Grace Sullivan

Name: Grace Sullivan

Grade: 11

Future Career: animation

Future College: The Savannah College of Art and Design

Wingspan: How long have you been painting and sketching?

Sullivan: “Since I was a little kid, my parents always got me a sketch pad and I would draw on road trips, or just whenever I could! However painting is a recent development which has been going on for about 2 or 3 years.”

Wingspan: Where did your interest for this form of art come from?

Sullivan: “I would say Disney movies but I think video games had a much bigger impact on my art. This is because I wanted to create universes and characters that were just as developed as Halo or Star Wars, and I loved looking at all the complexity in their character designs compared to the simplicity of a Disney character.”

Wingspan: What is your favourite style of painting and sketching? why?

Sullivan: “I think my medium varies a lot but my favorite subject is people! I love to test how much I can make a person look different by mixing up their shapes and clothes.”

Wingspan: How do you fit this art form into your daily schedule?

Sullivan: “Taking art classes gives me a chance to force myself to improve. I am currently in Animation 2 and I have a way better understanding of human anatomy because of it!”

Wingspan: With COVID-19 and the stay at home orders, how is this art form impacted?

Sullivan: “It’s been both a positive and negative impact. I used to sketch a lot in classes but now I feel less motivated to pick up a pencil. However, when I do I have been getting a better idea of what my style is and where I want to improve on.”

Wingspan: How would you say painting and sketching shaped, or changed you as a person?

Sullivan: “Making any kind of art has made me more aware of my surroundings and how I perceive things. Nature and humans have such a natural flow to them that is very hard to capture, and I feel that I appreciate the art in everyday things a little more. I am definitely more judgemental while watching animated things now too, and my friends are probably tired of hearing my rants about how a scene could be improved.”

Wingspan: What is one struggle you have with this art form?

Sullivan: “One struggle with any form of art is forcing yourself to improve. I would never practice my piano or clarinet because I did not want to put in the effort for it. With art it’s realizing that your work can always be improving, but it’s comforting to know that every little piece is improving.”

Wingspan: Would you ever consider doing this as a career? Why or why not?

Sullivan: “Definitely! I would hate working at a job doing something that I don’t enjoy, when I have the option to have a career focused on something I love. This is my first year of taking ISM for animation, and I believe the art industry is always growing. I believe a difficulty with this is that art is much more common in our lives, especially on social media, so many rising artists don’t think they can find a career with something that’s so abundant. I think it is necessary to just look for any little opportunity because art can be found in any industry.”

Wingspan: What advice would you give to people who are just starting to take an interest in painting?

Sullivan: “Don’t trap yourself in one style, experiment to see what you like most! I didn’t pick up painting until recently because I got too comfortable with sketching and stuck with it! Try new mediums, new subjects, new ideas, and that is a good start to improvement.”