Hey there, and welcome to the About section. Here you'll find all the autobiographical information you need to cast cruel judgement upon me. I'll start with college, since that's where most people seem to start when writing their autobiographical blurbs... I received my BA in Creative Writing from Ohio University in 1996 after deciding in the penultimate moments of my senior year in high school that I would rather go to a liberal arts college than attend the Columbus College of Art & Design. After graduation, I slowly came to realize that I enjoyed drawing more than writing, so I tried to steer my career in the direction of visual arts. I began by designing brochures and promotional material for Health Risk Management, a poorly run health care company that, for the good of all concerned, has since gone out of business. In the summer of 1999 I left HRM for Sit Mutual Funds, where I designed and compiled their quarterly and annual fund reports. The two weeks every quarter when I was actual working were pretty fun, but there really wasn't much for me to do in the time in between, so I soon became restless. In the spring of 2000, my brother and I went into a web design and consulting business together. After a brief string of clients, the economy began to decline and soon there were no clients, and I was forced to find a job simply to make rent. Since that glorious moment, events have led me closer and closer to a career in illustration. In the spring of 2001 I began playing Magic: The Gathering, a game that I hadn't given much notice before. The card illustrations got me thinking about my artistic skills more seriously, but I lacked the confidence needed to truly consider illustration as a viable career, then, in the summer of 2002, the store where I played every Tuesday night anounced that they would be holding a special event at their annual "Magic Madness" tournament. The event was a sealed deck tournament featuring booster packs designed by the guys who were running it. I asked them if they planned on using art in their card set, and before I knew it, I had agreed to illustrate the "Legend" cards. You can find these illustrations in the Grayscale and Pencil sections. I made sure not to spend more than two hours on each, since I tend to get carried away when it comes to tweaking and making corrections. For what they are, I still feel pleased with most of them, but they're not at all up to my current standards. The Magic Madness assignment led to another similar job where I was asked to do pencil illustrations for Magic creature tokens. Again, I tried to spend a limited amount of time on each of them - some I whipped up in thirty minutes or so - but, there are a few, such as the Elemental, that I liked too much to rush through. You can find the token illustrations in the Pencil and Sketchbook (2002) sections. Despite gaining experience in completing illustration assignments, I was still reluctant to present my work to game publishers. I was working full time at the same job that I fell into in 2001, and was, all in all, in a general rut. Then I was summoned to jury duty. If you ever have the opportunity to go to jury duty, DO IT! It's like a bonus paid vacation. I spent most of my time reading and drawing in my sketchbook, and as I was leaving the waiting room at the end of the first day, this amazing girl came up to me out of nowhere, spun me around, and asked me if she could see what I had been drawing (You can view the very drawing right here). I did, and a few months later we were married. Rachel helped me to gain the confidence I needed to cut my day job back to part time, start putting together a respectable portfolio, and test my skill in other mediums. Since that fateful autumn, I've been ridiculously productive, and my work has improved immensely. As you explore this site and compare my most recent work to pieces completed in even 2003, I'm sure you'll agree. In March of 2004, I received my first paying commission from Ron Edwards of Adept Press, and you can view the fruits of my labor in the Mongrel and Trollbabe sections. Since then, I've landed a couple of other commissions and am currently busier creating artwork than I've ever been. If you've read this far, then you're probably prepared at this moment for some sort of conclusion. Well, I don't have one, because I'm still alive, and still doing my best to find more projects. I love illustrating. Helping to bring someone's ideas to life is an immense joy to me, so if you need someone to create some amazing illustrations, or know someone who does, I'm your man! Don't ponder. Don't think. Don't wait. Email me right now!

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All Content & Images Copyright © 2004 Andrew Navaro
andrew@andrewnavaro.com / (612) 729-9217