Beyond the Screen - The drawings of Andrew Kinnear
At Cinesite, creativity doesn’t stop when the workday ends! Through our Beyond the Screen series, we shine a spotlight on the creative passions of our talented artists outside the studio, showcasing their personal projects and sources of inspiration.
In this edition, meet Andrew Kinnear, Compositing Supervisor at Cinesite, and discover his passion for traditional art and life drawing, what inspires him, and how his personal creativity connects with his work.
Q&A with Andrew Kinnear
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your role at Cinesite.
I am a long-time member of the Cinesite family, starting as a runner and working my way up to my current role as a Compositing Supervisor. As such, I’ve had the privilege of working on some fantastic projects with great teams of artists.
Art has been close to me for as long as I can remember, whether through film, music or traditional art. Naturally, from a young age, I was always doodling and sketching and never left home without a sketchbook.
2. What do you love creating outside of your work at Cinesite?
These days, I’ve been focusing mostly on life drawing and try to attend classes weekly to keep developing my skills and techniques. It becomes quite meditative and relaxing, so it’s perfect for winding down after work.
My aim is to continue working towards creative realism, focusing on proportions, lighting and likeness while allowing myself the creative freedom to be loose and suggestive with linework and shading.
It doesn’t always go to plan, and when combined with the time constraints of a life drawing class (poses ranging from 2 to 25 minutes), the results can vary in quality and finish. As long as I feel I’ve captured the form and likeness, I’m happy!
3. Where do you find inspiration for your personal art?
I find inspiration everywhere. While drawing, I’ll often listen to music, which can affect the aggressiveness of my mark-making or the speed at which I draw.
But mainly, my inspiration comes from other artists such as Jeremy Mann, Karl Kopinski, Adrian Smith, Kim Jung Gi and Paul Bonner, to name a few, and of course, the old masters Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Michelangelo.
4. Does your personal art influence your work at Cinesite? If so, how?
Absolutely! Drawing from life or observation teaches you to look at things in a really detailed and different way.
My goal in my art is to capture a sense of realism, whether I’m drawing a person, building, natural scene or something completely made up and fantastical.
My job demands detailed precision and realism through a creative lens, so I see the two disciplines crossing over and influencing each other perfectly. There are a lot of transferable skills, but mainly it comes down to observation and execution.
5. Lastly, what advice would you give other artists about making time for personal creative projects?
I find it very important to make time for hobbies and creativity. I always have a sketchbook and pencils with me and try to draw as often as possible.
Life drawing classes have helped me build a habit of drawing and provide some discipline, so I always have a structured creative outlet. This, in turn, often ends up refuelling my creativity, and I’ll go back to some of my storyboarding and world-building on bigger side projects.
A big thank you to Andrew for sharing his creative journey and artwork with us!
Stay tuned for more stories from our talented artists as we continue exploring the creativity that happens Beyond the Screen.
