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Eric Vasquez

@ericvasquez84

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Award-winning Design Director 💥 Key Art and Brand Designer 💥 50k+ subs on YouTube

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Hey, my name is Eric Vasquez, and I am a New York City based creative and design director and small business owner. I’m also a bit of a nerd. I love video games, professional wrestling, tattoos, and comic books. Aside from just reading and collecting comics, I love drawing them. I’ve always been influenced by artists like Jim Lee, Greg Capullo, Alex Ross, Jack Kirby, and the great Stan Lee.

I actually taught myself to draw when I was 5 or 6 years old just from studying those books and How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. When I’m not at my desk, I’m into photography, fitness, and getting grounded outdoors. I find that’s the best way to get my creative juices flowing because my best ideas rarely come to me when I’m just sitting down.

This year, I’ve been feeling a strong pull to go back to more human, traditional, and analog types of art. I signed up for a screen printing course at Lower East Side Printshop, and I’ve been experimenting with gel printing and using my Fujifilm X-T30 II in my work. Essentially, I’m brushing up on the skills that made me fall in love with art in the first place.

I realized that I’ve spent so much of my career helping other brands and networks find their voice, and now I want to do that for myself. As a small business owner, it’s so important to always be learning and exploring new avenues. My goal is to start creating my own prints (posters and t-shirts) that showcase my love for traditional art.

On the business side, I recently submitted my application to become a certified minority business owner and a vendor for New York City, New York State, and the Port Authority. I’m hoping to work with larger companies on the projects that really make New York New York—I’d love to see my work in museums, libraries, or on the MTA subway.

Those are my big ambitions for the year. Thanks for following along on the journey, and I’ll see you soon!

#creativesprint #halleaseansprint #graphicdesigner #keyartdesigner #creativebusinessowner #meettheartists by @ericvasquez84

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8 months ago

I’ve been grinding away at gel plate printing for weeks now. As a designer who has spent years trying to control every single pixel on a screen, the transition to more tangible (and often unpredictable) art forms has sometimes felt like a literal fight.

To be honest, I’ve had more failed pulls than I care to admit. 😅

But I'm finally starting to get the hang of the gel printing process - the physics and the timing.

In this session, I’m moving away from my urge to chase the clean and perfect way of doing things. Instead, I’m pulling inspiration from the pages of Silver and Bronze Age comics and leaning into the heavy lines and textures.

After building a composite from several vintage comics, I printed out a clean black toner transfer to set the foundation.

Once the black ink dried, I began hand painting the gel plate with @liquitexofficial and Flo-Glow acrylics using my new @princetonbrush to combine fluorescent colors with the bold superhero color palette.

This analog workflow is all about slowing down, being present, and getting paint on my hands to create something different.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow!

#AnalogRebellion #GelPlatePrinting #ProcessVideo #BronzeAgeComics #FloGlow #PrincetonBrushes #KeyArt #MixedMedia #Batman #Superman #dccomics by @ericvasquez84

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7 months ago

15 hours. That’s how long I had to leave this plate alone before I allowed myself to pull the print. ⏳

The first few times I tried this, I rushed. I wanted that instant dopamine hit we’re used to in a digital workflow. I pulled the image after a few minutes, and it failed every single time.

But this time? I walked away and 'trusted the process'.

As a designer, I’m used to instant feedback. I’m used to the result appearing the second I click a mouse. But the gel plate doesn’t care about any of that - it requires patience, and slowing down.

In Part 1, I showed the prep: scanning Silver and Bronze Age comics, building the composite, and hand painting the @liquitexofficial and Flo-Glow acrylics.

But this right here? This was the moment it all came together.

After weeks of trial and error, seeing the image finally come off of the plate the way I intended was a massive breakthrough. I finally found the aesthetic I’ve been chasing after for months.

It’s not perfect - and that’s kinda the point. It has a grit and a human made feel that AI can’t replicate because an algorithm has never had to wait 15 hours to see if its work made it through the night.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your creative soul is to get off the screen, get your hands dirty, and let the work breathe.

The wait was worth it. 🤘

What’s one part of your creative process that you’ve been trying to rush? What happens if you give it an extra 15 hours?

#GelPlate #Printmaking #ArtistWorkflow #CreativeProcess #AnalogArt #VintageComics #EricVasquezDesign #HumanCreativity #AntiPerfectionism by @ericvasquez84

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7 months ago

Goodbye Summer!

From spending time exploring Philly with @danceboissiere, going to the Universal Theme Park Exhibition at the Franklin Institute, hanging with the pups in the city, and getting a signed copy of Frank Miller's new book from the legend himself (thanks to the tickets procured from my best bud @nandoism) it was a Summer to remember.

I guess it's time to put the Summer clothes away and start breaking out the flannel! 🪓 🍁 🪵

#SummerVibes #FrankMiller #PushTheWall #FunInPhilly #PhotoDump by @ericvasquez84

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21 days ago

Second batch of photos from our Summer trip to Philly! 📷 🎨☀️

Had a great time visiting @phillymagicgardens with @danceboissiere even though it was about 130º that day. 🥵

This place has some unbelievably cool mosaic structures and sculptures created by the prolific artist Isaiah Zagar who made more than 200 murals in and around Philadelphia during his lifetime.

There were so many details, textures, and found objects throughout the outdoor museum. Truly a beautiful and immersive space that left me feeling equal parts impressed and inspired.

#magicgarden #phillytrip #phillymuseums #mosaicart #isaiahzagar taken in Philadelphia's Magic Gardens by @ericvasquez84

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a month ago

First batch of photos from a recent trip to Philly! 📸✨🍩

One of the great things about being a creative business owner is having the ability to explore new places and soak up all of the inspiration.

Visiting the historic streets, enjoying some great food, seeing incredible murals, and having some quality time with the fam is everything I needed.

#phillygram #phillytrip #phillyfood #phillyeats #streetartphilly taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by @ericvasquez84

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2 months ago

Why Is A Key Art Designer On The Jury?It’s a fair question.

Retoucher of the Year isn’t only about beauty, fashion, product retouching, or colour grading.

One of our categories, Alchemist, is dedicated to compositing and visual creation.

And compositing requires more than Photoshop skills.

Storytelling, atmosphere, the ability to take multiple elements that were never meant to belong together and make them feel like they always did.

That’s why we invited Eric Vasquez to the jury. @ericvasquez84

Over the last 16 years, Eric has worked across key art, entertainment design, branding, compositing, creative direction, and campaign development for companies including Nickelodeon, WWE, MLB, SYFY, A+E Networks, HGTV, and many others.

But his perspective goes beyond the Alchemist category.

As part of the judging process, we will also review PSD files across categories, looking at workflow, masking quality, layer structure, organisation, non-destructive techniques, and technical execution.

These are skills that often separate good work from professional work.

Having someone who has spent years building complex composites, campaigns, and production-ready files brings another valuable perspective to the judging panel.

That’s the perspective Eric brings to the jury.

And that’s exactly why we wanted him involved.

Registration is open.

https://retoucheroftheyear.com/registration

#RetoucherOfTheYear #Alchemist #CompositeRetoucherOfTheYear #Compositing #PhotoManipulation #KeyArt #CreativeDirection #PhotoshopArtist #DigitalArtist #RetouchingCompetition #RetouchingAward #VisualStorytelling #DesignCompetition #CreativeIndustry #LayerStructure #PhotoshopWorkflow #PostProduction #Retouching by @ericvasquez84

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4 months ago

What would your studio’s next creative campaign look like if BOTH print and motion assets were considered at the beginning of the process? 🤔

For our latest project, Oblivion, we knew we wanted to show the tension, the desperation, and the hunger of the film. We felt the best way to do that was through movement and props. So, I brought in a movement director to ensure those feelings were captured. This approach resulted in interesting poses and shots that worked for both static and animated assets.

As your Creative Director and consultant, I can help you realize your film or show’s full visual identity. From key art concepts to motion design, we will plan and implement a cohesive 360 campaign that matches the vibe and style of your film from the beginning.

Hiring us to do live asset capture for social, on-air, print, and out-of-home in one go eliminates your need to manage multiple vendors. 🙌

This will save you time and money while also delivering some bad ass visuals!

Get in touch to find out how we can help you on your next creative campaign.

#entertainmentmarketing #creativecampaigns #creativedirection #movementdirection #360campaign by @ericvasquez84

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4 months ago

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by the art of title sequences. They set the tone, establish the world, and invite the viewer on a journey that clues them in on what they are about to experience.

I always told myself I needed to learn more, or wait for the ‘perfect’ moment when a studio would commission me to build one from scratch. But about a month ago, I decided to stop waiting for permission.

And as a Key Art designer, I am used to telling a story in a single frame.

That challenge is what made me want to start learning After Effects 6-7 years ago. I saw an amazing opportunity to expand my skill set. I went from telling a story on a poster to developing animated key art and my own cinematic title sequences.

I wanted to see if I could build a premium title sequence right at home in my living room - without any AI tools, giant agency budget, or any fragmented pipelines.

Today, I’m excited to share the first piece of that project: the OBLIVION title sequence.

With the help of my wife, a talented Movement Director, we captured our own assets with custom lighting, costumes, and props on a green screen, and combined my 16+ years of network and agency Creative Direction under one roof.

We handled every single step ourselves - from the asset capture to compositing, motion tracking, type design, color grading, and editing. We bypassed the traditional processes of larger, slower timelines usually seen in entertainment.

This sequence is just one piece of a larger OBLIVION 360 campaign that I’ll be rolling out over the coming weeks to show how a focused, agile, and experienced team can build something massive right at home.

#titledesign #motiondesign #motiongraphics #creativedirection #postproduction #aftereffects #keyart #visualeffects #entertainmentmarketing by @ericvasquez84

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4 months ago

One unified vision. Zero fragmented teams. One hundred percent HUMAN.

Ever notice how some entertainment campaigns feel disconnected? The static poster on your feed rarely matches the energy of the trailer on your screen.

That is exactly what happens when print and motion departments are completely siloed, resulting in bloated budgets, endless alignment meetings, and diluted, inconsistent creative.

For our latest studio project OBLIVION, @jenny_boissiere and I wanted to push back against that trend and prove there is a sharper, more efficient way to build a blockbuster campaign.

We merged Creative Direction with Movement Direction to run an entire campaign pipeline under one roof.

We didn’t just type prompts into a generator. In fact, our goal with this campaign is to keep it 1000% human without using any AI at all.

To do this, we directed the physical movement, captured our own high-end photography in-house, designed the teaser and the hero theatrical poster, and hand animated the living version of the artwork.

By thinking about static print design and motion continuity simultaneously from the very first frame, we completely bypassed the traditional agency bottlenecks:

✅ No fragmented communication between departments.

✅ Cohesive lighting, branding, and design across every asset.

✅ A less expensive way to produce high-quality campaign assets that people will remember.

Streaming clients, independent filmmakers, podcast networks, and creative agencies: You don’t need a massive, fragmented army of vendors to build an iconic visual identity. You just need a smarter strategy that keeps human craft at the heart of the campaign.

We are officially booking upcoming campaign collaborations. Hit the link in my bio or slide into the DMs to talk about how we can bring your next project to life. 🚀

Stay tuned - More pieces of the full OBLIVION campaign are on the way soon!

#KeyArt #EntertainmentMarketing #CreativeDirection #MotionGraphics #FilmPoster #LivingKeyArt #DesignWorkflow #IndieFilm #PodcastProduction #HumanCraft #EricVasquezDesign by @ericvasquez84

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4 months ago

Summer is off to a good start ☀️

Had a great visit with my grandfather @johnmruffe aka El Guapo down in West Palm Beach last week.

From @bennysonthebeach to the Japanese Gardens at the @morikamimuseum and @delrayyachtcruises we had some good times and good conversations, which is easy when you have good company.

#westpalmbeachflorida🌴 #vacationphotos #morikamigardens #yachtcruise taken in Delray Beach, Florida by @ericvasquez84

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5 months ago

Great ideas deserve great editing. Learn how to bring your videos to life with Adobe Premiere Pro! ✨📹

Video is everywhere, and strong editing skills can help your content really stand out. In this new Adobe Premiere Pro for Beginners course on GoSkills, expert instructor Eric Vasquez will show you how to:

🎬 Edit smoother, more engaging videos

🎬 Create transitions, captions, and motion graphics

🎬 Improve audio and give footage a more cinematic feel

🎬 Speed up your workflow with AI-powered editing tools

🎬 Export polished videos for YouTube, social media, and more

👉 Tap the 🔗 in our bio to start learning today.

#PremierePro #VideoEditing #VideoEditingSkills #OnlineCourses #GoSkills by @ericvasquez84

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5 months ago