Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Chua.
Hi Liz, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always loved the idea of being an artist, but as a child with many hobbies, I naturally pursued the one I was best at and became a soccer player. I immersed myself in the sport and it was the biggest priority in my life for over a decade. I ended up committing to a Division 1 school my junior year of high school and was even named in the best 11 girls under 17 in the national championships the summer before my senior year. Soccer was my life and my world, but as they say, “All good things must come to an end.” My second year of playing for my university, I was dealing with a chronic pain in my feet that we discovered was triggered by an extra navicular bone pressing on my tendon. So basically, my body decided to calcify cartilage in both of my feet to create new bones in my soccer-playing feet. As we looked into potential surgeries to get the bones removed, the procedure and recovery began to feel too extreme to deal with. I decided that my health moving forward had to be put first, and since my feet are fine day-to-day as long as I’m not sprinting/jumping/kicking/cutting every day for hours in tight cleats, I chose to medically retire from my program. This was heartbreaking, of course, and I fell into a time of confusion and worry. I was at a school I only went to for the athletics program, studying a major I was interested in but didn’t love, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself and all the free time I suddenly had.
I will never understand the beauty of a coincidence or fate, but during the chaos of sadness, I just happened to be taking an art class to fill one of my undergrad general education courses. It was a traditional oil painting course I took on a whim, and I threw myself and all my free time into the class. I completely fell in love with the work and the techniques and became a sponge to all the information I was receiving. About halfway into the class, I had a conversation with the Professor, and she encouraged me to pursue a degree in Art. I was taken aback as I, and I’m sure many others, had never really considered a career as an artist. Though I was skeptical, I was desperate for something to be passionate about again. I began researching the different areas of art I could venture into, which led me to watching a few documentaries on how animated films are made. I was so fascinated by the process, and my mind quickly jumped to “how can I do that?”
A close friend of mine connected me to a family member of theirs who worked in the industry and I was able to hear first-hand what their experience had been, and they recommended a few schools for me to look into, one of which was Gnomon School of Visual Effects, Games, and Animation. I looked up their website and student reels online and immediate felt pulled in. I needed to go to this school and create the art I was seeing. Fast-forward three years later, and here I am with my BFA as a 3D Generalist from Gnomon, ready to start my career as a CG artist, and I could not be happier.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s never a smooth road haha. Personally, my biggest struggle was getting into Gnomon. I actually didn’t get into the BFA program the first time I applied. I was a self-taught artist who had only taken one traditional art class in my lifetime, and it showed. I hadn’t learned the rules of perspective or color theory before I initially applied. I ended up beginning in their Foundation In Art and Design (FIAD) program instead. The program is designed to help newer artist gain fundamental skills in order to gain knowledge in traditional mediums and eventually enter a full-time program. I reapplied to the BFA program after six months of FIAD and got in the second time round.
I had no idea how challenging the BFA programs would be, but I feel like having the FIAD courses first to ease me into the intense work was a blessing in disguise. I’ve learned recently how important it is to accept the season you’re in and make the most of what is given. Though FIAD was not a first choice for me, it really shaped me as an artist and allowed me to make connections with instructors I am close with today who are still guiding me and helping critique my work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a CG Generalist, so I am capable of working in all aspects of a CG film pipeline. However, I am most confident as a Texture Artist/Environment Artist. I love to do so many aspects of the process. I’m hoping I get to dabble in different roles throughout my career in the industry.
I’d say I’m definitely most proud of an award I won this past winter for our school. We have an awards contest where we submit our work from the previous term to the school board. They then decide the winners for different categories such as best environment, character, etc. I was fortunate to have won “Grand Prize” for entire thing with a tribute piece I created of me and my four siblings. The award meant a lot to me, not only for how sentimental the subject of honoring my family was, but how far I had come as an artist. From not even getting into the school to winning Best of Term was huge for me, and I am so thankful for the many teachers and peers that pushed me to get there.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
I am currently available for work! I am open to working at a film or game studio, and though I love L.A., I am open to traveling elsewhere for work as well. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram if you have any leads for work or just want to chat in general! It’s always so fun connecting with others in the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artstation.com/lizchua3d
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizchua3d/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-chua/
