Meet Joyce Liu of Jr. Designer at Oddfellows

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joyce Liu.

Joyce, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in LA, lived in Taiwan until I was 15, moved to Mexico for a year, then moved back to LA. After finishing high school, I attended ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena where I met many mentors and cultivated my skills in art. A few months after graduating,  I was freelancing here and there. But one day out of the blue while scrolling around on social media, I decided to send in an intern application for Oddfellows, a motion design studio in Portland who’s work I’ve always admired. I’ve never imagined living anywhere else besides LA at that point, much less Oregon. Thinking nothing much would come from the application, but what the heck, I had nothing to loose. To my surprise I was offered a three month internship, then later was hired as a Jr. Designer at Oddfellows in October 2018. Now I work alongside a team of artists whom I could only dream of working with as a student. I am beyond lucky and feel humbled everyday.

Has it been a smooth road?
There were many bumps along the way,  but with persistence and the support and encouragement from friends and family, things worked out for the best. I’ve always loved to draw since I was a kid; It was the most natural medium for me to express myself. But growing up in Taiwan, I was often told that striving to become an artist would lead to me starving on the streets; That I should pursue subjects that are more practical such as math, language or medicine. But despite all the objections from relatives and financial difficulties, my mom encouraged me to pursue my love for art. She is my rock, and I have her to thank for everything I am today.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
My day to day includes creating style frames, story boarding, designing characters…etc. Sometimes I even get to help out a little with animation. I like to play with different styles and different ways to convey mood. But often times, I find myself leaning towards the more colorful and exaggerated aesthetic. Each project brings different challenges, we always have to find ways to satisfy clients’ needs and at the same time, work in our creative visions.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Although I’ve only freelanced as a designer for a few months after graduating from ArtCenter, LA is definitely a great place for a designer to be, as there are many studios in the area. Each studio has its unique culture so one can find out what they like or dislike.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://oddfellows.tv
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddfellowstv/

Image Credit:
Project: Elora. Collaboration with Caroline Choi, Project: Baskets. Oddfellows, Project: Envoy. Oddfellows. Character design by Khylin Woodrow, Project: Adobe Daily Challenge. Oddfellows. Character design by Nick Iluzada

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.