Shiane Salabie

Review

Tell us about yourself: Who are you, what do you love to do and where are you from?

My name is Shiane Salabie, a concept artist and illustrator. I was born in Jamaica and moved to the states when I turned 4. I went to Ringling College of Art and Design and graduated in 2019 with a BA in Illustration, minor in Visual Development, and minor in Photography and Imaging.

Underwater Sea Witch

This was a character design illustration of a sea witch originally intended to be a siren but to make her more unique, she was designed with human limbs, fish fins, scales, and seashells. She is a beautifully dangerous villain with a dead fish minion.

Why did you decide to sign up for CGVerse online art school mentorship?

Since Covid-19 shut down my job for a little bit, I decided to use some savings to expand my learning. I wanted to learn more about my weaknesses as a concept artist and figure out how to better my portfolio better so a one-on-one mentorship was the best choice for me. Nothing was pre-recorded so I could ask questions or just watch my mentor expose my mistakes. Sometimes in art school, the teachers can only give you so much critique because they have other students so it was helpful having individual attention.

What were the biggest problems you faced when you started as an artist?

The biggest problem starting out as an artist for me was figuring out who to listen to. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what kind of artist you should be and then you get confused because their opinions clash with what you want and what would make you money.

What did you do during the mentorship and what helped you on each task?

During the mentorship, we focused a lot on the illustrations but we also did a lot of practice. I had to do master copies, redraw line art from comic book artists, and painted the Asaro head to learn the planes of the face.

Captain John Taylor Character Concept Art

This character is the hero of the Sea Witch tale. He has a personal vendetta against her and has been on the hunt for her for years. His weapon of choice is the harpoon gun but he carries a shotgun beneath his jacket just in case. The character sheet includes a front and a back view.

How was the Mentorship for you?

I think the mentorship went well. I learned a lot and he helped me become more aware of my weaknesses.

W​hat would you say when you recommend us to an artist?

I would recommend CGVerse concept art mentorship to other artists even if they already went to art school because this really helped. I now am more aware of my weaknesses as an artist.