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Meet the artist: paola liuzzi

Since I was little, I have been easily entranced by the colorful and diverse characters that appeared on the big screen. All I needed to know was that bad characters looked evil while good characters appeared heroic or adorable, without needing any context. As I grew up, I realized I connected with these characters on a deeper level because of their individual stories, and looks were no longer the only characteristic that amazed me. As a 3D modeler, I create adorable and expressive cartoony characters that children can look up to and grown-ups 

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can connect to in films. I usually find inspiration for these characters anywhere around me, but lately, my main source of inspiration has been food. I take the colors and characteristics of that food and make that a character’s whole personality and aesthetic, and if I have the chance, I use symbolism for their designs. I also assign them a role in their little world where they can relate to other similar characters, therefore, allowing me to create narratives with limited dialogue but a lot of facial expressions and body language. Waltermelon, the main character of my thesis work, has a wide range of facial expressions such as different levels of sadness, shyness, happiness, and angriness, but considering he is the timid character, he conveys these feelings better alongside his body language and movements. The art style of these characters has been influenced by Wreck-it Ralph and Luca, as well as the relations and stories I make about them, which are about values and daily-life troubles and solutions.

We all love backstories, so here is mine, simplified:

  • I was born and raised in Venezuela.

  • My interest in animation bloomed when I was 12 years old because I liked the messages cartoons implied at their resolution, and I was amazed at how smoothly kids' shows could convey important life values such as family and being honest.

  • I moved to Florida, USA in 2016, and five years later, I consider myself as fully bilingual.

  • In Summer 2017 and 2018, I worked at a summer camp called Shangrilá and I was mainly in charge of a group with girls from 5 to 8 years old, but I still worked with the whole camp. That job gave me a first-person observation of how a kid's mind works, how their surroundings change their behavior, and how they make decisions in a social environment.

  • I wanted to understand the magic behind conveying messages, so here I am, majoring in experimental animation.

  • Up until today I rewatch movies and focus on all the relevant details that later on build up to the message sent to the audience, all to try and decode the work animators do to and become one of them.

  • I figured animation alone cannot convey a successful message that everyone can relate to, so I decided to have a minor in Psychology.

  • In 2022, my focus changed from 2D animation to 3D modeling because of two courses taught by an amazing professor! I still wanted to give life to my creations, therefore, I create 3D characters so the animators can bring them to life with movement and facial expressions.

  • In 2024, I helped SCAD students with their student short film "PHONY."

  • In 2025, I decided to enroll in Lightbox Academy and get a masters in organic modeling. I also moved to Italy!

  • In my 25 years of life, I have picked many creative hobbies besides drawing and animating. I am interested in watercolors, acrylics, jewelry-making, crafting, clay-modeling, pebble-collecting, cosplaying, reading, and sewing!

Art Experience

  • Creators Jam 2024, Competition by Creators Society, April 2024

  • ODYSSEY Spring 2023 BFA Exhibition, University of Central Florida, April 2023

  • Pre-College Art Experience Program, Academy of Art University, Summer 2018

  • MAGIC Character Animation with MAYA, Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus, June 2018

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