Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcel Glenn.
Hi Marcel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Marcel. My Mom was born in Jamaica, and my dad was born in Cleveland, Ohio. I am of Jamaican descent and was born in Cleveland, Ohio. As a child, I was always around my parents and I remember always creating my own worlds with action figures, playing video games, reading comic books, watching cartoons, and sketching characters from Pokémon or Dragonball Z. My outrageous imagination, attention to detail, and impressive grades would lead me to receive two full scholarships to Cleveland State & The Ohio State University. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Arts and minor in Media Writing and learned several techniques in animation and design from professors at OSU who also worked for Pixar during that time.
After graduating from The Ohio State University and having some odd jobs, I received an internship to design and write for Metrocity Comics while I was working at an Apple Store in Columbus, Ohio. Soon after having a published article under my belt, I interviewed to be a production assistant at Who’s Who’s Publishing and gradually progressed to the role of graphic designer for the publishing company.
Over the years, I became a published Graphic Designer, Digital Artist, 3D artist, writer and started my own business, Celmation Design LLC. I’ve worked in the graphic design industry for more than 12 years. I’ve created designs for The Limited, Alliance Data, McGraw-Hill Education, Flocksy.com, and WriterAccess.com. Recently, I was a Digital Producer for Falls & Co., and I am currently a Graphic Artist for HIP Impact.
Additionally, I make digital artwork and post it to Instagram. The artwork typically pays homage to Black lives through use of different color techniques, including sketching, smudging, blending, lighting, and shading with an iPad and sometimes incorporating other graphic mediums such as photo-manipulation, typography, and vectors. I was featured in TrapXArt magazine and also awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the Healthy Cleveland Initiative for being one of their top 10 artists in their “We Wear the Mask” initiative.
One of my favorites quotes is by Kobe Bryant, and he says, “If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. You have to obsess over it.” Art, graphic design, animation are all passions of mine. Everyone does not get the opportunity to do what they love in life. I’m humbled and honor to create visuals that represent major brands and also create artwork which evokes emotional responses within art exhibitions and online audiences.
I’ve also found my voice as an artist. Habitually, I’m the only Black male graphic designer for companies, and those experiences have caused my artwork to evolve. When graphic designing, I saw a lack of diversity in imagery used at some of these major corporations. Movements, such as Black Lives Matter, have also influenced my artwork, and now, I shed light on Black, Jamaican, African people. Hopefully, I am making a difference and displaying how different visualizations of Black people and diverse groups are necessary, and images do not have to be so monolithic. The next generation of young people need to see themselves in artwork, graphic designs, photography, film, etc.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, most of my struggles in design have dealt with me being a Black man. They have never been about my performance or visual capabilities. People are not used to seeing us in the creative industry. Sometimes it’s draining because people will make subtle remarks about my skin, or say their strong opinions about race or attempt to compare you to the next person of color. I recently attended the Afro Animation summit, and an animator said, “It’s draining to be the only sometimes.” She’s right. I try to stay positive and not let other people’s perspectives define who I am. When you know who you are, no one can affect you. I know who I am, I know my work ethic, I know my worth. I know when I am making a graphic design or animation or digital artwork, I’m always giving 100%.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When it comes to artwork, I sketch and paint digital portraits of different characters, people, musicians, afro-futurism, etc. I believe I’m known for my digital painting of Miles Morales and my artwork entitled “The Pride of Our Masks.” I’m extremely proud of my artwork of Miles Morales because the voice actor, Nadji Jeter, who voices Miles in the Playstation game and animation, reposted the artwork several times and it meant everything to me. Nadji reposting the artwork on his Twitter page felt like an affirmation of the artwork being visually interesting, powerful, and accurate.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The pandemic taught every creative to always have a plan B. I worked remotely under my business name during the pandemic, and even as a digital producer, I worked from home most days. Covid taught us we cannot limit ourselves to one work environment. As creatives, we have the flexibility and opportunities to work remotely and send designs or artwork via cloud-based storage or by e-mail.
Pricing:
- 50 an hour person graphic design
- 300-500 digital artwork
Contact Info:
- Website: www.celmationdesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celmation/
Image Credits
Falls & Co.
