Malorie Pugh

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Character by Malorie Pugh

Digital technology is a significant part of today’s creative process, allowing artists to create new figures, scenes, even worlds. BFA student Malorie Pugh was drawn to the field because it brings to life the characters of her imagination!

“I pursued digital art with the dream of making interesting and memorable characters for people around the world to enjoy and interact with,” Malorie said. “Digital art allows me to express my creativity and easily share it with others.”

Malorie loves how many directions digital art can take; “The multitude of different ways there are to create, animate – and the amount of programs to work with – is by far the most enjoyable aspect of digital art for me,” she said.

The LSU digital art concentration emphasizes emergent forms, and student work may manifest through integrated media including animation, games, visual effects, networked art, robotics, physical computing, printed matter, performance, public intervention, audio composition, installation, and digital fabrication, among limitless combinations.

Malorie draws on different sources for inspiration for her work. “I realized how much music and architecture inspire me when working on a project,” she said. “Getting into the mood of a landscape or hearing a character scream to be made through the lyrics of a song always gets me inspired to create.”

Vampire bellhop. Interior space animation by Malorie Pugh

The novel technology available has been an exciting aspect of studying digital art. “I never thought I’d get a chance to use a 3D printer!”

Teamwork has played a major role in her experience at the LSU School of Art as well. “My experience as an artist is heightened by the wonderful friends I’ve made along the way,” she shared. “In the digital art industry, teamwork is a big part of what is expected from employees. Going through the art program at LSU has helped me open up to others in order to fully integrate myself into a group environment. While there are plenty of jokes and funny moments, everyone is serious about producing amazing works of art. I am proud to say that they are my friends and soon-to-be colleagues.”

And their work has earned well-deserved recognition: Malorie and fellow BFA Laura Piccoli won an honorable mention at the 2018 Animation Jam. Malorie also participated in the Chillennium Game Jam 2018 in Texas.

In the future, Malorie hopes to work for a videogame company as a character designer or character modeler. She encourages all future designers to follow their hearts: “If you or someone you know is thinking about a career in digital art, pursue those dreams of working in the art industry. Never stop creating!”