Today, we’d like to introduce you to Ananya Shenoy.
Hi Ananya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a city in India called Bangalore, where I also finished my undergraduate degree and worked at my first job as an illustrator. After a year at my job, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree at SCAD and moved to Savannah in 2022.
Before my undergraduate degree, I had no idea I would get into animation. I chose my course called Digital Media Arts back in 2017 because I liked to write, and I thought that the course would help me add a visual component to my writing. My degree introduced me to the possibilities of animation, and I got the chance to explore 2D animation, 3D animation, illustration, and even some stop-motion.
After the completion of my degree, I had a pretty mixed bag of skills and ended up landing my first job as an illustrator for 2D animation, where I illustrated backgrounds and characters for short-form content for kids. It was a great job to start my career because I had amazing colleagues and definitely grew a lot. I think that having that initial support is important because it really builds your confidence as an artist. Apart from working full-time, I took two classes at Animschool during this period to work on improving my 3D modeling skills.
My main goal when I came to SCAD was to work with other people and collaborate on different kinds of 3D projects since I didn’t get the chance to do that during my Bachelor’s. Apart from my classes, I learned a lot from my peers when I worked on films and was fortunate to get the chance to work on several amazing projects. I also discovered my love for teaching at SCAD and was a peer tutor for animation during almost the entirety of my time at the school.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I have had several challenges during my journey. One of the first things I struggled with as an artist was making art for other people. When you’re in school, a lot of the art you make is for yourself, and you’re the only person who has a say in what you’re making.
However, once you get that first art job, your work is put through a lot of scrutiny and generally passes through several rounds of feedback before approval. My first internship in India back in 2020 was in illustration, where I created visuals for content written by various authors. Even though it was hard in the beginning, this internship helped me get better at showing my work and being open to working on constructive feedback. I currently participate in as many portfolio reviews as possible, and this has helped me get a well-rounded idea of how to improve my work.
Another thing that I struggle with is having confidence in my work and reaching out to people when I need help. Getting your first job in animation can be challenging because of the way the industry is, and it is important not to get too overwhelmed with all the things that go into getting that first job. After my undergraduate degree, I spent almost three months looking for jobs and not hearing much back.
My first job finally came through me reaching out and sending an email to a common connection working at the company I was applying to. I still find it challenging to reach out to new people and apply to positions that I feel underqualified for but I have learned to accept the uncertainty and focus on learning new things and facing challenges as they come.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a 3D modeler and texture artist with a background in illustration. I create both character and environment models for films or games. The part I enjoy the most about my work is creating a narrative within a single image. I love thinking about the stories behind objects and how they contribute to the content they are a part of. The work that I do is generally one of the first steps in the production process and involves a combination of both artistic and technical work.
I learned a lot about using my work for productions by helping out on several student films at SCAD. When you’re making a model for a bigger project like a film or a game, it’s important for the model to not only be technically profiecient but also match the style the project has. My personal projects usually involve me trying out new tools or techniques, and I am currently trying to experiment with different styles to show my versatility. I recently found one of my first demo reels in an old folder, and looking at how I started, I am proud of how far I have come with my work and my skills.
Over the past year, I have tutored several students in 3D software and techniques while at SCAD. I think something that sets me apart from others is that I can pass on what I have learned to other people in a way that they have a better understanding of the subject, even if they didn’t have a background in it earlier. I think that teaching is something that really depends on the individual you are working with, and over the past year, I have learned how to cater my teaching style depending on my audience.
Apart from my 3D work, I also do crochet and embroidery and usually make trinkets for friends or co-workers. You can also find a fun crochet project that I did for a stop-motion doll on my website.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I think that luck and being in the right place at the right time is important. I have been fortunate enough to have had good opportunities in my career and have been around people who have helped me grow as an artist and as a person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ananyashenoy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuck_in_my_imagination/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ananya-shenoy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ananyashen/featured
