Thank you for sharing this! Especially the rates because I think a lot of people are afraid to talk about that publicly, but new artists can’t learn it if they don’t know. I really enjoy this newsletter keep up the good work!
Thank you so much Austin, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I definitely agree about rates, I think the more that artists share that information, the more we're able to educate and protect each other! Thank you so much for reading! :)
Hi Kat, this was such a lovely post and I loved all the details about your experience! I also loved Kipo and whenever I’d tell people about it I’d always be like “omg the color design is amazing!”. I also loved Voltron so it’s cool to hear they were all being produced nextdoor to you! I think Voltron actually helped me with a breakthrough in my art journey at the time. I recently landed some remote freelance with Dreamworks, and my dream (aside from working with them haha) is to have that same kind of lovely in-person community that you built someday. I’ve also only been on the job a few weeks and so I 100% feel the “I don’t know if I’m doing things in the right way” thing lol. I transitioned from concept art in the game production pipeline to visdev in the TV animation pre-production pipeline, but the small team I’ve been in contact with have been so nice and welcoming so far <3 On a sidenote I’m also glad you included your pay rate and that it was lower than it should've been so that ppl who are new can get a better idea on what they should shoot for when onboarding. I made $30/hr in my first full-time (contract) concept art job, but I’m living in Philly which is way cheaper than LA!! Also RIP unseasoned broccoli loll
Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing about your story with me!! I really hope that your new job is going well, and I'm so glad to hear you've been having a great experience with your team - I have no doubt that whatever you're working on is gonna be incredible! That must've been quite the journey as well, going from games to TV vis-dev. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading and I'm cheering for you to succeed in all the things you do!! :D
Thanks so much!! Yeah I love both games and animation but I’ve always wanted to transition into animation and pre-prod someday cuz I love the exploratory phase, I just didnt think it would happen so soon! As for the transition itself its kinda weird since I went from remote to remote it doesnt feel all that different haha, just getting used to having more freedom/less direction since the briefs are quite loose compared to my former concept tasks, and I don’t have a full-time team I talk to every day. Anyway keep making awesome stuff! (and i still hope to take your color and light class someday!)
had to stop reading this (excellent) post to go and find kipo on Netflix. I watch a lot of animation and it’s annoying how many shows are out there that I’ve never heard of but are really interested in. Looking forward to digging into Kipo and everything else it has led me to. Thank you for sharing and good luck in the future!
I just finished season 1 and I really enjoyed it: the characters, the world building, the unexpected humor (the Butterfly was lowkey hilarious) can’t wait to dig into season 2, with a break to check out Tokyo Overdrive which looks so cool as an enjoyer of bikes and 2 wheel culture. Also don’t apologize for writing long posts - it’s safe to say that I think people are on Substack because they’re looking for longer content, not just dopamine doomscrolling
this was so fun! everything from new little details (like u eating unseasoned broccoli every week, the Free! poster on ur blackboard LOL, u being a lemon eating CHAMP HAHA) to old memories (like watching the first episode of Kipo w Triad) were a joy to read. i had a smile on my face the whole time as you reflected on ur growth as an artist and human. you are so amazing kat, and it's beautiful that you are sharing all the lessons you learned <3 keep going!
Hehehe thank you Eric!!! That really was so much fun getting to watch with you and Triad - it definitely makes me emotional to think about all the support from you and friends over the years and how much it's meant to me hahaha :')
I remember watching Kipo back in 2020 when I was still in HS during peak COVID times and falling in love with the distinct colors and world! This was so inspiring to read thank you for sharing :)
Aside from the pay, I really enjoyed reading about your experience with Kipo! The show, since it's debut, is such a huge source of inspiration for me and one of the very few shows that feel specifically catered to my younger self. You are an incredible artists and your use of color is always soooo good and I'm really glad you started this so we can learn more about you! 🫶🏾
Aw thank you so much Yaz!! It makes me so happy to hear how much Kipo means to you and I'm so glad you enjoyed the read - I hope you have a wonderful day 💕
Thank you for sharing this! Especially the rates because I think a lot of people are afraid to talk about that publicly, but new artists can’t learn it if they don’t know. I really enjoy this newsletter keep up the good work!
Thank you so much Austin, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I definitely agree about rates, I think the more that artists share that information, the more we're able to educate and protect each other! Thank you so much for reading! :)
Hi Kat, this was such a lovely post and I loved all the details about your experience! I also loved Kipo and whenever I’d tell people about it I’d always be like “omg the color design is amazing!”. I also loved Voltron so it’s cool to hear they were all being produced nextdoor to you! I think Voltron actually helped me with a breakthrough in my art journey at the time. I recently landed some remote freelance with Dreamworks, and my dream (aside from working with them haha) is to have that same kind of lovely in-person community that you built someday. I’ve also only been on the job a few weeks and so I 100% feel the “I don’t know if I’m doing things in the right way” thing lol. I transitioned from concept art in the game production pipeline to visdev in the TV animation pre-production pipeline, but the small team I’ve been in contact with have been so nice and welcoming so far <3 On a sidenote I’m also glad you included your pay rate and that it was lower than it should've been so that ppl who are new can get a better idea on what they should shoot for when onboarding. I made $30/hr in my first full-time (contract) concept art job, but I’m living in Philly which is way cheaper than LA!! Also RIP unseasoned broccoli loll
Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing about your story with me!! I really hope that your new job is going well, and I'm so glad to hear you've been having a great experience with your team - I have no doubt that whatever you're working on is gonna be incredible! That must've been quite the journey as well, going from games to TV vis-dev. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading and I'm cheering for you to succeed in all the things you do!! :D
Thanks so much!! Yeah I love both games and animation but I’ve always wanted to transition into animation and pre-prod someday cuz I love the exploratory phase, I just didnt think it would happen so soon! As for the transition itself its kinda weird since I went from remote to remote it doesnt feel all that different haha, just getting used to having more freedom/less direction since the briefs are quite loose compared to my former concept tasks, and I don’t have a full-time team I talk to every day. Anyway keep making awesome stuff! (and i still hope to take your color and light class someday!)
had to stop reading this (excellent) post to go and find kipo on Netflix. I watch a lot of animation and it’s annoying how many shows are out there that I’ve never heard of but are really interested in. Looking forward to digging into Kipo and everything else it has led me to. Thank you for sharing and good luck in the future!
Oh wow, that's awesome!! I really hope you enjoy Kipo, it definitely has a special place in my heart! Thank you so much for reading! :)
I just finished season 1 and I really enjoyed it: the characters, the world building, the unexpected humor (the Butterfly was lowkey hilarious) can’t wait to dig into season 2, with a break to check out Tokyo Overdrive which looks so cool as an enjoyer of bikes and 2 wheel culture. Also don’t apologize for writing long posts - it’s safe to say that I think people are on Substack because they’re looking for longer content, not just dopamine doomscrolling
Loved Kipo, my face is Jamock, he is just one of those characters who sticks with you as super unique.
He was the crew favorite as well!! We all loved to draw fanart of him in our free time, hahaha.
this was so fun! everything from new little details (like u eating unseasoned broccoli every week, the Free! poster on ur blackboard LOL, u being a lemon eating CHAMP HAHA) to old memories (like watching the first episode of Kipo w Triad) were a joy to read. i had a smile on my face the whole time as you reflected on ur growth as an artist and human. you are so amazing kat, and it's beautiful that you are sharing all the lessons you learned <3 keep going!
Hehehe thank you Eric!!! That really was so much fun getting to watch with you and Triad - it definitely makes me emotional to think about all the support from you and friends over the years and how much it's meant to me hahaha :')
I remember watching Kipo back in 2020 when I was still in HS during peak COVID times and falling in love with the distinct colors and world! This was so inspiring to read thank you for sharing :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed the show - thank you so much for reading!! :')
Aside from the pay, I really enjoyed reading about your experience with Kipo! The show, since it's debut, is such a huge source of inspiration for me and one of the very few shows that feel specifically catered to my younger self. You are an incredible artists and your use of color is always soooo good and I'm really glad you started this so we can learn more about you! 🫶🏾
Aw thank you so much Yaz!! It makes me so happy to hear how much Kipo means to you and I'm so glad you enjoyed the read - I hope you have a wonderful day 💕