Raised in the PNW, Carolyn Francisco continues to reside in Washington State to pursue her BFA in Digital Art and Animation at DigiPen Institute of Technology. As a child, art was the way she was able to explore her own emotions through characters, stories and entire worlds. Those creations allowed her to connect with other people and help her find small communities where she could further explore and teach her craft .

Much of Carolyn’s work is not human, but creatures (a result of a long history of animal raising and work). Often inspired by the intricacies of musculature, skeletal systems, and the surprisingly alien biology seen on our own planet, she is able to weave the real world with various animals, mythos and cryptids to bring a familiar yet foreign feeling to her work. This approach to concepting also applies to her human characters, with her ultimate goal being placing lesser known cultures and people in the spotlight.

Upon graduating, Carolyn aims to become a Creature and Character artist in the video game industry and continue mentoring younger artists. She hopes to be a part of a studio driven by telling impactful stories. By being a character artist she is in a unique position to help create beings who players can not only connect with, but see themselves in during their time playing the game. She is beyond grateful for the support and empowerment she has received from the McMillen Foundation and hopes to continue connecting and creating with those who share the same love for art and storytelling.