Meet Moe Balinger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moe Balinger.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Moe. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was definitely the kid that drew on all my notes in class. I even got written up for it a few times. Art was one of those things that I always knew that I wanted to do, but never really factored in how it would become a career. That didn’t stop me from taking as many art classes as I could and applying to art school. I attended Kennesaw State University back when the art program there was still primarily traditional.

Despite wanting to pursue illustration, it wasn’t really an option for me as the school had a strict Classical fine art program. This meant that my basic foundations were all focused on figure drawing and form with little room for fantasy and non-traditional styles. There wasn’t even a digital program outside of graphic design, which meant I learned how to oil paint before I ever picked up a stylus. A blessing and a curse in the long run. I had to unlearn quite a bit when I moved to digital media after college, but I also had the solid drawing foundation to lean on.

Years later, I was fortunate enough to get a job in the animation industry working on FX’s Archer at their studio right here in Atlanta. To say this changed everything is an understatement. I suddenly had a network of creatives that were tuned in to the same hobbies as me that identified with the unique struggles that come with being a working creative. Though the position didn’t last long initially, it was a huge influence on my decisions down the road.

After it was over, I decided to freelance for a year and applied for a mentorship with illustrator Peter Mohrbacher which really changed my approach to work. It was under Pete’s guidance that I began to explore the line-heavy Art Nouveau inspired stylization I use today. He was also the first one to suggest I attend Conventions and build my own brand instead of trying to fit the mold of existing properties. Now it has become my main outlet for my art and the reach I’ve gained by attending Conventions has led to consistent work.

Has it been a smooth road?
After college was the worst. I had the usual grind of job hunting and disillusionment that art majors go through. After more than two years of retail nightmares and driving delivery, I was lucky enough to land a job at a screen printing company as one of their technical artists, which earned me a solid understanding of digital art programs. Also, the rigidity of a 9-5 left my evenings consistently free for pursuit of personal work. That is when I finally began to take art seriously.

There’s no real magical breakthrough or specific moment of clarity, I just came home and did studies, participated in online illustration challenges, and tried to find a technique that worked for me. I filled free moments with drawing instead of video games and movies. This took years of sacrificing nights and weekends to pursue art. I wanted to make illustrations for games, books, and music. I was voracious. And like you might imagine, I burnt out a lot. It’s still something I struggle with despite developing somewhat better work habits along the way.

A lot of artists are their own worst enemies. They see their weaknesses clearly and critique themselves mercilessly. But in the end, it’s part of the creative process. You can’t grow if you are completely satisfied with your craft. It’s important to give yourself room to fail and try to assess those failures as lessons and not mistakes.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is still unincorporated, but I’m making moves to incorporate soon. For now, Moe Balinger Illustration is a brand that I take to conventions and use as my online moniker for all things art related. One of my better-known projects is my series of Arthurian Legend characters inspired by classic fantasy themes but interspersed with modern ones. I also freelance quite a bit ranging from character design to editorial illustration.

Right now a big part of my art is focused on injecting diversity into fantasy art as it’s something the genre has historically been lacking. And for me, personally, I want to see more. It might be the main positive feedback I consistently hear about my work. But I’m happy to say I’m not the only one and that it’s changing rapidly with the increased popularity of fantasy and sci-fi circulating the internet and entertainment media.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is a great city to live in for an artist. There’s a huge and diverse scene from fine art galleries to anime conventions. If you are a creative with something to share you can find a place for it here. If you’re lucky enough to live here when you’re just starting out you have a lot of options to explore. I don’t doubt you will be able to find a community to critique and experience your art.

Fortunately, the internet makes the art world bigger and accessible by anyone who wants to explore it. Forums online are a great place to share your work if you don’t have the options to go to a creative space in your city. I know many artists personally who built their audience exclusively online while living in small towns. That boils down to your personal drive and motivation.

The problems artists in this city may be facing in the long runs are political ones. Georgia is one of the primary filming locations in the world now for movies and television. This has brought an immense amount of opportunity for creatives to find jobs in film and animation. But some potentially discriminatory policies could threaten that and those companies may decide to go elsewhere to avoid backwards thinking. I think it’s important for all artists to have a voice in the support of creative and personal freedom in this state to protect our communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://moebalingerillustration.com/
• Email: moe.balinger@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobalart/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mobalart/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mobalart

Image Credit:
Andrea Roman

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