Merlee Vergara

Creating immersive worlds infused with personality is something I wish to do with my illustrations. A sort of world and universe that transcends the work, where viewers will feel and relate to the characters that inhabit them; those were the thoughts I felt when thinking about my future plans for my career. Throughout my life, I have been fascinated by the fantastic storytelling created by many creative minds, such as Walt Disney, Don Bluth, and Genndy Tartakovsky. Memorable tales that are told through classical 2D animation, utilizing the elements of art to bring life to these stories and appeal to the viewers that watch them no matter the age group. Their use of color theory, compositions, and character expressions to construct iconic scenes has always attracted me. Something that cannot be captured by realism, but is familiar enough that we can relate to it in some capacity. 

I have come to this point where I wish to commit to my own stories and explore conceptual work. The beginnings of an animated piece, and the blueprint of everything that embodies these fantasy worlds. Basically, to assemble my own artistic puzzle to eventually deliver a wonderful tailored masterpiece of whimsy and fun, reflecting the true me. The me who wants to delve into the imagination of many others through my own. How I wish to portray my conceptual artwork was a journey on its own. From experiencing my favorite movies and the work they used for world-building, my explorations led me to discover that color is one common aspect that I'm drawn to. Colors are a universal way to communicate emotions, conveying and setting the tone of certain scenes, something utilized greatly in animated works. Upon this realization, I wanted to explore this within my own artwork. 

This exhibition will incorporate several different story ideas I have developed while exploring different palettes of color through a digital medium. The significant number of tools that we can utilize leaves us with a lot of freedom to creatively explore and experiment, which is why I prefer this medium. These visual works will include key elements such as concept art, character designs, and possibly more. I and possibly others will be able to gain a better understanding of how critical illustrating conceptual art is to visualize the final result by utilizing all these creative assets.

 

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