Meet Gog Mkrtchyan | CG Animator & Artist

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

Hi Gog, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Art has been a part of me as long as I can remember myself. I was born and raised in Armenia and as a kid I used to carry a sketchbook that was definitely bigger than me and draw everyone around me in it. I think I started taking it more seriously when my dad took me to a development center when I was 10 to sign me up for piano lessons and we left that room with me being signed up for art classes instead. After 4 years and middle school I decided to go to art school instead of a regular high school. This was a completely new world, I got a chance to explore different mediums and techniques and kept falling in love with it. During my last years of art college my interest towards animation started growing drastically and I decided to move to the US to pursue my dream at Ringling College of Art and Design. Having a traditional art background and love towards technology this was a dream come true. Animation is like taking everything you know and combining all of it to create something amazing that is both fun for the creator and entertaining for the audience. This lets me to explore various fields, the world around me, interpret it in my own unique way and share with everyone around me.
I always had good grades at school and my parents wanted me to pursue more popular career. However, nothing seemed as exciting as art to me and they were always by my side supporting my decisions and I am very grateful to have a family that supports each other no matter what.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a CG Animator, I am passionate about creating engaging and expressive characters and stories for various media and platforms.
Growing up I was surrounded by mountains and ancient historic buildings and that was always a big part of my art. I used to climb mountains and do plein airs of old churches and mountains a lot. I love history and explore the features of different countries throughout history incorporating that into my works. For example, Sleepless Beauty is set in medieval world. Researching armor, dresses, interiors and fairy tales was one of the fun parts creating that short.

My journey was not that easy. One of the hardest moments in my life was during the 2020 war that Azerbaijan initiated. In one day my whole world got turned upside down. I was a junior in college, my now husband went to protect the borders and I had no updates about him and my other friends for days. I had to concentrate on my class projects while handling the horrible emotional stage that comes with any war. I started focusing on work to deal with the situation but nothing I did made me happy as I kept thinking that animators and artists in general can’t save lives or change anything in situations like this. After completing that funny little animation and seeing the genuine smile on people’s faces who struggled a lot I realized that if I can make people feel something, get away from the reality and the problems they are facing even for a second that means what do matters and I should continue doing so.

This has been a great source of motivation for me so far as animation is all about entertaining the audience, connecting with them on an emotional level and trying to teach something new (especially when the target is young audience). It is important to never give up, no matter how hard or impossible things may seem. If you have a goal and passion, working towards it every single day is the only way to succeed.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Every time I have a friend visiting I try to hit the must visit spots but also adjust to their interests as there are so many great places to go but not enough time. That said, Hollywood Walk of Fame and Griffith Observatory(during sunset) are the must goes. There are gorgeous hiking trails all around the area and will definitely pick one with a waterfall like the Switzer Falls as it is getting hot already. Then we’ll go get ice cream or coffee. There is this coffeeshop called Laidrey and Anita Gelato right next to it. I love the Getty Center and museums in general so would love to take them to a couple, LACMA, Norton Simon, Huntington. Theme parks for sure, one of them at least, because one week is not enough for more. Spending the day at Venice beach walking around the canals, riding a bike or roller skating in the area, having a picnic at the beach and spending the evening in Santa Monica at the pier and picking a dinner spot with a nice view. If it’s a bloom season going to Descanso Gardens will also be a nice way to spend the morning/afternoon. And then we can go to Downtown LA to check out the Last Bookstore, MOCA or the BROAD, Disney Concert Hall and head to Beverly Hills for a nice dinner and walk around Rodeo Drive.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I had many teachers in my life but I would like to mention two of them. Yulia Mkrtchyan – my English tutor and Vahe Gasparyan – my art tutor. They are not only great professionals that helped me succeed in the subjects that helped me get into Ringling but also became good friends of mine and played a huge role in shaping me as an artist and individual. Their advice about life and how to handle different situations in and outside my artistic journey helped me tremendously.
While in the Computer Animation program at RCAD I had the best professors who helped me develop the skills and mindset to be ready for the industry. I couldn’t create my CG Animated thesis film Sleepless Beauty without their advice and guidance.
I also want to thank my husband Davit who’s always been by my side supporting and encouraging me even during the moments when I wanted to give up and helping me to overcome the struggles that come with this field making me stronger and motivated to become a better version of myself.

Website: https://www.animgog.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gogli.evn/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gog-mkrtchyan/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f4mkCMpbEw