Meet Madi Mitchell | Character Designer & Illustrator

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

Hi Madi, what are you inspired by?
I am inspired by people: their stories, and the stories they enjoy. People make for an incredibly rich subject matter, and as a character focused illustrator, I get the chance to explore that richness for the characters I create. Because humans have been around for so long, there are so many stories to be told, and explored. Even stories that may have been told 1000 times over can have a completely new spin depending on who is telling the tale. Character design allows me to tell a person or creature’s story through their design. This requires an immense level of detail, an understanding of people, and why they are the way they are. I even feel I miss the mark sometimes, because people are so complex. Sketching in the squares of Savannah GA, has become a fun hobby of mine recently. There are always new interesting people walking around the tourist hotspot. I enjoy going out and people watching to pick up new ideas for certain personalities, senses of fashion, and unique ways of being. Then applying some of those new things to my designs. Every choice you make about your outer self, can tell someone something about your inner self. They don’t say “fashion is a form of self expression,” for nothing. I am still exploring and figuring out new ways to portray people, and I am excited to see how those portrayals change as I do, throughout life. The level of attention to detail that is required of character design, is helping me become a more empathetic, and understanding person. That is why I remain inspired by people.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Like most kids, I enjoyed arts and crafts time. I was unaware at the early stages of my life that art was a form of self-expression, and to be frank, I still struggle with that concept, but I think I have a better understanding now, than I ever have before. I have always drawn things I liked, but never something that I felt was an expression of inside me. I used to draw horses constantly as a kid, because I was fascinated with them. All I wanted at that point of my life was a horse. So, there are pages and pages of my old “art” covered in scribbled horses, that actually look a whole lot more like llamas. As I got older my fascination shifted over to people. I drew lots of celebrities trying to teach myself photo-realism; all my sketchbooks from high school are filled with bad drawings of Dylan O’Brien, and Adele. Then there came a point in high school when I needed to ask myself to dig deeper into why I liked drawing people, and I came up with some stupid answer that led to an AP Studio Art portfolio about Diversity; completely lacking actual diversity. I got a 3 on the exam.
Then enter SCAD Freshman Madi, a girl who was in way over her head, and way far from home. The art from my first year of school reflected the fact that I still had zero clue what attached me to art. I made a lot of weird, black and white Surrealistic pieces, that I thought were kind of deep at the time. Looking back, I think I was just trying to be edgy. As I kept taking classes, new interests would peak here and there, but what really called out to me was character design (back to the whole people thing again). Something about that felt right to me, so I leaned into it. In order to get to the point I wanted to be at, I had to kind of start myself over. I had finally gotten used to digital art, but I was still doing a lot of photo-realistic pieces. My professor at the time told me that if I wanted to work in animation, my work would need to reflect that. So, taking the tools and minor understanding of design principles that I already had, I switched over to a stylized, more animated look to my art. This was of course an uphill battle, but I was determined to get it. I drew constantly, and most of the time it was stupid fan art, or stylized portraits of celebrities. However, when I got more comfortable, I started actually trying my hand at designing characters. I took class two years ago centered around character design, and from there I knew my goal was to become a character designer.
I think part of the reason I enjoy character design so much is because it takes some of the stress out of understanding people. When designing characters, I get the chance to really analyze the character, making visual choices based on their inner self. Over time this skill helps me make deductions about people based on their outward selves. If I can do this free of judgment, I think it becomes empathy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is actually a funny question, because one of my best friends from home just came and visited Savannah a little over a week ago. However, instead of a week, we had 2 days. I took her around the city, we did my walk to class from my dorm into Forsyth Park and then to Ruskin Hall. We kept on walking through the park, and I took her picture in front of the big fountain. We saw a wedding party taking photos by the fountain, and I explained how that is a regular occurrence in the park. Then we kept walking up Bull St. to my favorite coffee shop in Savannah, Blue Door Coffee and Waffles! If you happen to be a nerdy person, and you like coffee, this is the place for you. My friend got a Wookie Cookie, which was some sort of chocolate, Oreo, and Reeses filled waffle, not for me, but she loved it. My recommendation is the Eggie Van Halen breakfast sandwich, good stuff. The rest of the day was spent walking around the city. If I were to recommend another spot in Savannah, I would say Madison Square. I am slightly partial to it, given as I share a name with it, but it’s my favorite square to sit in. There are a few SCAD buildings in the area, so that square stays fairly busy with people, and is a good sketching spot. Lastly, I will recommend Gallery Espresso. This eclectic coffee shop is the perfect place for a relaxing study session, or just a good cup of coffee.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people that have supported me in so many ways throughout my life. My close friends and family are some of the strongest support systems, guiding me as I progress through life, and this “creative” journey that I am on. Both of my parents play a role in helping me suceed and grow as an artist. My Dad has always understood, and lifted up my sometimes unconventional ideas, and my Mom has always been there to catch me when I stumble, offering me love and council when I need it. In their own ways, they both have taught me how to believe in myself, and my work. I would also like to give a little shoutout to both of my step-parents for their added support, and understanding. I especially want to thank my step-dad who has offered me so much support in ways I can’t even explain. In many ways, I am not sure I would be where I am right now if it weren’t for his help in the beginning of my creative career, and his continued help today. To my Papa, for his wisdom, love, and support, and to all my siblings who have helped me grow a thick skin throughout the years. Lastly, to my lovely friends, who push me to have a life outside of my art. I appreciate and love you all.

Website: https://www.madimitchell.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artb.ymadi/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madi-mitchell2/

Other: My podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2gy6TwzzsVDSUNqIgMjLux?si=a08adae95db7439d