You're A Better Artist Than You Think

In “You're A Better Artist Than You Think,” host Chris Oatley (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation) explores the mindset, strategies and practices of professional artists from a wide range of creative fields. Whether you're a total beginner or seasoned pro, this podcast provides actionable insights to enhance your creative skills and advance your artistic career. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at MagicBoxAcademy.com

Why Brushes Matter (with Procreate's Kyle Webster) 10/01/2025

Writing Comics For Kids (with Shawn Pryor) 08/27/2025

Solve Plot Problems with "Mirrored" Story Structure (with KM Weiland) 07/16/2025

Can't Find Time For Art? Try This... 05/28/2025

12 Tips For Finishing Ambitious Creative Projects (with Victoria Ying) 04/16/2025

Jim Henson's Creative Legacy (with Karen Falk) 01/08/2025

Interacting With Color: Insights From Josef Albers 12/04/2024

Did Disney Learn His Lesson? Inside The Animation Strike Of 1941 11/13/2024

The ImagineFX "Rising Stars" of 2D & 3D Art [Part 2] 10/17/2024

The ImagineFX "Rising Stars" of 2D & 3D Art [Part 1] 10/02/2024

The ImagineFX "Rising Stars" of 2D & 3D Art [Part 1] What would you do if you learned that your artwork would be featured in an industry-leading magazine for creative professionals all over the world? …and you only had a few days to select and submit your samples, write a professional bio and a short blurb about each submission, update your website and prepare a series of social media posts to coincide with the publication date? Would you find that inspiring? …motivating? …terrifying? Nine of my students faced this question when they were named among ImagineFX Magazine’s “Rising Stars” of 2D and 3D art. …and they’re all here to talk about this career-defining moment. They’ll share their initial reactions and the challenges they encountered throughout the process. They open up about their struggles with self-doubt, perfectionism, and the super-tight deadline. …and offer insights about how the experience changed them. …probably forever. Today, in part one of a two part series, we’ll hear from Mutia Terian, Rami Juma, Dan Tompkins and Veronica Kosowski - in that order. You can find samples of their work and links to connect with each of them at http://bit.ly/ifxmb -------- 00:00 Intro 01:29 Learn More At MagicBoxAcademy.com 01:47 Mutia Terian: Animation Artist 02:50 Mutia Terian: Developing Confidence 07:07 Mutia Terian: Defining Confidence 09:54 Mutia Terian: What To Do When You're Stuck 11:10 Mutia's Magic Feather 16:49 Rami Juma: Digital Painter 17:28 Rami Juma: The Benefits Of Writing About Your Art 20:08 Rami Juma: Effort Vs. Effect 24:41 Rami Juma: When To Change Things Up 27:00 Rami Juma: Gifts From Your Younger Self 29:03 Rami Juma: How Mindset Affects Art 31:19 Rami's Magic Feather 34:13 Dan Tompkins: Character Designer 34:53 Dan Tompkins: Improving Old Art 37:07 Dan Tompkins: Saved By "Game Face" 38:01 Dan Tompkins: Drawing Yourself Out Of Doubt 39:19 Dan Tompkins: Desensitizing Yourself To Doubt 41:58 Dan's Magic Feather 43:05 Veronica Kosowski: Animation Background Painter/ VisDev Artist 44:12 Veronica Kosowski: Learning From Your Younger Self 47:05 Veronica Kosowski: The Benefits Of Life-Long Projects 48:59 Veronica Kosowski: Fear As Perfectionism 50:37 Veronica's Magic Feather (Except Not) 54:57 Connect & Subscribe -------- NEXT IN PART 2: We’ll hear from the rest of the “Rising Stars” in the next episode. For your convenience, I made a Linktree where you can easily find your favorite ways to subscribe: http://linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": Mentorship: -------- /episode/index/show/oatley/id/33283037

Is Your Art Vulnerable Enough? [Graphic Novelist/ Literary Agent Tori Sharp] [Part 2] 09/18/2024

Is Your Art Vulnerable Enough? [Graphic Novelist/ Literary Agent Tori Sharp] [Part 1] 09/04/2024

Rejection Is Never The End [Animation Artist Amy Lewis] [Part 2] 08/21/2024

Rejection Is Never The End [Animation Artist Amy Lewis] [Part 1] 08/07/2024

What Artists Should Look For In A Mentor 04/10/2024

De-Stress Your Creative Process (With This Classical Practice) 01/24/2024

Is Drawing Or Painting From Reference "Cheating"? 10/18/2023

Is Drawing Or Painting From Reference "Cheating"? Pixar Animation Studios was always known for quality storytelling, but in the early years of CG feature animation, they also set the standard for design. CG feature animation was considered by many (even mainstream audiences) inherently inferior until the turn of the 21st century. The fur and lighting effects in Monsters, Inc. were remarkable in 2001 (and they still hold up) but in 2003, Finding Nemo’s visual art finally and fully transcended the technological limitations of the new medium. When interviewed about how they created such stunning imagery, the Pixar artists often cited their meticulous research. Whether it was sketching professional ballet dancers in preparation for Fantasia’s dancing hippo sequence, living in Latin America for months at a time during development for Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros or hiring legitimate apex predators as models for The Lion King, Disney artists were willing to do whatever it took to achieve their characteristic verisimilitude. …so why wouldn’t Pixar? They got the Nemo art team certified for scuba diving. The Up artists flew to Venezuela to paint the world’s tallest waterfall. The Cars team went on an epic road trip across the legendary US Route 66, the Ratatouille team wined and dined at fancy restaurants in Paris… …and the Toy Story 3 team toured… …landfills. That’s right… The Nemo people swam around a coral reef. …and the Toy Story 3 people swam around in literal human garbage. …but the movie probably wouldn’t have created a cultural phenomenon it did if the artists hadn’t been so committed to authenticity. This is the second in a three-part lesson for artists who are ready to develop effective professional practices upon which they can depend for efficiency, consistency and quality in their work. Today we’ll talk about the importance of working from reference - even when it stinks. We’ll bust five common myths about reference. …myths that if left un-busted put your portfolio at risk of landing in the trash. This is “You’re A Better Artist Than You Think.” I’m your instructor Chris Oatley and this is part two in my series titled “Why Artists Need To Slow The Hell Down.” Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance through my mentorship at HowToBecomeAProfessionalArtist.com There you can also subscribe to this free course via email and get every new lesson delivered directly to your inbox as soon as they become available. Next, In Part Three: We’ll explore the relationship between practice and projects by applying a product design concept to the process for developing our visual stories. /episode/index/show/oatley/id/28351136