Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Blattman.
Hi Julia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, California. I was always creating things since I was a kid – I loved fantasy books and movies, which inspired me to fill my sketchbooks with drawings of mermaids, fairies, and dragons. There was something almost magical about drawing, the feeling of bringing something to life from scratch. In middle school, I became obsessed with Japanese animation, especially Studio Ghibli. I was blown away by the creative storytelling and amazing visuals. I really loved My Neighbor Totoro; it was the first one I watched, and I felt so immersed in the world while watching it. I was very inspired by the traditionally painted backgrounds and the charming characters.
I majored in Illustration at the Academy of Art University, where I fell in love with the city of San Francisco. I loved navigating the city as a dirty art student covered in oil paint and charcoal or lugging a giant drawing board up winding Powell Street to the school’s Illustration building. The city’s colorful houses, crazy steep hills, and the nature in its parks became a significant source of inspiration for me. In school, I learned a lot of traditional drawing methods before diving into digital art in my second year. I appreciated the traditional knowledge, finding that it translated well to digital painting—the principles carried over.
After graduating, I had the chance to be a concept art intern at Disney Interactive in Glendale, California. It meant leaving the Bay Area, but I decided to take the opportunity. I moved to Burbank and worked on Disney mobile games for the next two years, contributing to creating concepts for games.
I continued working on my own personal work on the side to improve my skills, as I was determined to work in animation. Eventually I landed a visual development position at Paramount Animation on my first feature film experience.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I was still in college, I was really set on working at Pixar. I applied a couple of times, but nothing came of it. At the time, I couldn’t picture working anywhere else. I think my mistake was not trying to apply to other smaller companies or branching out more. Through that rejection, I learned that it’s okay to not get your dream job right away and having other job experiences that can be beneficial to your career. Keeping your head up as an artist can be hard especially since it is such a competitive field. I experienced artistic burnout pretty badly a couple of years ago. I was taking on too much work because I thought that was how you made it as an artist. So after working 9-5, I would go home and take on 3-4 hours of freelance. My eyes were bugging out of my head from staring at screens so much, my hands were cramping, and it was too much! I had no time for my own personal work nor inspiration to even do it. Eventually, I realized that it wasn’t sustainable and I had to find a balance. Taking care of yourself and finding external inspiration in real life is so vital for creativity.
Another challenge was finding my “personal style” since my style was all over the place. I discovered that style comes naturally if you paint what interests you and use whatever techniques get you excited. Over time I developed my own sense of style this way without really realizing it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve had fun opportunities to contribute to various TV shows and feature films, primarily at Netflix Animation and Paramount Pictures Animation. My day-to-day workload can be pretty diverse, involving everything from designing environments, props, sets, and characters.
I try to make my work reflective of my own taste in color and lighting, using inspirations like LA’s cityscape at sunset. I love creating worlds that have the same vivid lighting and interesting color combinations that I notice in real life.
One recent project that I loved working on was a sci-fi show called “My Dad the Bounty Hunter.” It was a refreshing change from my usual painting style. I was so impressed how the team managed to make an amazing show mostly during the pandemic. I also had a fun opportunity to design Princess Peach’s dress in the Super Mario Movie! It was a dream come true because I grew up loving Princess Peach and Nintendo!
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, plein air painting, and working on children’s books. A few years back, I illustrated a children’s book focused on the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean. It’s a topic that I’m very passionate about since I grew up loving the ocean so much,
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think an important part of being a visual development artist is being flexible and adaptable depending on the style and genre of whatever project you’re on. Being a jack of all trades helps- be willing to step out of your comfort zone as an artist. I think it’s also very important to still keep the spark of what made you excited to create art in the first place. Reverting to your inner child can help with the creative process. Sometimes, I get inspired by simple walks around my neighborhood in Echo Park. If I see a certain lighting scenario or colors that intrigue me, I will take reference and sometimes paint from it. Inspiration can come from unexpected places!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.juliablattman.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbdraws/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-blattman/
