Finding an outlet for her creativity and her big imagination
Meet CAW Intern Tiffany Depeña (and her character Avery)
CAW Character Design Intern Tiffany Depeña
Tiffany Depeña is an intern in CAW’s Character Design program with FunPlus. She is a senior at Bayside High School and has been enrolled in her school's Digital Art and Design course all four years. Tiffany attended a Saturday art program in Queens Museum as a sophomore and a pre-college course at SVA in the summer of her junior year. This is her first year participating in a CAW program and she says it has truly been a great experience.
Tiffany says she has a "big imagination" and is always creating new worlds and characters in her head. While Tiffany’s character, a “part-time super hero” named Avery, struggles with issues of self-confidence, Tiffany was brave enough to volunteer to be interviewed for this profile. We hope you enjoy it!
What made you decide to apply to the Character Design program and what are you hoping to get out of your experience?
I am interested in many aspects in the cartoon industry including Character Design. I am always creating new characters and fantasies for them. I wanted to learn more and I thought this internship was a great opportunity for me. I also wanted to get feedback from different people who are at different levels with their art.
“I feel much better letting it all out.” Storyboards allow Tiffany to lay out an idea in “all its glory.”
Tell us something you've learned in this program?
Finding good reference images is very important. We were told about a website called Magic Poser, and it really has helped me a lot with creating poses. Getting feedback is also important – It can really change the way you look at something for the better.
What has been your favorite assignment so far?
It would definitely would have to be the storyboard assignment, just because I have a huge imagination and I'm always ready to create new things. Most of the time, my ideas are stored up in my mind and I usually never give myself the chance to actually write down, so this assignment really gave me time to actually sit down and lay out all my ideas and just see it in all its glory. And I feel much better letting it all out.
“My character’s is named Avery, who is just a shy and pretty lonely school girl living in New York City. But as the part-time crime-fighting hero, Glamour, she’s charming, brave, daring, and sometimes full of herself. Avery is always fighting with herself in her mind, as she is not as confident as her superhero persona.”
Tiffany’s character, the shy and timid Avery, (left), and her charming and daring alter-ego Glamour, (right). The black cat in the middle is Brian, Avery’s inconsistent partner.
What do you hope to do in the future?
Honestly, a lot. I want to create my own animated show, which is why I want to learn everything about the cartoon industry, including character designing, storyboarding, and script writing. I would like to write a novel or make a comic book. I'm interested in creating fashions and modeling. And I have my eye on creating a business – I'm not sure what, but I still have time to figure it out. I'm interested in a lot of things, anything that gives me a chance to express my creativity and my big imagination.
“I’m interested in a lot of things, anything that gives me a chance to express my creativity and my big imagination.”
Selected Art Works
“My art doesn’t always need to be perfect; however, it always needs to have some type of meaning behind it. I work with many types of mediums. I don’t like sticking with just one. I love using markers because they make my drawings more vibrant and colorful. I also love using watercolors because painting with them is fun and interesting to use. I take my time with each drawing. I like to include a lot of details, colors and value into each art piece. I like my art to be eye candy and to appeal to others.”
In her own words…
Check out Tiffany’s artist statement on our Vimeo channel.
This Creative Art Works program was made possible, in part, by generous support from FunPlus.
This Creative Art Works program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.