Kira Shaimanova
Why did you choose to attend OCAD U?
OCAD has many options for various fields of study. I knew if I didn't like what I was doing, I can easily change my major and go a different direction. Having a university be located in downtown Toronto was also beneficial for inspiration and having access to everything the city has to offer.
Please briefly describe your current job / practice.
I currently work as a freelance sculpture illustrator and create artwork for advertising agencies and editorial magazines. My client have many been from Canada and the U.S, but I'd love to branch out into the European art industry. I also sell my prints and artwork online and blog about any upcoming projects I may have.
How did you get started in your career?
I was pretty late in the game to discover my style and using sculpture as an illustration medium, in that case I didn't promote my work until I graduated OCAD. I hustled my first year out of school, promoted left and right. I took a trip with a couple of OCAD friends to New York and attended the American Illustration party in hopes to run into some new contacts. Instead we ended up meeting some of our illustration idols and soaked in some of their advice.
My first job was a cover illustration for Las Vegas Weekly. It came a year after graduating and whole year of being down and discouraged, but I never quit emailing and sending my work out into the world..
What were your policies regarding internships, volunteering, and paid work?
As for internships and volunteering, I was always the fence about that. I went out and made real friends with some of my illustration idols in the industry and you can't get more "real world" than that. I visited their studios, went on lunch dates and connected with artists that have been in the game for many years. You always want to know what their secret is to there big success, but from the many responses I heard, there is no one secret to success. It happened differently for everyone. Some get their big break from one job, others have luck. You just have to see whats working and what isn't.
What do you enjoy most about your work? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
I've always loved getting the phone call for a new project and having all these elaborate concepts rush to my head. It's new and different every time, but I love challenge. Although, the most challenging for me is having super short deadlines. My work is very intricate and time consuming. It involves creating my characters individually from clay, painting them, creating outfits, building the set, then photographing the final. At the very end I do some photoshop colour adjustments and send in the final.It's a mission to get it done, but it's so worth it in the end. Because of the type of work I do, I usually don't take on projects with a deadline shorter than 5 days. I know if I take on a super short deadline, I'll drain myself in the process and it won't be my best work.
What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I always enjoyed the many drawing and painting courses as part of the illustration program, because you can never have enough practice. The class that was most beneficial for me in the real world was the business class, though one semester was not nearly enough for a 4 year period. I did learn how to write proper contracts and invoices for clients. Learning contract terminology was super useful, especially when getting a sketchy contracts from a clients.
What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice?
I like to stay up to date on whats going on in the world, whether its political, social or just what's trending. I try to post process photos almost every week and show different things I'm working on or inspired by. If you're living at home with parents and don't need to worry about huge bills, don't do any side job for as long as possible and focus on art. Take advantage of living at your parents house, seriously. As cool as having a fancy studio and your own apartment is, getting busy with work and paying bills won't help your creativity or furthering your art. Focus on your career and you'll get so much more out of it.
What are your personal and professional goals for the coming years?
I would love to do more stop motion and or even just make articulated characters to pose them into various positions. I also have an interest in art direction. I want to try as many things as possible and there's so many different directions I can go with my work.