09.26.2024

NPC Studio

Chicago, IL

Dear NPC Studio,

My love for pixel art began as a child growing up on a farm when I played Pokémon Leaf Green and Catz for the first time on the Game Boy Advance. Growing up, it was my digital escape from tending crops in the Texas heat, feeding chickens, raising and breeding rabbits for show, and selling at our local farmer’s market. It opened a world of possibilities for me, using MS Paint, and creating my own work inspired by media giants at a young age.

My creative drive has persisted since my youth, transforming and pushing myself to create graphics for clients and commercial businesses throughout grade school. I continued to grow, establishing an animation club at the University of Houston (which lacks an animation major) alongside my peers to nurture the demand for resources and create animations for clubs and events, participating in and managing fan-led zine artbooks, creating small games with my friends, and through pursuing animation and motion design I aspire to one day make it to the gaming industry. This drive led to my diving into the media industry and my acceptance into Disney’s internship program at ABC13 as a Digital Media & Marketing intern, where I design assets for social media, special promotions in digital and print, animated overlays for community events, and much more! Now having dwelled in the city for the past five years, I frequently reflect on my hours-long commute and miss the farm lifestyle. However, coming home to relax with farming simulators (Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing NL & NH, Story of Seasons, PuffPals Island Skies alpha) and otome games is a nostalgic nod to my roots.

In my senior year of university, I was contracted through the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority to make a pixel art-inspired public art fountain mounted in Downtown Houston honoring Houston’s sports legends. I am extremely proud that the art director believed in my capabilities and entrusted me with capturing the sports legends’ portraits, although contractees were only assigned for background work. I felt that my experience as a pixel artist played a huge role in assisting the other artists and the art director; sharing my knowledge of dithering and selective outlining with traditionally exclusive collaborators helped capture the legends’ likeness by manipulating shapes and colors as though it were a pixel-based, digital setting.

Given my passion for impacting others through visual storytelling and solving communication challenges with visual design, I am excited to apply for the NPC Studio’s Pixel Artist position. NPC Studio and Fields of Mistria interests me greatly, not only because it’s my ideal gaming experience, but also because it promotes diversity within romance and life/farming sims in an industry that needs to be more inclusive and diverse. My academic studies as a Digital Media major, self-taught illustration and animation skills, co-founding Animation Club with peers, professional experience with Disney, and freelance animation work have prepared me to be an excellent fit for the position!

With my professional experience at ABC13 KTRK-TV, my freelance creative work for the past seven years, and my role as co-founder of Animation Club, I have learned to work strongly alongside clients in an individual and team setting - combining my technical and artistic abilities to complete projects that have received highly positive reviews. I look forward to applying the creative and driven attitude I have demonstrated in my past projects to the NPC Studio team!

Thank you in advance for considering my application for the Fields of Mistria Pixel Art position. I am confident that, under the guidance of the talented team, I can further enhance my creative storytelling and offer my variety of skills. I would be honored to provide any additional information about my qualifications for this role and showcase my skills!