⭐about me⭐

hi there! i'm shay, a fantasy illustrator, comic maker, and video creator. you most likely found me through my youtube or instagram where i share my art, thoughts, feelings, and creative process in hopes to entertain or inspire other creatives.

why "shay realms" and not "sketches of shay"?

this website is a way for me to encompass all of my creative projects, hobbies, and interests all in one place! all of the different creative "realms" I enjoy. also I was a huge fan of Free Realms growing up so i hope to capture some of that early internet/mmo charm with this site. I think indie websites are really cool in that you don't have to niche down and just pick one thing like growing on social media. humans contain multitudes!

⭐my online art journey⭐

the early years...

i started posting my art online while in middle school to places like deviantart, but didn't start my official sketches.of.shay instagram account until 2015 (which means that account is over 10 years old, wow!!). at first it was a place to share my art and get feedback. i wasn't very good at drawing compared to others my age, but i loved doing it regardless, so i naturally got better and better at drawing throughout high school. i was a hugeeee kpop fan in high school and drew so many of my favorite groups and members. i credit kpop to building my portraiture skills lol.

it was my senior year of highschool when things got Serious and I decided to pursue art seriously as a career! it was this sketchbook where i started to take drawing more seriously and actually try to improve my skills. i filled sketchbook after sketchbook, developing life drawing skills and drawing my own characters and getting better year by year.

my subpar college experience...

unlike the traditional route, I did not go to a real "art school." I went to a public university in my state that i was basically able to attend for free due to working my butt off in high school earning high grades and writing soooo many scholarship essays. my college experience was okay. i would say the best part about it was meeting amazing people, expanding my worldview, and meeting my partner! but the education, specifically in the drawing and illustration realm was kind of lackluster.

i realized that i was learning more through youtube and other online sources than through the education i was "paying" for through my scholarship. i came out of my program with a jumbled portfolio of fine art, random illustrations, a comic, and just overall not actually being prepared for the illustration industry. i really had no idea what i was doing, and i felt like no one at my university really helped me with what i wanted to achieve. I always had to search for information on my own.

however, throughout those three and a half years, i continued to post to instagram and build a small following. there was a glimmer of potential.

the post-grad grind

towards the end of my college career, i began to seek out career advice videos on youtube. i ended up finding a lot of creators who shared how they made money through youtube, selling their work online, and doing freelance jobs. i realized the most accessible path forward for me was building my own business and continue to develop my skills and voice as an artist. also, during this time, and still to this day, it's hard to find a job.