Meet Taylor Eby | Character Designer

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

Hi Taylor, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
So I work with in the concept art industry, specifically for children’s animation. I Think one thing that outsiders tend not to understand is how much ideation work goes into it. As a character designer you could be asked to do upwards of 40 sketches in a 48 hour period. You have to be able to work quickly and effectively. Not everything is finished and fully rendered but it needs to communicate a clear idea in a quick sketch.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a concept artist I am tasked with communicating visually both quickly and effectively. It’s an industry that’s focused less so on finished pieces and more so on strong designs, color, and silhouette. Getting to this point in my career has had a lot of ups and downs. Working in concept art is highly competitive so the name of the game is tenacity, you truly can’t give up in the face of adversity. I believe that is my strongest attribute as an artist. I think what sets me apart as an artist, is my focus on children’s media and the strength of my shape language in my characters. There are many artists who I come across who focus on the intricate details of their characters and illustrations, and while that’s amazing, I instead try to focus on immediate readability. The quicker a viewer can see who my character is, the better.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The city of Savannah is so packed with activities it’s hard to choose just a few but I’ll try. One of my favorite coffee spots is Origin Coffee Bar, its a new coffee shop to the city, owned by SCAD graduates and has some amazing food and coffee so I would definitely take a friend there. Broughton Street is a wonderful place to shop as well, I always pop in to Dress Up and Avalon to find some cute, affordable clothes. Another amazing place to shop is the farmers market that happens every Saturday at Forsyth Park! You can get good food, flowers and art from local sellers, it’s an amazing place to meet people as well. Lastly I would be remise if I didn’t mention Doki Doki Ice Creamery. Another recent addition to Savannah’s it’s ice creams are inspired by Japanese flavors and they truly have something you can’t get anywhere else in Savannah.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My grandfather (who I called “Dee Dee”) was a huge inspiration for me growing up. I was raised in a family of artists, my grandmother is a singer and a pageant queen, my aunt is an illustrator and my Dee Dee was a watercolor painter. I grew up watching him be fascinated by the lush Florida landscape and capturing its beauty through his paintings. It was my Dee Dee’s passion for the visual arts that truly pushed me to where I am today. He would constantly encourage me, and was always proud of the work I had done (even if it wasn’t good). I wouldn’t be half the artist I am without him.

Website: https://ebytaylor17.wixsite.com/my-site

Instagram: @Taylor_eb14

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/taylorebyillustration