Imagine if you got paid to dream up people and characters.
Well, we got to sit down with Miranda Yeo, an amazing lady whose job is just that, to talks design concepts and career advice. She’s quite the inspiration.
What do you do for a living and why is it awesome?
Miranda Yeo: I’m a Character Designer for television. I get to spend my days at home creating a bunch of cute character/clothing concepts!
Tell us about one of your favorite clients or projects.
MY: Right now I’m trying to learn how to create and animate 3D models! My boyfriend is a programmer and we’ve always wanted to make a game together. It’s a huge learning curve but it’s been really fun! It also feels great to be learning something completely new. Making cute little elven characters, clothing, props and environments has been a really fun project to do after work.
What is your design process like, from start to finish?
MY: I start with a rough sketch to get the pose down and then I’ll go over it a couple more times just to get some of the details in. I try not to put too much into it at the sketch stage – it can sometime make the finished work look a bit stiff. When I’m happy with the shape/silhouette/pose I’ll start tightening it up with some line work. Once the lines are finished, the last step is to color everything in and add shadows and highlights!
What are your hopes for your future and the future of your career?
MY: Honestly, I hope I can continue doing what I’m doing. Being able to work from home and support myself while being able to do side projects is a dream! It would be awesome to work at a studio again someday, but if I can continue what I’m doing now I’ll be happy.
Is there something specific that sparked your interest in character design?
MY: I’ve always been a huge fan of Disney and thought having an art related job would be fun. When I started at Sheridan College, I fell in love with character design and realized I wanted to focus on it specifically. There was always a ton of design work displayed in the hallways and I knew I wanted to do that – I wanted to design characters and creatures!
What advice would you give for other women who want to get into freelancing?
MY: It’s really important to put your stuff out there! The majority of jobs I’ve gotten are because someone saw my Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter pages and thought I might be a good fit. Some people are a bit weary of putting their stuff online or spending too much time on social media sites but the platforms have really helped me as a freelance artist. It’s also important to have a website or portfolio where recruiters can easily see your work—make sure your site is easy to navigate and simple!
You can follow Yeo on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr here.
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