animation bgs contact about me www.aronlusen.com home portfolio art direction privateart direction gamesart and conceptbig little & the 99comic booksanimation bgs contact about me www.aronlusen.com art direction creative vision ip development home www.aronlusen.com home portfolio art direction privateart direction gamesart and conceptbig little & the 99comic booksanimation bgs contact about me october 02 2016 give thanks october 02 2016 aron lusen it s easy to become jaded in a professional setting . employees do their jobs and they are financially compensated for it . money however is often not the most important component in keeping folks positive and engaged . let team members know how much you appreciate them going the extra mile to do an exceptional job . tell them you ve noticed how they are giving of their time helping other team members to grow or execute against a challenging assignment . give thanks let your team know their contributions are meaningful and appreciated . october 02 2016 aron lusen leadership art direction art direction leadership aron lusen september 30 2016 mobile strike arnold schwarzenegger in the wall september 30 2016 aron lusen september 30 2016 aron lusen aron lusen april 14 2016 the management leap april 14 2016 aron lusen the best leaders and managers truly care about people . they understand the importance of listening and developing rapport . for folks wanting to take that management leap first and foremost i suggest just being a person and treating others in kind . don t judge negatively from the hip . approach situations with self awareness and understanding . april 14 2016 aron lusen leadership art direction leadership aron lusen march 29 2016 contrast counts march 29 2016 aron lusen we talk a lot about contrast in the process of art production but it s usually mentioned in the context of value . at its core contrast is about differentiation making elements separate from one another to bolster visual clarity . in order to stimulate the eye of a viewer you need that push and pull . if everything is the same boring right so taking the notion of contrast further consider it in the context of not only value but also contrast of form scale and silhouette . think about dynamic color schemes with contrast in hue or contrast in your levels of saturation . play with contrast in texture and levels of detail too bottom line is contrast is not only about value but about pushing and pulling with all of the tools at your disposal to create amazing visual content that will stimulate and excite your audience . march 29 2016 aron lusen art direction art art direction aron lusen march 25 2016 be positive march 25 2016 aron lusen being positive is infectious . if you face challenges with enthusiastic optimism your team will follow you . support them with understanding and encouragement and it will be returned in kind . being unnerved and cheerful in the face of challenges your team will feed off of that confidence . choose to be positive and you will be rewarded for it march 25 2016 aron lusen leadership art direction leadership art direction aron lusen march 22 2016 embrace discomfort march 22 2016 aron lusen taking on a task you ve never done before is uncomfortable for most people . as creatures of habit we prefer the safety of the known and familiar but growth often requires venturing into unexplored territory . you re not alone in your discomfort . welcome that feeling as a required vehicle to your final destination . the more familiar you are with discomfort the less it will affect you each time you encounter it march 22 2016 aron lusen leadership art direction art direction art leadership team aron lusen march 17 2016 responsibility march 17 2016 aron lusen leaders are responsible for establishing tone owning vision and getting buy in from their team . they re responsible for setting team members up for success cultivating engagement so folks can do what they do best . a leader should be that second set of eyes responsible for helping a team fight through blockers and guiding improvement to the quality of work . and if something goes south a leader is responsible for taking ownership to address issues in a constructive manner . oh and you re responsible for buying the team drinks at happy hour . oddly that one is often the most appreciated . march 17 2016 aron lusen leadership art direction leadership team art direction aron lusen march 14 2016 ask questions march 14 2016 aron lusen asking questions is your quickest route to gaining clarity when kicking off a new task . it s important to comprehend the fine detail of your discipline but it can also be enlightening to understand how your work fits into the bigger picture . another useful tool is to not only inquire on the yes but also identify what you can rule out as a no . having clearly outlined parameters can save you hours of wasted cycles and will direct you to a more successful outcome march 14 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership team aron lusen march 09 2016 fostering success march 09 2016 aron lusen setting team members up for success is one the most important responsibilities for a leader . this can of course mean different things per employee so it s important to keep an open dialogue to understand desire and motivation . setting someone up for success might translate to understanding their specific talents and providing exactly those sorts of tasks . it can also mean having a grasp on desired areas of growth challenging them with new opportunities to learn and further their career . being mindful of this responsibility will not only show that you care about the individuals on your team but will also result in positive engagement performance and overall productivity . march 09 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership team aron lusen march 08 2016 shoot for special march 08 2016 aron lusen if you are developing original creative content don t just think outside the box obliterate the box . audiences are savvy and consuming more content than ever . take a chance at creating that opportunity for special . sure going out on a limb can be risky but nobody is going to buy into your vision unless you believe in it first . march 08 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership aron lusen march 03 2016 it s the people ... march 03 2016 aron lusen cutting to the core it s the people you work with on a daily basis who have the greatest impact on your day to day work experience . you can chase title and money but if you end up working in a toxic environment will it really be worth it it s imperative to enjoy the company of your immediate team members . seek out situations comprised of those with positive attitudes whose company you d potentially enjoy outside the office . even companies with strong corporate cultures are going to have their ups and downs but forging through difficult moments with a positive and committed team you enjoy being around will make all the difference march 03 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership aron lusen march 01 2016 find the love march 01 2016 aron lusen i m a big believer in finding the love in your work no matter the ask . not every assignment can be the sexiest or most exciting but a professional is expected to get it done at a high level of quality . focus on some aspect of your craft no matter how miniscule an element that you are truly passionate about . leverage that energy to really make your assignment shine . master this ability and what might have been a source of negativity can be transformed into something you are truly proud of . march 01 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership aron lusen february 25 2016 adventure february 25 2016 aron lusen adventure awaits in your creative workplace . you are frequently plunging into the unknown exploring new thoughts and ideas . that first stroke on a blank canvas unaware of the final destination . an embrace of discomfort with the courage to be a lone voice with an unconventional idea . this is at least how i personally choose to explore being adventurous because let s face it that street food scorpion on a stick in beijing yeah couldn t do it . february 25 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership aron lusen february 23 2016 caring is brutal february 23 2016 aron lusen caring about your work can be brutal . working diligently on a project investing paying attention to every single last detail . pouring over your painting only to decide at the 11th hour that you need to repaint an important element . proofreading your presentation for the 433rd time and still finding that errant punctuation mark . being conscientious caring about quality and doing an awesome job can be brutal and you wouldn t do it any other way . and there s the rub . february 23 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership team aron lusen february 18 2016 collaborative imagination february 18 2016 aron lusen collaborating with others can be one of the most rewarding team experiences in the workplace . getting talented creative folks into a room to bounce ideas off one another is like uncorking a bottle of adventure . everyone brings something unique and special to the table and from my experience you never know who or where that next great idea is going to come from your team will be excited . your team will be invested . they ll toast and sing praises to your greatness ok so maybe not but i m sure they ll appreciate you ve included them . february 18 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction art leadership aron lusen february 16 2016 be flexible february 16 2016 aron lusen an ability to be dynamic to pivot to deal with what the day brings you is essential in fast paced creative work environments . there is absolutely a place for being true to your vision sticking to pillars and plowing forward . an unwillingness to bend though to be obstinate vs crafting solutions can create unnecessary pain points for you and your team . ask yourself if the issue you are facing amounts to a mountain you are willing to die on the art of knowing how to be flexible of introspection of choosing your battles and managing unexpected circumstance is vital not only to your sanity but ultimately to successfully crossing your project s finish line . february 16 2016 aron lusen art direction art direction team leadership aron lusen february 01 2016 color matters february 01 2016 aron lusen i m biased . my first professional experience was working as a digital color artist in the comic book industry . that role is all about using color as an emotive tool influencing the audience while communicating story or product message . i m certain that a vast majority of concept artists would provide lip service to the notion that color is important in their work but i frequently witness it being underutilized in the concept artist s arsenal of visual communication tools.as a writer finds finds their voice carefully choosing the words to communicate that precise message they wish to convey an artist should similarly use their color choices to say something in their work . color can be an extremely powerful tool that appeals to a viewer on a core innately visceral level.colors make you feel . they can soothe they can sing and they can smash each one has