If you have never met Josh Roberts, that needs to be fixed right now. I met animation senior Josh as a Student Ambassador last year, where I watched him volunteer for nearly every opportunity to support SCAD in various events and positions. Yet, it was looking at his art work that made me take a step back to see him in a new light. In life, Josh is a generally happy, humble guy, but his work, though reflective of these qualities, reveals considerable skill and eludes to greatness. Also, he makes us look good, ladies. I recently got a chance to pick his brain a bit about plans, inspirations and some advice. Read up and don’t forget to follow him on social media!
Where are you from?
I’m from Macon, the “heart of Georgia” as our local news station calls it, haha.
How do you like SCAD in Atlanta?
I love SCAD Atlanta! It may be small, but it feels like more of a community because of it.
Your portrayal of women is simply gorgeous. How did you develop such a sensibility to portray the feminine form?
Thank you! I get a lot of my stylistic influence from the women who work in animation. I pay a lot of attention to the artwork of Lorelay Bove, Anna Cattish, and Genevieve FT. I love their different styles and how they each portray women. It also helps that I like to draw women, haha.
What are you working on right now?
Currently, I’m only working on my film, and polishing up my previous works for my portfolio. Now that graduation’s around the corner, I want to make sure I have a lot of strong work that stands out to employers. My senior film is about a punk who uses a church to take refuge from a demon, only to find his soul is in more danger than ever.
What are your biggest inspirations?
My biggest inspiration comes from learning, if that makes sense. Anytime I learn something new about animation, or any part of the pipeline, I get so excited to try it out. Other inspirations are other artists (like Gyimah Gariba and Anna Cattish), films, and cartoons. Artwork in general is my biggest inspiration. I love looking other artists’ work, looking at their styles and the way they color, use lighting, and compose an image. The day I discovered Pinterest changed my life.
What kinds of things do you want to do in the future? Where would you like to work?
Ultimately, I would love to work on feature films with studios like Disney, Blue Sky, or DreamWorks, though I’m very open to television. I love the animating part of the animation pipeline, but I more so want to be a character designer and/or story artist.
I know you are a Student Ambassador at SCAD. What has your experience been like with them??
It’s awesome! The other ambassadors are great, and it’s a lot of fun working with them. Plus, I love interacting with prospective students and telling them about my experience as a current student. I get to give them a more in depth view of the school and the opportunities that come from attending – like learning from professors who have industry experience or the collaborative learning center.
Any advice for incoming students or “lowerclassmen” trying to decide what to major in, etc.?
I say you should talk to professors and/or other students, and show them your work so far, including the things in your sketchbook(s). When you look at the art you like to produce, or talk about what you like to draw, you can get a pretty good idea of where you’d like to go. Also, look into what all careers can be covered by the different majors. For example, when I was just a prospective student, I thought we (animation majors) would all come out to be character animators. Now, I know we can be animators, modelers, riggers, character designers, story artists, visual development artists, and more.
Follow Josh on Instagram and Bēhance for the latest in his work!