Today we’d like to introduce you to Aurymar Espinosa.
Hi Aurymar, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where as a child I dreamt of dozens of possible careers growing up, from doctor, to archaeologist, to scientist, to doctor again. Yet, growing up, my passion was always in graphic design, drawing for as long as I could remember and even getting in trouble numerous times for drawing during class, despite paying attention and doing well in most of my classes. After graduating a year earlier from high school, I pursued a B.A. in Game Design in Puerto Rico in hopes to have a career in Game Design. While building my portfolio and gaining more skills in my craft, I took on an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Set aside my graphic design career path to pursue culinary jobs, which led me to Deer Valley, Utah, and later to Pennsylvania where I moved with my boyfriend. Began a freelance career online to further grow my artistic portfolio, gaining new skills that I later brought to San Antonio. Now I continue my freelancing career, selling my designs as merchandise in Furry Conventions and taking on commissions for both locals and folks across other states.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was a struggle to pursue a career in Game Design. The market wasn’t expanded in Puerto Rico and this was at a time when WFH wasn’t as mainstream as it has been as of late. Most job postings just weren’t looking for artists at the time, had other requirements I couldn’t meet, or were entry-level positions that required years of experience I just didn’t have as a fresh graduate. My skills were also in much need of improvement, but it was difficult without the challenge of a job where I could polish said skills. For the time being, I had to rely on finding other jobs to help me gain some professional experience, although irrelevant in my field of preference. I took to video tutorials online and other guides to try to polish my art style, professional advice on how to get a job, tried applying from Puerto Rico to different states, and kept getting rejection e-mails or silence. I had also began applying to universities in different states to further pursue computer science and design, but money was tight and I did not qualify for financial assistance. A some point, I considered taking on an Associate’s degree in my second interest; culinary arts. While I had more luck finding jobs, I realized I wasn’t made for commercial kitchen jobs. While I performed well in class, I had difficulty in the high-stress, fast-paced environments of commercial kitchens. I worked other jobs to get by before finally using an online freelance platform to continue to pursue art and design, giving me some footing when I quit a job I had at a local supermarket deli in Pennsylvania for physical and mental health reasons.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My specialties as an artist are in character design, logo design, concept art, illustrations, marketable and print materials, and some focus on animation, but I mostly enjoy designing characters and fantasy creatures. I also work on a small comic and have some skills in 3D design. I used to sell quick pencil sketches in conventions back home. Now I design and print stickers, sell merchandise with my designs, make a variety of commissions for different preferences, and I’ve designed banners and additional art for my local convention in San Antonio starting 2025. I’m looking to try to sell at other conventions in nearby cities, and in my spare time practice designing small games, draw comics as a hobby, and earn new skills to keep improving and expanding my portfolio. I’m very proud of how far my art has come from where I started professionally, and very happy with the connections I’ve made, and opportunities that have opened more doors for me. I’d like to think that if I told my younger self where I am now, and all I’ve accomplished thus far, my younger self would be proud.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Before settling on studying and pursuing art and game design, I had strongly considered studying medicine. Among many specialties I considered growing up, I had nearly settled on pediatrics before my parents, both in the medical field, told me how arduous practicing medicine is. Not because they didn’t believe I couldn’t do it, but because I wanted two careers at the same time, and they advised I choose one career to start with. After much self-reflection, I chose my passion for art.
Pricing:
- Stickers or emotes for chat apps start at $45
- Full Body character art with color starts at $160
- Logo design pricing starts at $200
- Character reference sheets for $160
- My pricing varies by level of complexity and application of the designs
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nicooriia.carrd.co
- Other: https://cara.app/nicooriia
