube has become such a huge platform. Anyone with the right knowledge and an Internet connection can upload a tutorial on any conceivable topic. I will say that with technology ever expanding, it can be over stimulating and overwhelming to see all of the 3D programs one feels like they need to learn. It’s very intimidating to open a fresh new toolbar and have no idea where to even start. However, with the power of YouTube, professionals and hobbyists who have a wealth of knowledge can happily share their experience with their fellow artists.

Another component I find myself drawn to is social media. Whether it’s Twitter, Instagram, or ArtStation, I use these not to only share my own work but to also find inspiration. I love stumbling upon beautiful concept artists and pieces that I want to bring a fresh breath of life to.
I continue to look into classes to further my own skills and techniques. If I haven’t drilled it into you yet, I truly believe knowledge is power. I want to have a variety of knowledge and tools so that nothing can limit me from crafting the stories and imagery I want to create.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Right now my work at the studio is sealed up until the project is released. My personal artwork is found at ericaliuser.com as well as on ArtStation at https://www.artstation.com/ericaliuser. My Instagram is @ericaliuser.

Contact Info:

• Website: ericaliuser.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: ericaliuser
• Other: artstation.com/ericaliuser

Image Credit:
Art all done by Erica Liu

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.