Locals Only: Tara Nicole Whitaker

It’s another sunny morning in Los Angeles. The warm sunshine wakes the city up and people begin their busy day. LA visual artist, Tara Nicole Whitaker, takes her dog on a walk around town before she goes to work. She goes to her favorite Burbank coffee house, Romancing the Bean, for a refreshing cup of coffee. This iconic café is located on Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank and is probably one of the most instagramed coffee shops in LA. Romancing the Bean not only has delicious coffee with fancy latte art, but it has some of the best pastries as well. “If they’re out of blueberry scones, it is totally my fault,” Whitaker admits. After her walk, and the needed caffeine to get through the day, it is time to go to work.

Romancing the Bean, Burbank

Whitaker is inspired and had interest in post-impressionism and cubism fine art, illustration, and cubism. Artists such as Matisse and Mary Blair are a couple of her biggest inspirations. She has always enjoyed art and was surrounded by supportive friends and family. “My high school art teacher and parents inspired me to pursue it seriously as a career.”

Who is Whitaker?

"Beware the Jabberwock"

Whitaker is a visual artist and animator who grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She moved to Los Angeles to attend Disney’s staple school, CalArts. After graduation, she was offered a Production Assistant job at CBS. After that she became a production secretary and storyboard revisionist for Family Guy at Fox. Then she moved to Cartoon Network as a storyboard revisions and prop designer. “During this time I tested for several different positions until I was hired to do storyboard revisions. I decided to go into design after the board revision job ended and have since worked in prop and character design.” In 2010, Whitaker was hired as a character and prop designer at Disney TV. Shows include Fish Hooks, Chowder, Wander Over Yonder, and Gravity Falls. She states: “My favorite memory is being hired at Disney, and knowing I would be working alongside some amazing artists.”

Whitaker is currently a prop designer for Duck Tales and a painter for Tangled: The Series. “I’ll take a look at the script, storyboard, or animatic for the episode I am working on to get an idea of the story and characters. I usually have a list of props or characters that need to be designed so I keep that nearby," she explains.

After she reads her tasks from the studio, she begins roughing out sketches, and then she begins cleaning it up. Once the line work and coloring is finished, Whitaker submits her artwork to the studio for review. During her 8-hour work days, she walks her dog on her lunch break.

Working in the animation industry is very fast-paced and full of strict deadlines. I asked Whitaker if she had ever gotten "artist's block". She explained, “Yes, absolutely. I will take a mini vacation if possible, maybe just heading to the beach to driving up the coast for the weekend. Reading a good book or even some light and fun exercise is a great way for me to clear my head. I find it hard to be creative when I’m stressed, so relieving any stress really helps!” Whitaker says that she often likes visiting The Huntington Library when she needs to relax.

"HF Shop"

Best Places in LA?

I asked Whitaker where her favorite place to draw in LA is. She said that it is the LA Zoo:“It’s a great place for sketching people and animals from life, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to study animal anatomy in person.”

Art is a huge part of LA culture and it is the entertainment capitol. Nicole is happy living in the artistic city of LA:“I love the proximity to the beach, yet it's only a few hours away from Palm Springs or Big Bear.”

Whitaker suggests visiting LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) if you’re in the LA area. Another museum she recommends is Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra. “They always have a great selection of books, toys, and artwork,” she says.

Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra

Whitaker’s ultimate goal is to create artwork that makes people happy. She also wants to create a wide variety of diverse characters or as she puts it: “I want to show young aspiring female artists and artists of color that a successful animation career is both extremely rewarding and within reach!”