Meet Roxas Shepherd | Artist & Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Roxas Shepherd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roxas, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is connection. When I make commissioned art, I take great joy and pride in really listening to my clients’ vision, and engaging with their ideas. I think that my clients and customers respond well to the energy and enthusiasm that I give back to them, and it leads to having a strong network of repeat customers and word-of-mouth reccomendations. Accomodating with kindness wherever I can is the work ethic I use to conduct myself and my business, and I think that the personal touch really makes a difference when my customers decide where to spend their money.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I always enjoyed drawing for fun, but I never much pushed myself to improve until I studied theatre at UC San Diego. I focused on costumes and set design, and developed a passion for architecture and fashion in the process. It didn’t take long for me to start mixing my newly refined skill with my favorite hobby: tabletop gaming. I started drawing fantasy art of my character from my Dungeons & Dragons game.

When I started selling art at comic conventions, I was only making small pieces of digital art, fit for little more than the pinback buttons I pressed out by hand. I wasn’t selling well, and I was starting to feel anxious, so I pulled out my sketchbook to start drawing to relieve some stress. Within an hour, a gentleman came up (Travis, I remember) and offered me thirty dollars to paint him a portrait of an original character he’d made. I figured that, hey, money is money, and took my first commission. I pulled out my store-brand watercolor pallet, and began working. When Travis came back to pick the painting up the next day, I was nervous beyond measure. What if he didn’t like it? What if my skill wasn’t worth the money? It was my first convention after all.

He was elated. He chirped excitedly about how it looked exactly how he’d pictured in his mind for several minutes, and then left with a wide smile on his face and several dollars in my previously empty tip jar.

The best advice I can give to aspiring artists trying to start small businesses is to love what you make and make what you love. When you find where your passion lies, you can settle into a niche. I got lucky–I found my niche in the fantasy market during a renaissance of tabletop gaming brought on by the popularity of shows like “Stranger Things” and streamed games like “Critical Role”. Being able to really focus in on that particular audience made my initial attempts at marketing so much easier than it would have otherwise been. Having a strong niche meant that I had a clear base of clients and customers, and talking to them at conventions and art shows gave me immediate and direct feedback that I could put into place.

I love what I do. I love exploring different mediums, I love making things that are beautiful. Most of all, I love watching ideas come to life on the page, whether those ideas are mine or those of my clients. Nothing is more magical to me than watching fantasy spill out into reality, and I feel proud to make magic for my customers.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many great spots in San Diego, it’s hard to choose! As far as good eats go, the Grand Tea Room in Escondido is beautiful and has some truly delicious tea blends. I’ve recently started going to TNL Boba Tea in Oceanside to get my milk tea fix, and it’s some of the best I’ve ever had. Considering how much I love tabletop and trading card games, I’d be remiss not to take my friend to all my favorites: At Ease Games in San Diego, On Board Gaming in Escondido, and Pair O’ Dice in Oceanside. The Museum of Us is one of the best museums I’ve ever been to, and I’ll take any chance to bring people there. I’d have to check and see what bands are playing the Observatory North Park, my favorite live music venue, and end the trip at the Oceanside Pier and Harbor, which is especially beautiful at night when the lights are on and the sea lions are getting ready to go to sleep.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom, who has been endlessly loving and supportive of all of my endeavors, and to all of the friends who have graced my table for a game, for bringing me years of inspiration and adventure.

Website: flightandfancy.co

Instagram: @flightandfancyco

Twitter: @flightfancyco

Other: Roxas.myportfolio.com

Image Credits
Vik McKee (@viktographh)