Arts education throughout my life has played a critical role towards my career goals and growth as an artist. From the countless tutorial videos I’ve watched throughout my childhood to the numerous art classes I took throughout school, these helped lay a foundation for where I am today in my art journey. However, within these creative endeavors held many challenges to overcome as an artist, be it creating some of my favorite works of all time to creating some of the worst pieces I’ve ever dared lay on paper. There were plenty of times where I lost hope, that I didn’t have the talent or the natural genius that successful artists had in order to make it big. However, as I advanced towards my art education, I eventually realized it was my own negative mindset holding me back. The impatience and drive to create masterpieces 24/7 blinded me from the truth that I simply needed to take a step back to the basics and analyze my shortcomings. It was at this moment where I truly understood how important understanding the fundamentals were, as well as how important one's mindset is towards improving in art. The one who inspired me the most and pushed me toward a career in art is my mother. From the very beginning when I had first laid hands on a pencil and paper, my mother was always there to support my creations. Just like a child who just got finished scribbling on a piece of paper, their first instinct is to always show their parents their masterpiece and be showered with compliments. That was always the relationship between me and my mother. It felt euphoric, receiving praise for something I simply considered a hobby, even if some of them turned out pretty questionable. Soon, what originally was nothing more than a hobby became something that I would dedicate my entire life towards. A goal that I wasn’t sure where it would take me, and at times where I’ve nearly quit from the fear of failure and inadequacy. However, whenever I’ve found myself lost in that deep, dark pit of negativity that is my mind, my mother was always there to drag me out, telling me to never give up on doing what you love no matter what you think. She is my inspiration and daily reminder to keep moving forward toward my dreams. Above all else, she’s one of the most important forces in my life that continue to push me towards my goals, and to never let fear take away from what you love doing the most. Every artist's journey is different from one another's. Where there are those who have an easier time at learning the arts, there are also those who unfortunately struggle and hit roadblocks. We all go through our own trials and tribulations when it comes to trying to improve and elevate our artistic skills. However, among all those frustrations, it’s always important to remind ourselves the reason as to why we pursue art in the first place. For me, It’s for the love of the craft. It’s for the love of creating and bringing my thoughts to life on paper. It’s to succeed and to make my mother, the source of my inspiration, proud of the artist I’ve become. Most importantly, it’s to prove to myself, to those who’ve supported me, and to other artists in the world struggling that no matter what you or anyone else might think, that anyone can truly become a successful artist.

As a sequential arts major, my passion stems from my ability to create unique and eye-catching illustrations and comics that people can simply enjoy. Growing up, I was introduced to the world of art mainly through comics and cartoons. Through these, I discovered many popular artists, each with their own unique styles and aesthetics that captivated me as a child growing up. As a result, It left me wanting to bring my own creative ideas to life just as they have by simply drawing them on a sheet of paper. Through this, I discovered my passion as an artist and found myself yearning to create works of art just like those who inspired me to help kickstart my art career. Through my skills as an artist, I plan on making a difference in the world by creating eye-catching illustrations that will inspire people. I want my artwork to motivate others to go on their own artistic endeavors and to give life to their own creative ideas. I want my artwork to bring joy to people's lives and to somehow lighten their moods a bit more after seeing my work. Most of all, I want my artwork to serve as a reminder to future artists that you don’t need talent to become a successful artist, and that simply having fun drawing and taking your time building your skills is all you need to become successful. Just like my favorite artists have made their mark on the world, I too want to create works of art that sets itself apart from the rest and inspire other artists as well. Art is something that really anyone can do, and is not something that requires talent. It’s the mindset and love for the craft that matters. I know it can be daunting seeing amazing pieces of art each day, for it’s something I’ve had to deal with plenty of times myself. However, we also have to remember that those same artists we look up to most likely went through that same mindset as well, and had to build themselves up from the bottom to what they are today. Through their perseverance, they eventually made a name for themselves by creating amazing works of art that continue to inspire new generations of artists each day. And just like them, I too hope that one day my art has the same effect on people as well, spawning even more generations of artists to come.

Throughout my life as an artist, my biggest influence would have to be my loving and caring mother. In the wake of my art journey, she was always there to support me regardless of whatever career I would pursue. Through her influence, I gained the confidence to broaden my artistic horizons and try out new things. Without her continuous support and encouragement, I most likely would have never decided to tread on the path as an artist. For that sole reason I continue working hard not just for the sake of my future as an artist, but to make her proud as well. As an artist, I plan on utilizing my artistic skills to create unique illustrations that inspire people or simply bring joy. My art currently is heavily influenced from pop culture franchises such as video games, comics, and anime. What I admire about anime specifically is its uniqueness compared to media you would see here in the West, and it was one of the main influences toward my style of drawing. After graduating, I plan to use my skills to create unique illustrations from popular media for people to enjoy and issue merchandise ranging from posters, T-shirts, or books for people to consume. While I mainly do illustration, I plan on eventually creating my own comic book series that could potentially inspire or even influence the art world as a whole. I would say what makes my artistic skills unique compared to other artists is my art style. While I do tend to work with a variety of styles depending on the situation, the main style that I utilize is inspired by the traditional inking style noticeable in some Japanese artwork. When working digitally, I love to use black frequently when I add shading as it helps bring emphasis to my drawings, as well as adding black paint splashes for an added effect. While this process is commonly known among other artists, I believe my use of inking combined with my use of colors sets me apart from them. While some may think one needs talent to become a successful artist, that is far from the truth. In reality, anyone can truly become an artist with enough hard work and dedication, especially in an industry that continues to evolve. As such, I yearn to grow alongside it in order to achieve my full potential as an artist. While continuing my studies at Savannah College of Art and Design, I plan to push myself towards developing my artistic skills to become successful in my field of work, and have my art shine a light on anyone’s day, even if just a little bit.

Through my creative field of Sequential Arts, I plan on making a positive impact in the world by creating eye-catching illustrations and stories that my audience would feel inspired by. Growing up, I yearned to draw just like my favorite artists from popular media. I saw them as role models and I gained lots of creative inspiration from them. However, I’ve had moments where I doubted my passion after seeing how difficult making a living in the art industry can be. But after witnessing countless artists prove that anyone can succeed in doing what they love most, it motivated me to continue pursuing my dream of making art my career. As a Sequential Arts major, I plan to utilize my skills to create art that people can simply enjoy and gain inspiration from. I want an audience to look at my artwork and inspire others to pick up a pencil and start drawing themselves. I want to bring enjoyment to people's lives and when they look at my work, there is a chance it will brighten their day just a little bit more. Most of all, I want my art to serve as a reminder and as a beacon to those who are continuously doubting themselves on the inside as proof that with hard work you can positively shine a light on your future as a successful artist. Like the great illustrators and comic artists that have impacted society today, I yearn for my art to leave as great or an even greater impact in the art world as they have. As an art community, I believe we exist to help inspire each other. We influence each other's styles and form something unique the likes of which the world has never seen before. I shared a similar feeling when I began drawing such as being enamored with the broad horizons of creativity that the art medium has to offer. To be honest, I feel just as ordinary as anyone else who enjoys the creativity behind art. Although, I yearn to one day reach the level of my favorite artists. Just as they have inspired me, I wish to someday inspire new artists with my work as well to bring forth a new generation of creators.

Greetings to the Mural Art and Consulting agency, my name is Cameron Burke and I am currently a student enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design entering my third year. As a student majoring in Fine Arts, I wish to develop my skills in character design and creative illustration. While I mostly do illustration work, I would also like to expand my creative capabilities through comics and character design. Growing up, drawing has been an interest and passion that I continue to pursue. I enjoyed watching my favorite characters from famous works and media which inspired me to start drawing myself. Through my motivation as an aspiring artist, my drawing skills increased significantly which coincided with my future goals. In my current financial status, as a full-time student, I do not have many resources for funding. Although I received funding upon my enrollment to SCAD, I still lacked the funds needed to fully cover my college courses. As a result, I had to adapt to my current financial status such as only enrolling in online classes for the past two years instead of attending on campus. In addition, I’m only able to enroll in a few courses each semester due to costs, which will cause me to fall behind schedule for graduation. As an artist, I use my current skills and social media to receive funding through commissions, but this source of funding is not enough. Another financial lack that I face is within my family as my parents are struggling financially due to economic issues. Upon finding this scholarship, I saw the funding as a beneficial opportunity to alleviate the costs that I could not afford. I wish to support my family just as they have continued to support me and my path in the art field. As I continue to pursue my career goals in the art department, I wish to develop the skills necessary to become successful in the line of work that I feel passionate about. Drawing is a path of endless potential creativity for me that I wish to convey through illustration. It is a medium that I feel highly confident in and is something I wish to see all the way through. This scholarship opportunity shall provide another step closer to achieving those goals. Within this economy, funding is a source of opportunities that many students miss out on. Once again, this scholarship can benefit my financial status and provide more opportunities for the betterment of my future as an artist. I truly thank you for this opportunity. If you wish to view my portfolio, please do so through the link below.

For many people, the word "artist" could mean a number of things depending on their line of work. In regards to drawing, some may think of it as merely making good looking artwork, while others have a deeper meaning as to what being an artist means to them. For me personally, being an artist means being able to express my creativity and my ideas in my work. The world of art is fueled with talented individuals whose creative thinking shaped society today as we know it. Without their ideas and creativity, the world we live in would be boring. With art, I am able to express myself in a way that couldn't be put into words, be it my admiration for a person or even a fictional character. Since becoming an artist, I have been constantly improving my art skills, trying out multiple types of media to expand my palate. As I improved, more people started to notice and enjoy my work. Because of the support and positive feedback I get for my art, it drives me to become better each day with my artwork so that people have something new and amazing to look forward to. It even helps drive myself in order to reach my dream career of majoring in animation. The thought of making my own animations always excited me, even with the idea of possibly making my own TV series. When you put out your artwork for the world to see, people will generally connect it to the artist who drew it. In that sense I am connected to my art through the eyes of those who view it. When people recognize me from my personal artwork, it lets them know the kind of work I do and helps establish a brand for myself. For instance, I draw a mixture of original characters or fanart of already existing characters, so they would know that that's the kind of stuff I draw. Doing so can also help me start my own business in selling my artwork. Art over generations have brought people together in many ways to admire a fine piece of work, structure, music, etc. I plan to use my art to connect and create change for future generations by offering something that people can relate to, be it a picture of someone famous or something completely fiction like a character from a cartoon. Personally, my artwork mainly consists of but not limited to anime drawings. The unique use of character design and storytelling is so different from regular TV shows, but at the same time captivating and at times relatable. What I personally enjoy is the connection I would feel for a character and their story, or the way they would dress to the point that others would even start cosplaying as that character to express themselves. That's the kind of impact I would want my art to make for future generations. A world without art is a world I would never want to be part of. Without art, we wouldn't have these very structures in which we sleep in. We wouldn't have the music that we listen to. We wouldn't have the food we indulge in today's society. We wouldn't have the entertainment nor the transportation were it not for the creative minds of today's builders, song writers, musicians, painters, chefs, etc.. I'm glad to be part of this art community with all these creative thinkers and I will push to improve myself and my work for people to admire and to even inspire someone to do the same work as me.