A lot of artists can use several styles and techniques to create quality content, but very few are gifted with the touch to breathe life into their creations; Alexander Garvin is amongst those few. The 25-year-old out of Kansas City, Kansas specializes in 2D, 3D, and traditional art. Garvin states that growing up he always had an interest in art with an emphasis on pencil drawings. Early inspirations, such as DragonBall Z propelled this interest with Garvin constantly drawing characters like Goten until he got it perfect to his standards. Trial and error pushed his determination and it was at this time he’d proclaim to his mother that Art is what he plans to do for the rest of his life; at the time he was seven. In 5th grade his skills would only improve, Alexander winning many drawing contests plus being told by teachers he has a talent that is unmatched by any of his classmates. It was also around this time he’d start drawing from his imagination just as much as he did from other influences. DragonBall Z was his first love when it came to references for drawing, but soon he’d venture out to Naruto, Marvel, and DC comics. In high school, he would drop the use of references and draw completely from his imagination and experiences. After taking a break to focus on basketball, he gave up the sport for the chance to attend an all Art school where he met an amazing 3D artist named Rafael Grasseti, the Lead Character Artist at Santa Monica Studios for God of War. The most current influential 2D artist he’s come across is Atey Ghailan. When it comes to the process of designing, Alexander begins with research. For 2D digital art, he’ll create a sketch on a pad before taking a picture then uploading it to Photoshop. From this point he’ll see what color scheme works best for the scene; he’ll refer back to knowledge on color theory. Once he determines the best possible color scheme, he’ll move on to complete the piece. With 3D art, he’ll have to reference anatomy to digitally sculpt and model the characters after concepts of his choosing. From there he’ll make the models “game ready” meaning simplifying the geometry within its makeup by texturing them. He experiences hardship with almost every piece when it comes to execution. In the early stages, he has to convince himself that his initial concept will work out before being fully fleshed out. For 2D, the colors have to work the way he wants; the ideas have to work together and the message he hopes to convey through his art has to be clear. When it comes to 3D, he states that he “simply needs to master the craft to the point it becomes second nature.” Having played basketball for a couple of years in college, he always references that time when dealing with adversity. Using everything he’s learned from that experience to push through. He believes we all have the necessary tools, it’s just a matter of using them to sharpen our skills to the best of our abilities. His biggest goal for the future is to start his own entertainment company with a stature comparable to that of Sony or Marvel. He’s already reached his goal of being in the professional art industry and is now looking to specialize in 3D character animation which happens to be the hardest career path. “You have to do what you can’t so you can do what you couldn’t — that’s the essence of growth.” Growing with every stroke of his pencil, Alexander Garvin is heading towards the top of the design world. Always move #CloserToYourDreams

Email: Alexander.garvin@rmcad.edu

Instagram: AlexanderGarvinArt

Designs: AlexanderTheGreat