Meet the Creator I

Pt. 1 - Travis the Illustrator

It seems rather boisterous to claim to be an Author / Illustrator / Animator, so I figured I would share a little about where I came from and my ADHD drive to be fascinated by everything creative and how it led me to this place.  Naturally, illustration is a big part of this project, so I wanted to share a little bit of my story when it comes to the illustration.e.

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the natural world around me.  I remember some of the first things I would draw were giant squids and gulper eels, while my other classmates were drawing families and flowers. Soon I was drawing jungle scenes full of all kinds of creatures and animals.  But then I discovered monster movies.

“Godzilla” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon” were my favorites, I think it’s because they were more monster-y than say Frankenstein or Dracula.  I ended up drawing a lot of Godzilla.  But looking back as an adult into my child mind, I realize I was driven to create more than just fan art.  Most of my drawings were supposed foes and storylines that would challenge a hero like Godzilla.  

Naturally this carried over as I grew older, and was introduced to fantasy art, dungeons and dragons, little pewter wizards and dragon collectibles.  Fantasy became the key influence in my art, and I began creating my own world of dragons and monsters.  

Then I ran into some interesting advice.  DON’T DRAW DRAGONS AND MONSTERS!  Trying to get into college, I was told time and time again, that I would never be accepted into an illustration program with that kind of art in my portfolio.  

I actually took the advice.

But in hindsight it was good and bad advice at the same time.  Instead of thinking of the next battle or armor, or creature design, I began thinking about things like form, lighting, mass and weight.  I began to see drawing and illustration in a completely different light, all of which are the core principles to make any art better.

But it skewed me on a different path.  I began drawing different things, I began illustrating different styles. I began to believe that I had to leave those childhood dreams of dragons behind.

My brain had other plans.

My mind couldn’t let it go, I had already created too much, too many characters too many storylines, and I couldn’t stop thinking about this world that plagued my mind. There was no harm in jotting down a few notes when no one was looking.  But then a few notes evolved into pages of notes, and then organized plot lines and characters.  

But by now my career had entrenched me in the world of art directing. I was used to creating the vision and the direction, but I would rely on talented illustrators to create what I had in mind.  So, as this dream began to take shape, I knew I had to start drawing again.  

It scared me.

I hadn’t drawn creatures, or monsters, or detailed renderings in ages.  It was a completely different art style than what I dealt with in my career.  But I had to draw, and I had to draw a lot if I ever wanted to get good enough, to share my imagination with the rest of the world.  I picked up my iPad with Procreate and I began to draw.  

I figured it didn’t matter what it was as long as it was something from my story world nor did it matter how good it was. I’ve learned enough in life that I was no longer afraid of my failures, and I began posting my work to Instagram, whether it was great, or whether I hated it.  It was all about the journey, not the perfect piece of art.  

And that has led me to this point.  All these dragon designs and personalities are all to figure out what this civilization of dragons and humans could look like, and I can’t wait to see this concept become a reality. And this is just the beginning.  If we can make the project happen, I have plenty of adventures in mind for what’s coming next!

Thank you. thank you thank you for your pledges and being a part of making this dream a reality! I literally could not do this without you!

Coming up next, Travis the Author….