Hi there, I'm Samuel -- it's nice to meet you! I'm a LA based artist who is interested in visual development and background design.
I'm originally from Colorado and went to school at Colorado State University to get my BFA in Graphic Design where I graduated way back in 2009. I then moved to NYC where I was a successful graphic designer for many years... until I discovered the entertainment industry! I became obsessed with learning the skills necessary to create the stories and worlds I love and eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue my true creative passion. After I moved I was fortunate to continue freelancing for my previous employer -- I used that opportunity to travel the world for a while and soaked up various valuable international perspectives which are now essential infusions for anything I create. During this period I also exhibited fine art, both illustrations and photographs, studied figure drawing extensively and brushed up on my painting skills.
Once the dust had settled with my personal explorations, I realized that in order to tell stories that truly matter I had to dive in even deeper in order to join this industry which is brimming with talent. So I hunkered down with even more studies, now focused on the animation industry, and cultivated strong perspective drawing skills, learned how to tell a story and build a world and how to integrate my fine art skills into the working world of animation. Ultimately, I ended up finding a mentor who helped me learn the ins and outs of visual development and background design (Thanks John!!). My journey has culminated in the work you see on my site today! I am eager to find my place in the animation industry, thank you for taking a look. I'll hope to hear from you!
-Sam
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Resume
I'm originally from Colorado and went to school at Colorado State University to get my BFA in Graphic Design where I graduated way back in 2009. I then moved to NYC where I was a successful graphic designer for many years... until I discovered the entertainment industry! I became obsessed with learning the skills necessary to create the stories and worlds I love and eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue my true creative passion. After I moved I was fortunate to continue freelancing for my previous employer -- I used that opportunity to travel the world for a while and soaked up various valuable international perspectives which are now essential infusions for anything I create. During this period I also exhibited fine art, both illustrations and photographs, studied figure drawing extensively and brushed up on my painting skills.
Once the dust had settled with my personal explorations, I realized that in order to tell stories that truly matter I had to dive in even deeper in order to join this industry which is brimming with talent. So I hunkered down with even more studies, now focused on the animation industry, and cultivated strong perspective drawing skills, learned how to tell a story and build a world and how to integrate my fine art skills into the working world of animation. Ultimately, I ended up finding a mentor who helped me learn the ins and outs of visual development and background design (Thanks John!!). My journey has culminated in the work you see on my site today! I am eager to find my place in the animation industry, thank you for taking a look. I'll hope to hear from you!
-Sam
Resume