Meet Nicole Renski | Concept Designer & Illustrator

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

Hi Nicole, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued an artistic career because I’ve wanted to contribute to entertainment ever since I grew up watching cartoons and playing games as a kid! My artwork as a child was always inspired by my favorite shows and movies, and I’ve always loved the thought of one day contributing to these pieces of media to inspire the next generation of artists and animators. I also love the collaboration that’s required to create films and games and enjoy contributing my abilities to a big project. As time goes on, it’s encouraging to see improvement in my artwork and to try and push myself to get better at it. In turn, this makes creating personal art even more fun as I can use and practice new skills that I’ve picked up along my art journey. Ultimately, all these reasons are what made me decide that I wanted to become an artist for a living!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a digital illustrator that designs and paints environments, props and characters for entertainment. I just graduated from ArtCenter College of Design this past December, so I’m pretty excited to finally be joining the workforce! This path definitely hasn’t been a walk in the park. I had a lot of doubts and hesitance along the way, but I’m glad I pushed through into becoming an artist professionally. I’ve learned that I can handle bigger challenges than I originally thought and have become confident in pursuing a professional artistic career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite spots in LA are the Huntington Gardens. They’re a lovely place to relax and take a walk, especially if the weather is nice! The Huntington also has several galleries and exhibitions that you can drop by on your trip. Speaking of galleries, the Norton Simon Museum is my favorite museum to visit and is filled with a variety of amazing works of art. They also have a beautiful statue garden with a small bar in case you want to take a break from perusing the exhibitions. As for food, I would definitely recommend Road to Seoul. It’s a fantastic Korean barbecue restaurant with a great environment to take out a big group of friends. If you’re looking for a smaller spot to have a bite, Popping Yolk Cafe is a delicious breakfast/brunch spot with fresh coffee and cocktails!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would definitely have to dedicate my shoutout to my incredible parents and supportive friends & family! This may be a common thing to say, but I truly wouldn’t have gotten this far if I didn’t have the encouragement of those closest to me, especially my mom and dad. They always show interest in the art I create and are eager to see my new works, which motivates me more than they could ever know!

Website: https://nicolerenski.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-renski/