Kylie Harlan

BFA in Animation

Spring 2025

When I was a kid, I had a speech impediment that restricted me from expressing my thoughts and feelings correctly to others. For over 10 years, my speech impediment caused me to fall behind my peers in reading and writing. However, art slowly gave me access to connect to my peers in a different way. I began to try to expand my knowledge on any type of art form I could get my hands on. Quickly, I was introduced to the world of animation. Animation unlocked a whole new way to communicate with the world around me through my art. When I watched the animated figures dance on screen, I knew what I wanted to contribute my whole life to.

Ever since I entered the University of Tampa, my knowledge of animation has only grown. As I began to explore the different areas that go into animation, Professor Santiago Echeverry and Professor Dana Corrigan began to lead me in the right direction on where to take my skills. Professor Corrigan aided me in growing my skills in both 2D and 3D animation. She taught me the insides and outs of what goes into an animated production. Professor Echeverry helped push my skills further in the digital side of art in programs such as Adobe Dreamweaver and Photoshop. In his classes, he taught me to push myself to the limit to produce my best work. However, I knew that I wanted to learn more animation than ever before. So, I continued to work on my strongest abilities as a freelance illustrator and animator. Over the past year, I worked as a card illustrator for Team Sometimes Y for their game, Part of You. In addition, I worked as a background animator for Pencil Gator Animation Studios.

My strongest abilities are in 2D animation and illustration. Every day, I create new characters and worlds through my 2D art. From the first sketch to the final moments of animation, nothing brings me joy more than this ability. In addition, I have grown convenient enough with my ability to the point where I can help my clients create their own ideas and stories through art. As the years went by, I slowly began to realize my weakness. My weakest skill is scriptwriting. While I can communicate my story, I find it to be a challenging task to write it on paper. Even with the daunting task, I still give it my all to convey my stories. I am determined to continue to improve my skills and grow as an animator.

Following graduation, I plan to continue as a freelance illustrator and animator. Eventually, I aim to work at a video game or animation company. After a couple of years in the industry, I plan to go back to college to obtain my master’s degree in animation. I want to continue to expand my knowledge and my skills in both animation and technology. My main goal is to have my art to inspire people just like it inspired me all those years ago.