Conversations with Laura H. Rubin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura H. Rubin.

Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a kid, I drew constantly and wanted to be an animator at Disney. Spoiler: Disney never called. To be fair, I never applied, so I can’t really hold that against them. xD

I eventually studied Film and VFX at SAE Institute in Zurich. That’s where I had my first storyboarding classes and my first experience with drawing tablets. Later, I got an iPad Pro and Procreate to work on concepts and storyboards. I had some help getting the iPad, because at that point, my budget was mostly theoretical.

After graduating, I worked as a designer at an advertising agency and kept drawing in my spare time. Eventually, I started posting my work online and sharing how I made it. Several of those making-of posts went viral, which was a pretty unexpected development for something I’d been doing quietly on the side.

Then drawing started bringing in more money than my actual job. Calling it “just a hobby” was getting a little ridiculous, so I quit the agency and became a self-employed illustrator and artist.

That’s how it happened: a childhood obsession, some borrowed resources, and an internet connection. I’d love to take credit for having a brilliant business plan, but mostly I just kept drawing. 🙂

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. There were always problems to solve. Luckily, I get bored easily, but the universe could have paced itself.

First came learning how to be self-employed, especially the paperwork. There was no ChatGPT to help back then. Instead, I got the first lockdown. No exhibitions, everyone stuck at home. Excellent timing.

Then came the scammers. My identity has been stolen several times, and proving that you are actually yourself is surprisingly complicated. I would’ve preferred to spend that time drawing.

The biggest challenge right now is AI. I’m still figuring that one out, so there’s no polished “and that made me stronger” ending yet. Some challenges are still very much in progress. 🙂

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What people know me for probably depends on when they found my work. I was an early Procreate user, back when searching for it brought up work by a small handful of artists, including me. Around ten years ago, I was mostly focused on realism. Later came my books, collaborations with companies like Square Enix and Ubisoft, and my involvement in the Lunar Codex, which preserves art on the Moon for future generations. These days, people probably know me best for my reinterpretations of anime and gaming characters.

As for what sets me apart: I’m a person trying to make sense of being here and making things along the way. Very exclusive club. Several billion members. We all have a particular way of seeing things, but I don’t think my work needs to prove how different I am. I like the idea that someone might look at something I made and recognize a part of themselves in it. Being distinct makes your work recognizable; having something in common makes it mean something to someone.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My lecturers deserve credit, and probably an apology for the amount of patience I required. One called me a “carpet dealer” because even a very good grade was apparently still open to negotiation.

Then my friends, who have listened to countless questionable ideas and the occasional existential crisis. A very patient, entirely unpaid advisory board.

But most of all, my partner of 14 years. He was the one who encouraged me to turn my art into a business and has always believed in me. Having someone take your ambitions seriously before you quite know how to do that yourself can change the direction of your life. It certainly changed mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurahrubin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la___aura

Image Credits
Amor & Psyche by Laura H. Rubin,
Childhood Cache by Laura H. Rubin,
Created by Human by Laura H. Rubin,
The Muse by Laura H. Rubin,