Meet Emilia Ibañez Lissen | character designer and concept artist for animation

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emilia Ibañez Lissen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emilia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since I was little I have loved drawing, for me it was like another game, I enjoyed drawing the characters I saw in animated films, I could spend hours doing that.

One day my parents brought home the Finding Nemo movie DVD. Where there was additional material with a documentary of how it was done. That’s when I realized that movies are made by people and they do it AS A JOB.

imagine a girl with a lot of imagination watching grown people working on the movies she loved and that inspired her. I WANTED TO BE ONE OF THEM IN THE FUTURE.

That’s where I decided I wanted to work making animated films.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am proud of my work, because it’s creative and fun. I try to capture positivity, enthusiasm and good new ideas in everything I do.

My goal is to inspire other people with my characters, as I was inspired for years by the characters I saw behind the screen. I want people to have fun with my designs, to be curious about what I have to tell with my characters.

And I think that’s what makes my work stand out.

Putting a lot of emphasis on the idea and what I want to say with my characters requires a lot of imagination and of course… discipline and hard work.

Sometimes it’s complicated staying creative all the time. When it’s not a good creative day, I try to go out for a walk, and just watch. There are thousands of things happening around us that could make a great story, or people who could make a great character for a movie.

I believe that the ability to observe and know how to stop is the key to having a creative and healthy mind. And that’s something I’ve learned over the years, because the animation industry is pretty tough, and it’s not easy to allow yourself a break sometimes. But it is necessary to find the balance between discipline and rest. Because for me enjoying what I do is the most important thing. If I don’t enjoy what I do, who will enjoy watching it?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them for a walk around Valencia beach to eat paella, we would sunbathe and swim in the sea. We could see the sunset and then, at night, I would take them to see the city of arts and sciences (les arts), during the day it is also beautiful, but at night, with all its lights and colors, it seems like a spectacle worthy of a science fiction movie

The center of Valencia is also beautiful, surely, I would take them for a walk around the area and I would take them to try the horchata, a typical drink from here made from tiger nuts. The museums here are incredible, my favorite is the contemporary art center del carmen, I would like to give them a tour too.

And finally, I would like to take you to the Valencia lagoon (l´Albufera), get on a boat and observe the birds and animals of the area among the enormous green rice fields of the area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
first of all to my family, who have always supported me.

My professors from the u-tad character design course, Teresa Valero, Juan Pablo Lopez Arenas, Borja Montoro, Guillermo Ramirez… and the classmates I met there. I learned a lot from them. They made a great impact on me both personally and professionally.

I would also like to name Nadia Ruiz and Jaime Maestro for giving me the first professional opportunity in their studio: La Tribu Animation. Going to work with them and the whole tribe was a before and after in my personal and professional growth.

Website: https://www.artofemibalis.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emibalis/?hl=es

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilia-ib%C3%A1%C3%B1ez-lissen-192235121/

Other: emibalis@gmail.com

Image Credits
all images bellow to Verónica Gurrea Navarro.