Art & Life with Lacie Barker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacie Barker.

Lacie, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My story began at a very young age, my dad always wanted to go into animation, and he was going to school to learn how to animate. So as a little kid, I remember him coming home with these sheets of paper that had drawings of characters like Bambi and Thumper or Mickey Mouse and just being fascinated at all the drawings of the characters and learning what animation was and how magical it all seemed, and I was hooked ever since. I pretty much spent the majority of my life with a pencil and sketchbook in hand just drawing as often as I could. My mom also really loved painting ceramic figures, so we always had painting supplies around the house, and I was always encouraged to be creative. Eventually, I attended Woodbury University in Burbank, where I graduated with my BFA in Animation. Shortly after graduating, I was hired at the Jim Henson Company to work on a show called Splash and Bubbles. I was originally hired as a Production Assistant for the art department, but the supervising director liked my work and gave me the amazing opportunity to help design characters, props, and backgrounds for the show. Currently, I work as a graphic prop designer, which means anything you see in a movie or a television show could potentially be something I’ve helped with in some minor or (occasionally) major way.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make a lot of both digital and traditional art. I really enjoy doing character and environment designs specifically. I like experimenting and trying to emulate styles that I admire, although sometimes I’ll pick something that pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I find that I usually learn a lot more that way and end up having more of an appreciation for that style when I’m done.

I create art to hopefully put some kind of magic into the world. There’s nothing like seeing someone light up at something you did, and watching someone be moved by your work. Art is a universal language, and I really love that.

I want my work to inspire people. I love encouraging people to do their own artwork. I constantly have people telling me that they wish they could draw like me, or how they can’t even draw a stick figure. It’s all about practice. I think being creative and pushing ourselves to learn new things is extremely important, and I just want to encourage and inspire others to do so.

My artwork is always changing. I firmly believe that no one is ever done learning or growing, especially in art. So my artwork will forever evolve and grow with me.

Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Invest in your art. Even if it’s just drawing on your lunch breaks or for a few minutes at the end of every day. There may be times where you’re working in a field that isn’t your ideal, and that’s okay. We all have bills to pay. Just make sure you make time for your art and keep putting yourself out there.

Take chances! You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so take the chance. Even if it doesn’t work out, you at least tried. Failure is a HUGE part of growth, do not be afraid of it. Take the lesson it taught you and try again! I promise, no one out there is keeping score, believe me. I’ve failed so many times, but it’s about how you get up and keep going.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I mainly post work on my Instagram & my Facebook! When I remember, I share it to Twitter, definitely trying to get better about that. I’ll also post when I’m going to be at shows or tabling somewhere. The best way to support my work is to follow me or contact me! Especially about commissions or any projects!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thedarkdoodler.com
• Phone: 661.350.8742
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @thedarkdoodler
• Facebook: facebook.com/thedarkdoodler
• Twitter: @thedarkdoodler

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