Meet Aroona Khiani | Character Designer

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

Hi Aroona, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always been fascinated by the potential of a blank canvas since I was young, happy enough to entertain myself in the form of graphite sketches. Animated films and shows were a big source of inspiration for me, especially the Classic Mickey Mouse shorts. Eventually it occurred to me that there were people behind the cartoons. I discovered Character Design after looking into artbooks of different shows, and doing that as a career became my goal from then on! I enjoy bringing characters to life through concepts and ideation, and contributing to a larger project that can inspire people the same way my favorite cartoons did for me.

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 currently a Character Designer at Titmouse Burbank and graduated from Sheridan College’s Animation program. The most exciting part of character design for me is creating diverse characters that are reflective of the everyday people I see in my life. To do that, I people-watch as often as I can, paying special attention to each individual and the story they’re telling with the way they’ve presented themselves to the world. I love being able to translate likeness to an appealing design, and I find cafe-sketching the perfect time to experiment with my process and in creating my own visual library up in my head to pull from when I sit down to finalize a design.

I’ve come to realize that the way I draw is different from others, I have to research, reference and fully understand what I’m setting out to draw. I enjoy the challenge that creating brings, and this process allows me to develop designs with authenticity in mind. I aim to bring a sort of diversity to projects that feels truly representative, so that each character feels alive and is able to reach past the screen to connect with members of the audience.

I’m excited to keep experimenting and refining my work as my career continues. I love drawing, I love creating to bring emotions to people, and I love that design is my way of doing that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
LA always has something going on. I love listening to live music, so I’d find a concert through Sofar Sounds and soak in the atmosphere. I also enjoy going to museums, so hitting up The Getty, LACMA and MOCA is a must. Wrapping up the day with a great meal like Thai food at Night + Market Song makes it a great day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Thank you to my family for always looking out and wanting the best for me, and to my friends for being my biggest cheerleaders! I also want to shout out my 9th grade art teacher, Mr. Lee, for giving me my first digital tablet that helped send me down this path.

Website: https://aroonakhiani.portfoliobox.net/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aroonakhiani/

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Zhang Xun