BRECK STENSON
ILLUSTRATION
DIGITAL FABRICATION
Gummy bear light, modeled in Blender and printed with an Ankermake M5. Illuminated by 3 Battery powered LEDS wired specifically for this project. Light turns on and off with a button on the side.
Chocolate brand concept. Chocolate design modeled in Blender and printed with Formlabs SLA printer, then vacuum-formed to create mold. Box designed in Adobe Illustrator and cut with Universal VLS4 Laser. Mini print designed in Clip Studio Paint and printed with Riso EZ 591 U Risograph.
"Wiggly Smi." A 3D printed, articulated Beluga fidget toy, modeled in Blender and printed with an Ankermake M5. His segments interlock together, which allows him to blend and flop around.
3D printed cake themed trinket box, modeled in Blender and printed with a Creality Ender 3 Pro.
Doll Closet. Basic pieces cut with chop saw and table saw. Carving designed in Adobe Illustrator and done with CAMaster Panther CNC Mill. Hangers modeled in Blender and printed with Creality Ender 3 Ver. 2.
Laser-cut doll furniture, designed in Adobe Illustrator and cut with Universal VLS4 Laser.
ABOUT
My specialties as an artist lie in both digital fabrication and illustration. With an affinity for both fields, I strive to bring them together in creative and exciting ways while also embracing their differences.
DIGITAL FABRICATION
While my educational background is primarily in illustration, my passion for digital fabrication is just as strong. With my educational, professional, and personal experience in the field, I have both knowledge and love for techniques such as laser cutting, 3D printing (FDM and SLA), UV printing, and CNC operation. Using these tools as well as cooperating with manufacturing companies, I create joyful and exciting pieces bring both visual arts and digital fabrication together.
ILLUSTRATION
As a trans artist, I like to focus on creating pieces that feature trans men being happy in their bodies. Often times, trans people in art and media are depicted as being “born in the wrong body,” and while it is important to share the stories of those that feel that way, it is also important to share trans stories with other narratives. The mainstream idea of a trans man produces the expectation that all trans men should want to change every aspect of themselves while the reality is much broader. As a Visual Studies major at Ringling College of Art and Design, I use digital illustration to show trans men that fit other narratives. Stories about trans men who do not want to change their bodies or only want to change part of their bodies are seldom told, and my goal is to challenge that with drawings of trans men living happy lives the way they want to with people who support them. I want to shift the transmasculine stereotype of “man in a woman’s body” to “man in a man’s body” no matter what a trans man looks like.
RESUME
EDUCATION
Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL
• Bachelor of Arts, Visual Studies, May 2022
• Projected Senior Thesis: Digital illustration series combined with digital fabrication techniques
DIGITAL FABRICATION EXPERIENCE
Graphics Lab Internship, Kinequip Inc, Belmont, NC, Summer 2021
• Collaborated with a team to design, create, and quality check a variety of digitally fabricated products such as illuminated logo panels and control panels for emergency vehicles
• Learned and utilized several digital fabrication tools such as laser cutters and UV Printers in addition to software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
• Created and quality checked all products on time and according to scheduleDigital Fabrication/Letterpress Lab Monitor, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, Spring 2022
• Monitored digital fabrication/letterpress lab at RCAD
• Ensured that students worked safely with digital fabrication and letterpress equipment
• Assisted students with digital fabrication equipment such as the laser cutter, 3D printers, CNC, and Vinyl cutters
• Performed routine maintenance on digital fabrication equipmentDigital Fabricator, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, Fall 2021
• As a part of a digital fabrication class, designed and executed a variety of digital fabrication projects using methods such as laser cutting, FDM and SLA printing, and vinyl cutting
• Assisted other students with projects both in class and outside of class
• Listened to and applied professor feedbackIllustration and Digital Fabrication Thesis, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, Spring 2022
•Digitally illustrated 6 full-color illustrations in clip studio paint
•Laid illustrations out in Adobe Illustrator and set cut lines and registration for cutting on a laser
•Produced accordion-folded books by laser cutting pages and covers with Universal VLS4 Laser
FREELANCE EXPERIENCE
Patreon Page Owner, Charlotte, NC and Sarasota, FL, 2019 - April 2021
•Produced, promoted, marketed, and managed a subscription service on Patreon
•Created digital illustrations regularly for patrons who subscribed and managed customer service, marketing, and engagement
•18 PatronsZine Creator and Production Manager, Charlotte, NC, Summer 2020
•Created, compiled, designed, and marketed a 64-page limited edition zine with own illustrations
•Marketed and Managed customer service and engagement including overseeing payments, shipping, and handling
•All copies sold
SOFTWARE SKILLS
• Advanced Proficiency: Clip Studio Paint, Paint Tool Sai, Illustrator, Photoshop
• Working Knowledge: Maya, Blender, Zbrush, Universal Control Panel, Epilog Fusion Pro Job Manager, Simplify 3D, Formlabs Preform, Sign Cut Pro 2, Versaworks
• Basic: Nuke, Fusion 360
HARDWARE SKILLS
• Advanced Proficiency: Fusion Pro and M2 Laser, Roland Versa UV Printer, Universal VLS4 Laser
• Proficient: Creality Ender 3 Printer, Formlabs SLA Printer, CAMaster Panther CNC Mill, Table Saw, Chop Saw, Lathe, Belt and Disc Sander
• Working Knowledge: Vinyl Cutter, Risograph Printer, Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine
CAUTION
Adult content ahead.
CHANGE
My research for Change primarily focused on transmasculine health and transition, with a touch of the history behind it. A transgender man’s transitioning experience is one that is seldom shared in mainstream media despite the importance it plays in his life. Combined with knowledge from my personal experience, my thesis research included the physical, emotional, sexual, and reproductive effects of hormone replacement therapy in trans men. I also delved briefly into gender-affirming surgical options for trans men to make their bodies more at home. Included with these medical explanations were healthcare statistics and a discussion of the negative effects of transmedicalism on the transgender community.Change serves as a digitally illustrated timeline of a trans male character’s transition. His transition story is just one way a person can experience their transition, but I hope to shed light on the process of transitioning from a trans perspective. Among the few trans narratives seen in mainstream media, several center trans pain as the central concept. While all trans stories are important to tell, this suffering-centric point of view is not the only outcome that trans people face. Instead of a story of sadness, Change is a story of hope and positivity, pervasive even through the difficult times in my character’s experience with a happy ending for both him and his partner. This illustrated timeline is printed and assembled in the form of an accordion folding book, so the viewer can unfold it and view his transition as a whole.Both my research and my personal experience informed the creation of my thesis to create an accurate and believable depiction of the transmasculine experience. Using my knowledge in both the medical and social side of hormone replacement therapy, I created an informed and personal visual display of its effects on someone’s life. With captions briefly explaining the steps in my character’s process, I show each viewer of Change what it is like to be a trans man.