Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Conejo.
Hi Danny, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve loved drawing since I can remember–maybe even before then. I would constantly watch Disney movies as a kid, and watching the hand-drawn animations come to life on screen had me mesmerized. However, it wasn’t the repetition of drawing in order to make the assets on the television move that piqued my interest. It was the ideas and seeing how the artists developed their concepts in order to get to the final stage. During my childhood education, I pursued art wherever I could: joining clubs, drawing my own characters and their worlds, etc. I knew that putting what was in my head onto the paper continued to drive my passion for illustration. In high school, I developed my art even more by taking AP art classes and soon got accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I am currently pursuing a BFA in illustration and minoring in concept design for animation/games. Additionally, I am working on a few projects as a concept/visual development artist, and I couldn’t be happier.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have always been a problem solver. Growing up, my favorite subject besides art was math, and that is pure problem-solving. I know the risk of wanting to become an artist; they tell you that you’ll be starving trying to make a living from your art. I have to agree to an extent because being an artist takes a lot of dedication and time. If you lose the passion, you lose everything. Constantly being told to try and pursue another career had made me question if my decisions were right. I was filled with worry and feared failure. Even so, I still fought for what made me happy. Art makes me happy. Illustrating my ideas to create something grand makes me happy. Yes, I still have worries and fear failure, so much so that I have maintained straight-A’s and a 4.0 GPA throughout my time at SCAD so far. Being surrounded by others who have similar career goals make it easier because I have a support system set up. My family has also accepted that being an illustrator is what I want to do in life, so there is no going back in my book.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As previously stated, I’m an illustrator specializing in concept/visual development art. I enjoy ideating and developing the assets that could be used in animated films or games. Qualities that I have that make me unique from other artists are I can adapt and render in different styles, I work my way through a piece until it is how I want it (problem-solving), and I can manage my time/work at a fast pace to meet a deadline.
I have recently been proud of my anatomical knowledge of different animals and using it to create much more compelling characters.
This goes back to my love for early animated films and seeing the anthropomorphic animal characters. One series of work I am most proud of can be found in my portfolio titled “Meowter Space.” It consists of 3 cats in space outfits along with their world. Moreover, I have my process work up so that viewers can see how I get to my end result. I am known as “the animal artist” by those who have met me and have seen my work. It brings me joy, so I might as well continue to live up to that name.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something people may not know about me upon first glance is that I am a triplet! As far as my work goes, they may not know that it is much brighter than how I choose to present myself (I wear mostly black/dark colors).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lullabybatillustration.myportfolio.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lullaby_bat/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-conejo-96718b20b/
