ABOUT ME

Who am I?

1. A very passionate person.

My journey to where I am now began when I was just fourteen years old. One evening, I picked up a pencil and just started scribbling. One doodle turned to two, two doodles turned to five, and five doodles turned to years worth of little drawings created from a small hobby. Then, in high school I was introduced to Adobe Photoshop in a technology class. There, my art took off in a whole new, fulfilling direction and I learned what I wanted to do with my life. Long story short, here I am on a journey through the video games industry, surrounded by amazingly talented people with similar stories to mine. I am someone who’s very dedicated to my craft and always looking for opportunities to improve.

Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

2. A huge nerd.

In terms of education, I graduated in the top 7% of my high school class. I am also a college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Arts, Technology and Emerging Communication, emphasis on video game production, and a minor in Computer Science. I have always prided myself in being a good student because I love to learn. When I learn, I become a better creator and even a better person. That’s why even though I have my degree, I don’t plan to ever stop being a student to those around me.

In terms of nerdy things, I like to read graphic novels, play video games, watch anime, and I LOVE classical forms of art. Paintings, sculptures, music, operas, ballet, you name it. Just consult all my t-shirts and music playlists!

Psalms 32:8 – The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

3. A great team player.

I work well both individually and with teams. Being a professional artist, I’m no stranger to individual projects and I’m certainly no stranger to group projects. If there’s one thing I understand more than anything, it’s that communication is of the upmost importance in any team. When working in a group, one thing I am always mindful of is keeping everyone on the same page and up to date. In addition, I am always open to constructive criticism and willing to compromise for the good of the project.

Proverbs 15:32 – “Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.”

4. A positive, optimistic soul.

In the words of the LEGO Movie, “everything is awesome!” As a habit, I always make a point to be thankful for all the wonderful things I have and to try to see the glass as half full. I’ve learned the importance of optimism as I grew older and it has proven to be a lesson of immeasurable value. Even in stressful situations, it’s incredible how just adopting a positive mindset can make a huge difference on so many levels, much like a domino effect. The best part is that this mentality can spread like wild fire and is no doubt an unspoken asset to any team.

Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

What are my skillsets?

I am primarily an artist, both 2D and 3D. In the past I’ve done graphic design as well as illustration. I focus the most on character and environment art, but I like to be versatile with my style. As for 3D, I model, sculpt and texture both characters and props. In addition, I am also a frontend/gameplay programmer, web developer, tools developer, and a storyteller.

The way I like to think about it: my brain is literally split right down the middle. Half of it is a creative, expressive artsy side. The other half is a technical, analytical programming side.

What kind of creator am I?

In a word: sporadic. My creative process begins with only a spark, usually an idea or a light outline. With this spark I actually sit down to create (draw, write, etc.). I often find myself taking a “play by ear” approach when I begin to execute. A million little “What if I did this?!” ideas spontaneously pop up one after the other once I’m seated, and little by little my piece begins to take its form.

Since I work on a computer quite a bit, I often find myself aimlessly trying out different techniques and effects until I find something I like. I consider myself a digital artist mainly because computers are the medium on which I first discovered a passion for drawing, and are ultimately what led me into the games industry. Plus, computers are just the perfect blank canvas for anything. The possibilities for your final product are truly endless. Colors, textures, particles, shaders, line-work, all of these a graphics engine can create with infinite variety and micro-precision. It can even render over 9 million more colors than the human eye can physically perceive!

Perhaps I have a bias here because I love computers enough to make a career out of them. But, needless to say technology has evolved over the years, and as a result, the way artists create has evolved as well. There’s no way pencils, paper, paints and canvases will ever become obsolete, but why not build upon what those can do with what a good machine can do? Why be limited by anything other than our own imagination?

When the dust settles and the smoke clears, I do the work I do because art is my passion and I love to create things that have an impact, however small or large. I don’t ever just draw, write or make something. I connect with it. I put a little piece of my heart into it, and that personal connection is what shines in all that I do. Art and Technology will always be more than just a hobby to me and I’m beyond excited to see what my next creative adventure will be.

Additional Info?

My last name is pronounced Host-raw-sir.
Some of my favorite games are the Sims 4, Minecraft and the LittleBigPlanet series.
Shockingly, my favorite color is pink.
I’m based in Texas, USA. I’m not a cowgirl nor do I ride horses everywhere I go, but I do find myself saying “y’all” a lot.

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