Lightbox Expo returned to the Pasadena Convention Center from October 14-16, 2022. Wacom was a partner and participant at Booth #801, and an incredible group of artists and creatives came through our booth for workshops, art demonstrations, talks, and to test out the brand new Cintiq Pro 27.
Here’s a rundown of all the great stuff that happened at Lightbox 2022.
Before the Expo
Fantasy-themed Drink & Draw hosted by CAA and 9B
The Concept Art Association and 9B Collective came together for a fantasy-themed Drink & Draw the Thursday evening before Lightbox. Artists using all kinds of media, from traditional to Wacom tablets, enjoyed beverages, created community in advance of the Expo, and created some art with live costume models in attendance!
To learn more about CAA’s Drink & Draws, check out their website!
Friday, Oct 13, 2022
Clip Studio Paint and Wacom for US and European animation pipelines
Angela Sung, a plain-air painter who works in animation, and Mariana Noronha, a visual development artist for animation and games, explained the differences between American and European Animation Industry pipelines and how they use Clip Studio Paint and Wacom in their professional career.
Check out Angela on Instagram, Twitter, and Artstation.
Check out Mariana at Instagram, Twitter, and their website.
Producer and artist roles in production pipeline
Christina Diem Pham, a senior art producer for video games, and Mike Uwandi, an art director and concept artist for film, television, and games, as well as co-founder of 9B Collective, the first Black-owned concept art studio, shared their thoughts on how producers and artists work together and communicate through the production process.
Check out Christina on Instagram.
Check out Mike Uwandi on Instagram, Artstation, and his website.
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Saturday, Oct 14, 2022
Conveying emotion and story in illustration
Samuel Garcia, a visual development artist working in the live action film and video game industries, did a live demo, painting digitally on the new Cintiq Pro 27, to explain his process and demonstrate how to tell an emotional story through expressions and composition.
Check out Samuel Garcia on Instagram, LinkedIn, and his website.
Costume concept art for film and television
Maggie Chan, a concept artist in film and television with an MFA in costume design, conducted a live demo her process in working in live action and what shortcuts she uses in order to meet the demands of a fast-paced industry.
Check Maggie out on Instagram and Artstation.
Sunday, Oct 15, 2022
A step-by-step painting of stylized character portrait
Omar Gomet, a visual development and character design artist, conducted a step-by-step character portrait demonstration.
Check Omar out on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and his website.
Live creature sketching in 3D
Josh Herman, the studio art director at Wizards of the Coast, creators of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, took suggestions from the audience to sculpt various 3d creature sketches using a streamlined approach he showcased that generates ideas quickly and efficiently.
Check out Josh on Instagram, LinkedIn, and ArtStation.
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Outside the booth
2d animation and illustration demos
Aaron Blaise, an Oscar-nominated former Disney animator & director, explained his approach to designing characters for animated films, and gave a live illustration demo, in the Lightbox Demo hall using a Cintiq Pro 27.
Check out Aaron on Instagram, YouTube, and his website.
BRIC Creative Academy
BRIC’s Creative Academy was a two-day intensive project challenge for youth teams to ideate, develop, and produce new content. They toured Artist’s Alley, learned about networking, and all participants were given a One by Wacom tablet!
Learn more about BRIC and their Creative Academy here.
The Concept Art Awards
The annual Concept Art Awards took place once again at Lightbox Expo!
Wacom was proud to be a sponsor of the event for another year, and to present the Community Icon Award to the 9B Collective, first Black-Owned concept art studio. Wacom is consistently inspired by their mission to shift the entertainment landscape by working towards true inclusivity both in front of and behind the camera.
Concept artists from twenty-five categories across film, games, series, and animation were honored by their peers and curated judges. To see all the winners, click here.
Two Lifetime Achievement awards were also presented, to Mary Blair, a legendary artist who worked on countless classic Disney projects, and Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of AKIRA.
For more information about the Concept Art Association, which created and runs the awards, click here.
The annual Concept Art Awards took place once again at Lightbox Expo!
Wacom was proud to be a sponsor of the event for another year, and to present the Community Icon Award to the 9B Collective, first Black-Owned concept art studio. Wacom is consistently inspired by their mission to shift the entertainment landscape by working towards true inclusivity both in front of and behind the camera.
Concept artists from twenty-five categories across film, games, series, and animation were honored by their peers and curated judges. To see all the winners, click here.
Two Lifetime Achievement awards were also presented, to Mary Blair, a legendary artist who worked on countless classic Disney projects, and Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of AKIRA.
For more information about the Concept Art Association, which created and runs the awards, click here.
The 24 Hour Animation Contest
The 24 Hour Animation Contest For Students is a long-running competition for college students that occurred at Lightbox. Over only a 24-hour period, teams of students had to conceptualize, execute, and share a 30-second animated film! Check out the livestream showing the teams, some of their work, and the winners below!
About the author
Abeni Jones is a former graphic designer, illustrator, and educator, and current writer, who bought her first Wacom tablet in 1999. She’s passionate about video games, design, and the great outdoors.
