Today we’d like to introduce you to Val Galindo.
Val, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been making things since I was very young which I don’t necessarily think is all that special, every kid is wildly creative, but I think growing up as a lonely kid that had to keep themselves entertained in some way definitely played a part in how art and design became something that was more deeply intertwined in me as opposed to the average kid. I would always make up stories and characters for as long as I could remember and spend hours upon hours making things a day which wasn’t limited to drawing and painting. I would sculpt and cut paper and glue buttons and ribbons to wooden boards really anything to keep me busy and entertained. I always viewed it as something I was going to do forever but didn’t really know how. As I got older, I became obsessed with animation and comics and I was fascinated by artists, but I didn’t know how I would fit into that world.
Once I started getting involved in the local music scenes in Los Angeles and Orange county in my early teens is when I started to become serious about art and design as a career. I was seeing zines and perfectly designed flyers and band merchandise with the sickest designs all around me and just being around the really DIY culture of punk and post-hardcore really influenced me in a lot of ways. I still really didn’t know how to fit into the art world and eventually decided to go to school for animation which wasn’t a good fit for me and after a few more major changes in school and a lot of soul searching, I realized what if I just did everything I wanted to do? I decided to study illustration which was much more open and free and not as rigorous and stiff as animation was. As an illustrator and designer, I experiment a lot I am always looking at things around me and seeing what other people are doing and whenever I see something cool and interesting, I always try to find a way to do it. I’m just starting out really, but I think having this mentality of doing whatever I want despite it all and kind of “faking it till I make it” is honestly an important part of my art and design process.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. There were a lot of struggles along the way. As I mentioned before, I was hoping for a career in animation and went to a school specifically for animation, but realized that I just didn’t like it and was disenchanted by the animation community for a while due to the experience I had in animation school. After dropping out, I decided to pursue film history and theory, but never really had my heart 100% in it. Although film history is incredibly cool, I really didn’t fit into the film world either. I was still drawing all over my notes so much so you couldn’t really even read them at points. After that, I worked a series of odd jobs for a while and really tried to think of art and design really was for me. I took some classes on 3D programs (maya, zbrush, etc..) and thought I might actually go into the game design, but every time I would see a cool drawing, painting, or sculpture I would get this ache in my chest. I knew in my heart I was an artist and illustrator, but fear really held me back from really pursuing it till one day I kind of just said “to hell with it might as well try” and so far so good in my opinion!
Obviously, I still struggle with things like imposter syndrome or thinking I made the wrong choice and obviously the money and financial aspect of it leaves a lot of room for anxiety, but everyday I get up and try my hardest to be the artist I want to be.
Please tell us more about your art.
I am an Illustrator, designer and maker of things. My work is often described as vivid, fun, and just a little bit strange. I work in a variety of mediums like paint, ink, digital painting and vector, animation and have recently been experimenting a lot with photography and typography as well as ceramics. I think this experimental quality that is present within my work is what I’m known for mostly. I try to use my hands in any way I can and I think constantly getting these little obsessions with certain aspects of art, design, and craft is what really makes my work stand out and what I’m most proud of. Color is another big aspect of my work I love experimenting with color and different palettes. Right now, I’m really obsessed with the combination of red and pink and it definitely has a strong presence in my work as of late. I don’t actually wear a lot of color in terms of wardrobe I stick to black and white mostly, but I definitely make up for it with my art.
I guess the biggest part of my work is that it’s always important that I’m having fun. I spent way too long trying to fit myself into this “artist mold” and to be a “good artist” that now I kind of just say whatever I’m going to do what I think is fun and cool and people can enjoy it and come along for the ride or not, and I think having that mentality is important for any artist really.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’ve been extremely lucky honestly. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to go to art and design school and to grow up in Los Angeles and be surrounded by this incredible community of artist and designers. Although I’ve been lucky the road has definitely not been easy. I’ve had up to 4 jobs at one point to pay for my tuition, and my mental health has definitely been compromised at multiple points in my career thus far. I’ve definitely hit very high highs and very low lows, but I’ve always managed to pick myself up and do the next thing despite it all.
I don’t really like to say I have or had “bad luck” but I think there have definitely been times where my good luck has run a little thin. Whenever that happens, I always try to remind myself to take it one day at a time and that I’ll get wherever I need or want to be eventually as long as I keep on going.
Contact Info:
- Website: valgalindo.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VALGDRAWS/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/valgdraws
Image Credit:
Val Galindo
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