It was a cold December evening, filled with the distant sounds of caroling and laughter, altogether a festive atmosphere. The gusty wind did not seem to bother the passing crowd, as it was tickling their noses with the sweet smell of fresh pastry. I broke away from the moving crowd and sat on a bench, taking in the peaceful scenery. The man sitting beside me pulled out a blank white paper and a pencil from his backpack, took a moment to record the view in his head, and began drawing. The cold ushered me to move along, but curiosity kept me glued to that frozen bench.
The moment he lifted the pencil up from the paper, I immediately looked towards it, gazing in awe. It was all there; his drawing exuding with joy, laughter and revel. It seemed almost alive, taking form right in front of my eyes. This particular moment stuck with me for a long time, and I decided to draw up a petition: “From now on, we need to append in the dictionary one more meaning for magician: artist”. For many, a blank paper does not exceed its usage, whereas for some it represents the prime material for creating something new; for creating art.
And now it is about time I introduced myself. If we were to perceive the world as an imaginary creation drawn by a supreme artist, then my character would be Anca-Ionica, an innovative girl, who sees a story behind every seemingly uneventful experience. Although my artistic side has always stood out from my other abilities, I spent the last two years studying Pharmacy in Bucharest. Despite choosing what seemed to be the safer pathway, I soon realized that it didn’t make me whole. If this supreme artist who drew us, his characters, left us the choice of carving our own paths, then we must model them, with whole-hearted dedication and passion. It is never too late to start over, so I decided to follow my passion and apply for the Bachelor in Character Animation. I compare artists of this craft with Geppetto, who brought his art to life, albeit for different reasons. The thought of being the creator of your personal universe, telling your stories through characters of your own and making it into living art excites me. This is one of the reasons I chose to apply for this specific program. Another reason that sustains my choice is that the course would provide me the necessary theoretical material which would help consolidate my visual perception as an artist. When it comes to perfecting oneself, the theoretical part is a key element for understanding the craft, as well as a trigger for innovative ideas. Also, it gives you the possibility to share your end result with the people around you; people of the same passion add ideas to the “pot of sorcery”, making the perfect formula for “magic”.
My inspiration and drive derive from the work of Hayao Miyazaki, for whom I have the utmost respect. His characters and stories keep you spellbound, irrespective of age. I find his work stimulating for my creative synapses, with strong characters, who make you love life even more, with spectacular scenery and background, that conjure up memories of my childhood. In a world that is inclining more and more towards violence, he brought forth the beauty and tranquility, proving that the world still has a lot to offer; we just need to pay more attention.
Based on that, I hope that in the future I will have the privilege to share my own work with others, to inspire them with strong characters and ideas, showing the beauty in humanity as seen through my own eyes. I am not afraid of dreaming big, nor am I afraid of challenges. I think that in life we need to strive to reach our full potential, so that the future finds us ready to bring everything we’ve got to our profession and workplace. I would love to work side by side with people who share my ambitions, in any project that will keep my creativity buzzing. I always thought that as long as you work hard, the future will be laid out in front of you.
Character Animation is an industry that is developing day by day, with new technologies and techniques coming out constantly. In my opinion, animation is starting to have the same influence as live action movies. It’s no longer considered a medium which provides entertainment for kids only. Its beauty attracts people of all ages, something that will keep growing even more in the future. I can only imagine how fulfilling it is to see your passion becoming an inspiration for people from around the world, something that I would like to experience on my own someday. As for me, I was also influenced by other people’s work. One of my favorite animated films is Spirited Away. First of all, the design and animation are stunning, capturing your attention from the very first image. Secondly, Chihiro, the main character, impressed me with her courageous and resolute personality, by facing adversity with a strong heart and mind.
Another work I found to be truly insightful is the comic Monster, by Naoki Urasawa. What fascinates me the most is its story, the way it keeps the reader wanting more and more. It’s an adventure that captures both the positivity and negativity in the world, and the narrative is absolutely captivating. The characters progress beautifully throughout the comic, making them impossible to be forgotten. The visuals are impressive and show great meticulosity. The third work that I appreciate is a fairly new indie game called Limbo. Even though at first the visuals seem simple, they grow on you as you progress in the game. Their apparent simplicity is what makes the game incredibly stunning to watch, not just to play. Another aspect I like about Limbo is the way in which you are required to solve different puzzles, encouraging players to use their imagination at its full potential.
When it comes to works that I least prefer, one of them is the animated movie The Little Mermaid. My problem with it are not the visuals nor the design of the characters, but the fact that the actual story was way too distorted, sending the wrong message to the audience. In the story, we know that the prince does not fall in love with the mermaid, whereas in the movie, things evolve differently. He falls in love with her for her beauty, not for Ariel as a whole. Therefore, I think the movie portrays a superficial image of love that is not beneficial for anyone.
One more work that is among my least favorite is Attack on Titan, the manga series. The story is based on unnecessary violence, which overshadows the characters. The dominant personality trait of the main character is vengefulness, a state of mind that persists throughout the manga. As much as I admire the artistry of the design in general, I cannot overlook the gruesomeness of the plot, which consists of battles for survival. As for games, I found the general plot for Zelda: The wand of Gamelon to be quite interesting, but the design was blurry and unappealing, at times interfering with the gameplay. It was also hard to control, many command buttons having multiple purposes, which was very confusing.
I drew inspiration from all the works mentioned above, drawing both in the traditional way, as well as digitally. So far, I’ve worked in Photoshop, at a beginner level, but I am a fast learner and I am sure that with hard work and persistence I can master its secrets.
As each and every character in this universe, Anca-Ionica needs financial support to follow the wonderful path of animation. I am a strong willed and determined person, so apart from the financial support of my family, I am going to work part time to add to the existing income.
Just as an artist gets to erase parts of its character in order to improve and evolve them, so does my character grow and improve. It is a continuous process that will end only when I reach the end of my story, hopefully when I’m old and hunchbacked. To conclude, I enclose the link to my portfolio: blankcreatesart.tumblr.com. I hope that whoever is reading my letter is living the story they have carved, without second thoughts, shaping their character day by day.
