Hello! My name is Isabel Mathena and I'm a character designer and illustrator with a passion for all things fantasy. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in painting and printmaking. 

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From a very young age, I've always loved immersing myself in all kinds of art, whether it was books, video games, or animated shows. The older I got, the more interested I became in telling my own stories through my art. I was constantly dreaming up fantasy worlds and drawing the characters that inhabit them. In high school, I discovered Dungeons and Dragons for the first time. I wasn’t just making characters I’d keep to myself anymore. Instead, it was a collaborative story where everyone’s decisions affected the narrative and that was incredibly fun for me.

Ultimately, this love for character design and storytelling was what led to me studying Fine Art at the University of Oklahoma. Because there was no specific degree for what I was interested in, I instead was able to dive headfirst into all kinds of media I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. My focus became painting, with a secondary emphasis on printmaking; both of which have heavily influenced the way I approach the digital illustrations I make now. This understanding of different media has broadened my understanding of how to effectively create characters.

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I'm currently based in the Bay Area and would love to chat about character designs for your projects!

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isabelmathena@gmail.com