Syn Studio’s Meet the Artist – Carson Jones

Syn Studio’s Meet the Artist is our ongoing series of interviews with artists from various backgrounds that

give you a glimpse into the career’s of these artists. Read on to become inspired by their experiences and advice!

Where are you currently working at? 

Virtuos Montreal

Could you detail your professional career?

I’ve been at Virtuos Montreal since 2020 and in that time I’ve worked on a few really cool projects. I wish I could talk about them but unfortunately none have been released yet! Until then were in “just trust me bro!” territory.

What would you say is the most distinctive trait of your art?

That’s kind of hard to describe, but I like to think the most distinctive trait of my work comes from the sense of fun in the ideas portrayed. Even when it’s a squiggly, scumbled, hard-round brushed and photobashed mess of a piece, if it’s a cool render and the idea works then I think I’ve made out ok!

Tell us about the moment when you knew that you wanted to be a professional artist?

I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember, it’s one of those things that has just always been there. But I didn’t know I wanted to be a concept artist, specifically, until the fall of 2013. I was working towards a BA in Communication Arts (an expensive way of saying Illustration) and we had exactly one required class for Concept Art taught by the artist TyRuben Ellingson. It sounds stupid, but I just didn’t realize this was a job you could have until then. I thought stuff like this just happened on an ILM server somewhere in California, but then this guy is showing us all how he made his career in Hollywood using basically just printer paper, copic markers and Sketchup! Something just clicked. All my interests, my skills at the time, I knew this was something I could do. My whole career aim changed pretty drastically from then on….thank goodness it worked out.

If you weren’t making art, what else would you see yourself doing?

I had a job in Broadcast Design before coming to Montreal, so probably that. If I wasn’t doing anything related to art or design though, I don’t know….HVAC repair?

Do you have any personal projects that you’re working on now?

A few things actually! (when I find the time around work/life) One that’s been on pause is a reimagining of a cartoon from the early 2000’s called Megas XLR. It’s kind of a love letter to the Mech genre and 80’s anime, but with American muscle cars. Another idea I’m starting to explore is a Sergio Leone/Akira Kurosawa inspired retro-futurist western. It might not work but…I think it could be awesome!

Can you tell us about an artist that you think everybody should know ?

I’m going to shout out TyRuben Ellingson here again, definitely check out his work. But If you are trying to get into concept art and you don’t know who Syd Mead is, stop for a moment and be ashamed of yourself. Sit in your wrongness and be wrong. Then Google him and pretend like you always knew what kind of impact he had through his work.

What is the best memory you have from your time at Syn Studio?

When Pierre Raveneau crashed our class with Remko Troost and brought enough Sapporo to share with the class. That and the Gathering of The Masters event, meeting a bunch of artists and seeing demos from different pros in the industry was invaluable.

What was the most valuable lesson you’ve received at Syn Studio ?

Don’t f*ck with the office staff 😉

What advice you’d wish somebody would have given you when you started your artistic journey?

Events, conferences, and galas are great, but the real networking is done over drinks at the bars afterward.