Meet Donte’ Hawkins | Designer, Gamer & Collaborator

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

Hi Donte’, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up as a kid, I always would dabble in Thomas Kinkade paint by numbers, work on puzzles, create custom soaps and other crafts! Outside of those crafts, in class I would draw abstract drawings on the back of my spiral notebook. Not knowing what this meant at the time, I reflect back now and recognize it was a start of something special. As years progressed, I continued to work on my craft both in and outside of school. I practiced mostly in Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and InDesign. There was something about creating art that felt liberating! Fast forward many years later, I am a graphic designer in the SEO industry and am truly grateful for the whole creative experience. The cool thing is that where I am now is the tip of the iceberg!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

When I first started creating art as a kid, I had many art disciplines and passions. This really led me to my interests of character concept art, abstract art (paper / traditionally), and graphic design. My inspiration usually comes from one spot or another and never limited myself to just one type of art. While I agree that it’s great to specialize in one art style (especially when applying to studios), generally speaking I’m multi-faceted. This means if I’m applying for a concept art job, I use my character concept art portfolio and if I’m applying for an unusual art job (I’ve definitely seen some interesting ones out there), I use my abstract art portfolio.

Like many other artists / creatives, it was not easy getting to where I am today. Some people see the great results, but don’t know the amount of hustle it takes to break into the creative industry. Back in 2015 after careful planning, I thought I knew what my career would look like after graduating college. I attended Westwood College, obtained a Bachelor’s of Applied Science: Game Art and graduated with Cum Laude. Yes, I finally made it through school! I thought the hardest part was over, little did I know it was just beginning. Part of the thing was that I thought that my plan was going to happen instantly after graduating. After applying for countless jobs and game studios, I started questioning my worth and value. In that five-to-six-month span I had to learn that my true value doesn’t come from what I do, but it comes from who I am. Over the next couple of years it was a struggle to grasp this idea and was often frustrated with my career, because I didn’t see it going anywhere. So, I decided to take action. I signed up for art mentorships, a CGMA class for digital painting, messaged art directors / game industry folks on Linkedin, networked with other creatives and much more. Along with learning my values, these other actionable steps also helped my art improve over time.

Overall, it took about seven years to break into the graphic design industry. I often look back now and am glad that it didn’t happen right away, because I learned a ton about myself and grew professionally. It was all worth it in the end and I am grateful to God that I didn’t give up. I hope my story encourages others to not give up if it’s something you want to really accomplish. Timing is not in our hands and sometimes finding purpose is often stepping out and finding out what works / what doesn’t. It’s not a big deal if something doesn’t work out and you step back and realize it’s not for you. Many areas that I’ve tried include; 3D character modeling, 3D character texturing, environment modeling, environment texturing, HTML programming, ActionScript programming, etc.. Wild right? It took many years, but I finally have found that my areas are concept art, abstract art and graphic design.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend were to visit me, we probably would go thirty or so minutes from Chicago to a suburb called Oakbrook. Definitely would try out go kart racing, miniature golfing, top golf, laser tag and / or VR gaming. Even walking around malls / trying out different restaurants would be a good time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I have a ton of shoutouts to give mainly because there are lots of people who have helped me get where I am today.

1. God: I have to thank God who is first in my life. He has consistently worked with me throughout my life and continues to build my character. I’m truly grateful to him for allowing me to share my gift of art to the entire world.

2. My Family: Shoutout to my Mom (Cheri), Dad (Carl) and Brother (Darius). My family has contributed to my life in big ways. Words aren’t enough to share how much they have all impacted my life and continue to help me grow as a person.

3. My Teachers, Supervisors and Mentors: I had to include this group! Lots of time teachers, supervisors and mentors are often overlooked. However, I’m here to shout them out because they all truly deserve thanks. This group has challenged me to become my best self and have worked tirelessly to ensure I have the best resources / support available.

4. My Supporters: Shoutout to my supporters. Thanks for following me throughout the years and continually to encourage / engage me in my art journey.

Website: https://www.artstation.com/doncreations

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

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DonteHawkins

Other: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theultimatedongamer