Josh Musto

Tell us about yourself.

Hey, I’m Josh! I’m an artist from Chicago, where I studied animation at DePaul University. Since graduating, I’ve taught at the Art Center, worked on a few animated pilots, and am currently working on independent projects. Outside of art and teaching, I love playing video games, eating a good burger, and taking occasional hikes with friends! One fun fact about me is that I’ve lived in five different states.

What does your creative practice look like?

My art is always hand-drawn and usually heavily stylized. I work with character design, illustration, storyboards, animation, and comics, whatever works best for the project I want to make! My process involves a lot of sketching, using references, and planning as much as possible to try and save myself trouble down the line. Of course, sometimes the best ideas are ones you have mid-process, and I’m always happy to incorporate those! I do all my work on my computer at home and always have my desk set up to feel like my small studio.

What is next for your artistic career?

Honestly, I’m not sure what comes next for my career. As much as I love to have a plan, my experience has taught me that I need to be open to whatever opportunities come my way. So whatever comes next for me, I’ll be just as surprised as you are!

What are your favorite teaching moments?

I’ve been teaching in different capacities for 4-5 years. I found A2AC while looking for work shortly after moving to the area, and it seemed like a great fit for me! I’ve always had a great time teaching animation. There’s nothing like the feeling of helping people learn the tips and tricks it takes to make their drawings come to life.

I’m incredibly proud of the flipbooks some of my summer students made. Even with little time, they learned fast and made some animation they could be proud of. Even though I’ve been teaching for a long time, it’s still remarkable how good it feels to help people learn new things. Art is a large part of my identity and interests, and A2AC being a place to help teach people makes it a very important place for me.

What would you say to someone interested in art but nervous about taking a class?

Dive in headfirst. Every artist starts off knowing nothing, and the only reason artists are as good as we are because of the time and effort we spend learning and improving. So if it interests you, take a chance! There’s always more to learn, so it’s best to start now!