The Education and Frustration of an Artist: Interview With Szymon Biernacki

Discover how an animation specialist, with an Oscar nomination, manages both sides of the same career

Szymon Biernacki is a fascinating artist who dwells in a peculiar universe. One of his most recent and most popular jobs is as production designer of Netflix film animation Klaus, nominated to the Oscars in 2019. We chatted with him about two inevitable and indispensable aspects in an artist's journey: training and frustration.

How does one deal with frustration so that it becomes a spurring element, rather than push an artist to abandon a project?

This is an interesting question. When I was working on Klaus, I had some thoughts about this very issue. I believe that it is normal to feel frustrated. However, the ability to defeat frustration separates those who make it in their career and those who don't.
I have had many frustrating moments, even lasting a long time, but I always end up thinking that moving forward is the only option if I want to reach my goals. This still gives me a lot of motivation. It also helps to remember that what we do is for ourselves before anyone else.

How did you learn illustration, and what is your method for getting better at it?

In truth, it was quite a confusing process. The main thing during my training was not learning to draw but to have fun. The idea of doing this as a profession came to me a lot later. I was focused on creating images that I was excited about and just did it.
However, what helped me was to concentrate on one particular aspect of what I wanted to draw, for example, the hand of a character. Once I decided it was ready, I would carry on with the rest of the illustration.

What should a student do to develop and be able to work in the industry?

I think the secret is to be passionate about what you do; this aspect is not taught in school but depends on you. I often talk to young people who lose this passion and concentrate more on what they should do or how to get it. My recommendation is that if drawing makes you happy and you want to make a living out of it, you must never stop drawing. If you lose the passion, you will be fed-up and frustrated before you even start a career.

See the full interview below:

The article was written by concept artist Jean Fraisse (@jbfraisse), who teaches four Domestika courses on character design, illustration, concept art, and, more recently, color theory. You can follow him on Canvas, his YouTube channel, dedicated to art, concept art, and illustration.

English version by @acesarato.

You may also like:

- Kultnation: Influences That Forged His Professional Style
- 5 Essential Animation Courses With After Effects
- Domestika Diary: Caroline Kjellberg