Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Panzino.
Hi Dustin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my art journey studying under Sean Beavers and Sydney Sparrer two realist painters in New Hampshire from 2011-2015, where I was going to school at the time, I was creating oil paintings for galleries to make a living and although I attribute much of the technical skills from them and found some success in the gallery world I really wanted to enter the gaming/animation industry, I wanted to be a concept artist. In 2016 I went back to school attending the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida with that goal in mind. During my time there I struggled to pay tuition and started doing local conventions to help make extra money. This lead me to show at around 12 shows a year while being a full-time student with the majority of my profits going straight to the school, other than having to switch to part-time for a few semesters of my education, I did end up graduating in 2020 due to this strategy. Because of the number of people I was meeting at these shows, I was starting to gather a small following online. I opened up a personal print shop through Etsy to replace my convention income during the shutdown which also helped grow my following, this lead to more people seeing my work, and at that time, job offers started coming in. I freelanced for Marvel, DnD, Lost Odyssey, Fantasy Flight Game, and other companies, doing concept work, card art, and background work. Finally having some finical stability to do what I wanted as an artist I’ve been able to focus on personal work relying on conventions and online sales to pay the rent. Gives me enough free time to focus on my personal work.
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?
Entering the art industry is certainly not the easiest path and can be a bit of a gamble for many. Coming from a not-so-wealthy background furthered my challenges, I felt like at times, being an artist was only for the “privileged”. But looking back now art and the art community really pulled me out of poverty, there were a few times I was almost homeless, a paycheck away from everything crashing. It was a balance between doing sh*tty jobs to survive and honing my craft and hoping it paid off.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work primarily as a digital artist as I currently travel a lot for conventions I do a large percentage of my work off of the iPad using procreate. I think in the modern day, being a successful artist can come in so many different ways, Being an independent artist is so much about marketing yourself, how well can you present yourself online? Most of my work is 2D fantasy-driven. Design is a big aspect of that, I love the idea of world-building, every image I make In hopes of telling more of a story from the last, till it builds into something bigger, I’ve been working on the same series for the last two years and I don’t see any end in sight. I still have more of this world to create. That’s the fun of it for me. as a digital artist, I’m only held back by my own design limitations. I plan to publish a personal art book once this series is over, more to paint and design till then.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I work every day, I draw every day, I feel icky if I don’t. Growing as an artist is the most important part to me, I want to get better with every line I draw. It’s work, but it’s also what is fulfilling for me, I think so many people idealize being a designer, painter, or animator but don’t actually like the process, that’s a big factor I feel. It’s a craft like any other. The idea of leveling up, you have to grind for that XP.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inkwellillustrations.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkwell_illustrations/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/inkwell_illust
Image Credits
Dustin Panzino
