Ellen Cerreta

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, calling the hilly suburban streets my home. I was lucky enough to have a lot of creative friends in high school who shared my love for designing and illustrating, helping me grow as an artist in both skill and creativity.

 

Characters were always my favorite subject to draw. They're dynamic, expressive, and can really help us learn a lot about ourselves or others we know. I knew designing characters was what I wanted to do for a living, but I also knew how competitive it was, so for a while I was unsure if I wanted to commit my life to something I might have ended up not having a chance in. Because of that, I spent my years at Academy of Art University exploring different sides of game development: 3D modeling, texturing, animation. In the end I always had way more fun designing characters and so I continue to work on improving my skill.
 

I take a lot of inspiration from life. The band members at the concerts I attend, the teens I see at the skatepark, the strange people I met while I lived in the urban streets of San Francisco. I think using hints of modern day culture makes fantasy and sci-fi characters a little more interesting. We are creating media for modern audiences after all, and I want people who interact with the media I work on to feel connected to the characters I create and the stories I tell.