Hello!
My name is Maria, I am a character designer and visual development artist. I graduated in Comic and Concept art at Leeds Arts University in July, after which I worked as a freelance character designer for Stunt Puppet Pictures and Dreamworks TV.

My strengths lie in designing believable characters, coming up with immersive environments and creating a cohesive atmosphere through visual storytelling. I'm able to understand and demonstrate how characters move, think and behave within the environments I place them in, bringing them to life. I find that exploration through different media and techniques leaves room for creation. I value the problem-solving nature of the design process, especially when it is functional in telling a story.

When I look at the unending stacks of drawings my mother has kept since I was little, I notice how early my interest started. As a child, I always found myself drawing strange magical worlds and people, inspired by the narratives I would come up with while playing or to pass time entertaining myself.
In university, I found that that urge to create worlds, narratives and characters could be funnelled into something I was already passionate about: animation. 
My education has taught me to work collaboratively and learn from the people around me. I will forever cherish the days of work at the university’s studio, feeling inspired by the creative environment and building life-long friendships.

Being new in the industry, I am eager to learn everything about the creation of an animated project, each stage of production from the initial concept to the final product. My aim for my artistic career is not only to create and tell stories that audiences can enjoy, but also to give life to characters and worlds that people find comfort in and see themselves in, and through that, have a positive impact on generations to come. I am excited to see where this career will take me, I can’t wait for what’s to come.

Thank you for reading this!

Maria