I Am A Concept Artist And Here Are 30 Of My Magical Illustrations That Helped Me To Stay Calm And Positive

My name is Devin Elle Kurtz, and I am often known by the name TamberElla online. I am a concept artist, painter, and illustrator living in Burbank, California. When I was a toddler, my mom went to college for graphic design and purchased an early Wacom Tablet along with Photoshop. Instead of giving me coloring books to keep me busy, she would sit me down with Photoshop and let me draw and paint. Growing up, I learned to paint digitally alongside learning to read, write, and ride a bike. Painting for me is calming and comforting, and I try to give others that sense of peace when they look at my digital art.

As a child, I had a strong belief in magic, and I was obsessed with Studio Ghibli movies about fantasy creatures like My Neighbor Totoro. I loved to be outdoors and felt best when I was in nature. I was always sketching and could be found carrying a sketchbook anywhere I went.

I began to have episodes of intense sickness when I was 6 or 7 years old, and in my teens, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness called CVS. These episodes increased through my early teens, and I spent a lot of time very ill and depressed. Through it all, art was the shining light at the end of the tunnel that kept me pushing forward and clinging to positivity. The piece "Drawn to Light" is a depiction of my relationship with art as a chronically ill child.

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