Meet Camilla Boston | Character Designer, Visual Development Artist, 2D Animator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camilla Boston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camilla, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Up until college, I grew up in Akron Ohio. living on a backroad of a backroad, in a culdesac that overlooks thick woods. it always felt like we were resting at the edge of the world. A neighborhood where something off kilter is always in the background, drowned out by the flood of of frogs and crickets. The outskirts of the main city are filled with broken highways and the crackling neon of drive ins and dollar generals, nestled into the skeletons of dead video stores

I spent countless days in the historical theatre my mom worked in, volunteering and seeing the inner workings of productions. Downtown art fairs came through monthly, and provided opportunities for me to sell my work and learn how to market myself. The local library’s teen programs became a hub for a tight knit group of like minded friends, allowing us to plan events and form clubs centered on writing and art. The creative community in the area is something I truly believe is under- sung, It gave me invaluable experiences, and the opportunities to meet so many incredible people.

There is so much humanity and beauty found within these deeply lived in spaces, and the people that bring life to them.

I really aim to embody in that in my work, the off kilter nuances in each of us, and how the spaces we inhabit form around those characteristics.

I’m currently working on a pitch for a horror series that encapsulates a lot of my feelings about the idea of home, and I’m hopeful that I’ll get to tell that story in full down the road.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a character designer, visual development artist, and 2D animator, currently working as a designer and animator with AHA media and INSERT Media.

My work focuses on high energy and designs, highlighting nuances that help characters forge their identities.

I graduated from CCAD this past spring, as the outstanding senior in my major, serving as animation student collective president, and having participated in multiple internships and mentorships.

Prior to CCAD, I was homeschooled for my entire life, making the journey to art school a relatively unconventional one. I was determined to make the absolute best of my time at college, and I truly think I did, also learning the importance of knowing my limits along the way

My ultimate goal is to tell my own stories, with the aim of elevating underrepresented voices through animation. The pitch deck I have in early development is intended for animation, but I have a huge love for the comics and graphic novel scene and would love to tell stories through that medium as well.

I am currently open for work, and would love to help your projects come to life!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One place I regularly venture to with friends is Kinney Centre. The plaza is brimming with fantastic local shops like Magpie Market, J Avenue, Tensuke Market, and the best bakery in the city, Belle’s Bread.

The apricot danish and strawberry bears are a couple personal favorite treats that I highly recommend.

German Village is also a must, for any fellow artists, the architecture makes for some fantastic plein air/architecture studies.

Within German village, the Book Loft is always my go-to, with a Mocha from Stauf’s in hand.

Brown bag Delicatessen makes for an incredible lunch, and Goodale Park offers even more wonderful drawing opportunities, with free outdoor theatre productions being put on during the summer.

Downtown, Blockfort gallery is the place to be! I had the opportunity to be a mentee with the gallery owner Adam Brouillette over my senior year of college, and I couldn’t believe what an incredible space the gallery offers for visitors and artists searching for residency alike.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to shout out my long term mentor Dave Sherrill! @daveruinsart

He and his wife Melissa both have done so much for the art community back home, with Melissa running several of the fairs I have sold work at in the past, and being an incredibly skilled crochet artist.

Dave paints pop culture icons and original designs alike into thrifted paintings, breathing new life into them.

He manages to replicate the style of any given painting brilliantly, and has built a staggering collection of works over the years.

He has an online shop I highly recommend checking out, with calendars, prints, stickers, and more!

They have been family friends and constant supporters of my work for years, and I am more than happy for the chance to give them a Shoutout

Website: https://camillaboston.weebly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclopsarts

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-boston-b638051a7

Other: Business email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Nick Osborn