Artist Bio:
Yvonne Saldana is a student at the University of Central Florida currently working towards their BFA degree in Emerging Media, specifically on the Animation & Visualization track. They are a first-gen American born in Central Florida to two Mexican immigrants, who has always loved to watch cartoons, draw and play videogames and is thankful to their parents for having given them the opportunity to be able to study something they love to do. Yvonne Saldana also has a passion about learning about other cultures along with their own, Mexican, which can be seen sometimes in their art and loves portraying how they see the world in their art. Saldana aspires to work in the animation/game industry as a 2D background or concept artist.
Artist Statement:
In my art, I typically like to capture the relationship between characters and their environment. Using digital art software, I explore how characters interact with and are shaped by the environments they inhabit, capturing the intricate details of these surroundings and thoughtful lighting to enhance the narrative of each piece. I believe that the background is very integral part of the character drawing than just having the character set in a void, it tells us a story that is not written out but left for the viewer's interpretation. I like to carefully think about what story I want to tell in my artworks when I am in the process of illustrating. I also like to play with light in my art to highlight or emphasize certain parts of the drawing or to quietly tell what the time it is or the mood of the drawing. Every single detail or element contributes to the overall mood and narrative of the piece that couldn't be told the way I want it to be told if they were missing.
