My First Mural: I think I found my side hustle
I animate for a wonderful studio in Columbus, Ohio, called Outsider. Over the years, I’ve watched our studio gradually purchase more and more of the building we’re in until we eventually bought the entire building. Since then, we’ve been giving each room a facelift.
I work in the part of the studio where it all started—the first room we rented. Now, it’s known as the Motion Room, where all the animation magic happens. This room hasn’t been updated or renovated in quite a while, so I wanted to showcase the magic that takes place here.
From the creative craft of animation to all the technical work that goes into it—keyframes, timelines, using the Pen tool to create something beautiful, and, of course, my favorite part of animation: COLOR. I also wanted to pay homage to this being the first room Outsider started in by incorporating the logo into the overlapping imagery at the front.
This was my first mural, and oh my goodness, it was so much fun! Once the sketches and final renders were done, it felt like paint-by-numbers. I threw on Gilmore Girls in the background and painted away. The prep work, though, is always a bit of a hassle. My at-home studio is a mess, and with a mural, you can’t let the surrounding space get too messy. Making sure everything was protected with tape and tarps was the most time-consuming part of the process.
I’m so proud of this huge endeavor. It taught me a lot about interior design and telling stories on such a massive scale. It also makes me happy to see my friends come into work each day, greeted by the mural and given a little creative energy boost for the day.
Anyone need a mural? I’m open for business!
Shout out to my friend Alex Thackery for helping me with all the technical issues of trying to trace my design on the wall, I could not have done it without him!
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