Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy Anderson.
Timothy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up with a love of art and drawing, trading drawings of comic book characters and Ninja Turtles with my friends from a young age. While I enjoyed art, I initially only pursued it as a hobby through high school and early college. After several years of jumping from one major to another, however, it finally occurred to me that I was always putting aside my assignments to go draw instead, and maybe I should take art more seriously. It was then that I found an old copy of The Art of The Empire Strikes Back in a used book store, and my eyes were opened!
I realized that artists could make a living drawing and designing for the entertainment industry, and that became my passion. I began to study Illustration and Concept Art, eventually putting together a portfolio and getting accepted by Art Center College of Design, where I earned my degree in Illustration/Entertainment Design (my second Bachelor’s degree, I might mention, having finished a BA in English before my Star Wars-inspired epiphany). Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work for many clients in the entertainment industry, creating Concept Art for films, video games, and theme parks. In an effort to do more work “for myself,” I also enjoy creating limited edition art prints of many of my favorite pop culture IP’s. I’ve had the pleasure to work with a handful of art galleries, collectors, and entertainment studios to design illustrated posters and prints that illicit the same feelings that got me excited about drawing He-Man and the Ninja Turtles as a kid!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think the biggest challenge to getting started was just being aware of the many ways one can be an “artist.” It took me a while to get to this place because I did not understand how I could actually make a living at it. The entertainment industry is also a fickle one. I’d say about 75% of the jobs I’ve had have ended because the studios either shut down or had significant layoffs due to one economic crisis or another. And paying off art school student loan debt is no joke either.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My personal work is very influenced by nostalgia, either for the things I enjoyed as a kid, or even for things that are long gone. I’m a huge fan of old pulp fiction book covers, old movie posters, the toys and cartoons I loved as a kid. I often blend contemporary pop culture IP’s and old styles to come up with something new but old, asking questions like, “What if Alien had come out in the 50’s instead of 1979?”
How do you think about luck?
I feel like luck is a combination of hard work and opportunity. (I’m not sure where I first heard this sentiment, but I can’t take credit for it.) Without opportunity, success is much more difficult to achieve, and I’ve been very fortunate to have many opportunities that not everyone has. Without hard work, those opportunities would come and go without amounting to much. I think it’s easy to credit one’s work ethic for any success because hard work is the one part of the equation over which we have direct control. I can decide to work hard or not, but I cannot choose when opportunity comes along. I just have to be working hard already if and when it does. I certainly do feel like I’ve put in a lot of work and effort to get where I am, but I wouldn’t be here without the opportunities and support I’ve had along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.timothyandersondesign.com
- Instagram: @TimAndersonArt
