Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandro Sandoval.
Hi Alejandro, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2017, I was 30 years old and living in Monterey, CA. I felt as if any hopes and aspirations of having an illustrious career as a portrait painter had been whittled down into specks of dried oil paint. I was working part-time at CVS, making $12.75 an hour. I felt lost, broken, and defeated, much like dried oil paint, waiting to be scraped down and tossed in the trash. The only thing propelling my career forward was that I was an assistant to a classical figurative painter, whose name is Warren Chang. What I didn’t realize at the time is that Warren would have a profound impact on my career trajectory. He’s the reason I am where I am today.
In late 2018, I was standing in Warren’s studio. At this point, I had been working with Warren for a year. In return for my help, he would give me feedback on my work and share career strategies. On this day, I was at his studio because he was reviewing a collection of paintings that I had completed for the Monterey Arts Grant. After a few minutes of looking at my work he spoke. “Your heart’s not in this work. You’ve stretched yourself too thin and tried to cram two years of work into six months.” Warren wasn’t wrong. I was juggling a 1-year-old, working as his assistant, painting whenever I could, all while working retail at CVS. He continued unabated, “You should get into illustration and paint on the side. You did it backwards; most artists build a career and learn how to draw and paint over time. You know how to draw and paint, but you don’t have a career.”
Warren was right on the money again. I’d been pursuing a career as a fine artist for a decade, and I had not turned a profit. At that moment, I thought about my son, Max, and his innocence in all of this. I decided I would not put my son through the same financial hardships that I had gone through. It was at that moment that I made a choice to set painting aside and pursue a more lucrative career field.
A year later, in 2019, I started school at ArtCenter College of Design, and this past December, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree. I am currently freelancing as a concept artist for an indie game developer. Motivation is like gravity; we just need a push in the right direction. Our inner momentum does the rest. Warren gave me the push I needed.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In 2006, during a hot summer day, I packed my favorite green backpack with a pair of clothes and a comic book. The very same backpack I had been using only a few months earlier to carry high school textbooks and homework. I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a water bottle, I surveyed my room one last time. Then left. I was 18 years old, and I couldn’t stand to live in that chaotic house anymore. Every day brought with it emotional and, at times, physical struggles. Especially during my stepdad’s unpredictable moods.
I needed a job, and I quickly learned that sales jobs were the easiest to get. On the first day of my new job, I asked a lot of questions to understand what skills I should sharpen to improve my salesmanship. And on my first day off, I went to the local library to focus and study those specific skills. With book titles like ‘Think Like a CEO!’ and ‘How to be a Rainmaker’. I couldn’t help but continue reading and learning.
Over the years, through numerous trips to the library, I learned how to improve my salesmanship. While picking up other life skills along the way. Skills like listening with intent, code-switching, understanding body language, and more.
The largest mountain I’ve ever climbed was the day I left that house at 18. No money, no sense of direction, no understanding of the world. I was scared, timid and felt lonely. Life felt like it was coming at me in waves. With the help of my friends, I was able to plant my feet in the ground. And with my friend’s encouragement coupled with my insatiable curiosity to learn. I challenged myself and went from a broke and nearly homeless 18-year-old. To winning scholarships to study classical drawing and painting techniques in the French countryside. Or graduating from one of the top art schools in the world and entering a tight-knit video game industry.
No matter where I went, my friends were always there for me. Without them, I would be lost.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a concept artist for the video game industry. I specialize in creating conceptual designs using traditional techniques and digital software. The project I am currently on I am working on a character design for a mobile game.
What sets me apart from others is my willingness to acknowledge and listen to the client’s goals. I love asking questions that get to the root of what the project is. An example of that is the client I’m currently working with. He sent over a prompt and guidelines on what he wanted to accomplish. Before I dove into the work, I reviewed everything he sent and asked a few specific questions to understand the core of what he wanted to achieve. He sent an in-depth response that helped me gain a clear understanding of the project’s goals. Which not only helped me narrow down my focus on the designs but also saved time and money on the project.
It helps to ask questions and have those conversations with the project manager.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Years ago, I watched a movie called ‘About a Boy’. The underlying premise of the film was that “No man is an island”. It took COVID for me to decipher what that meant. That we as a civilization cannot survive alone. You are not weak if you ask for help. Acknowledging you need help requires strength and a willingness to face your hardships. We are a global community. We are in this together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alejandrosandovalart.com/
- Instagram: sandovalartaccount3
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-sandoval-painter/
Image Credits
Image credit to Siorne Johnson for my personal photo.
