Quincey McElroy—artist and inspiration

Hailey Heseltine
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Are you an artist? Many of us are; many of us are not. Even if you do not consider yourself an artist, chances are that you have still crafted your own works before. Perhaps it was a painting, a drawing, pottery, written works or just a little doodle. Even if you do not make art now, perhaps you did as a child—drawing, coloring, painting, even forming shapes out of mud. At one point, we all have experienced the joy of getting to create something wonderful and uniquely ours, and that sense of satisfaction is something artists all over the world get to enjoy every day. One such artist is Quincey McElroy, a Jefferson County native who specializes in illustrations and concept art.
Though she currently lives in Savannah, Ga., McElroy was raised in Jefferson County by her father, Mitchell McElroy, a private forester, and her mother, Ginger McElroy.
From a young age, she exhibited a tendency toward art, which was was first noticed by her kindergarten teacher. When the teacher realized McElroy had a special affinity for copying shapes and drawings, she informed her parents, suggesting that they encourage her to cultivate what would eventually bloom into a fine talent. Her parents were rather surprised, since there are no other artists in their family, but were happy to help her build her skills.
“My parents have always been very encouraging,” says McElroy. “My dad has always been very supportive of doing hard work and going the extra mile to make things the best they can be, and my mom has always taught me to be very compassionate. I'm so grateful that love has always been such a big part of my family.”
She recalls her mother buying her how-to books about drawing horses, since McElroy had a special love for them. With that book, she simultaneously fostered a love of illustrating and began learning many of the fundamentals of art. She loved the feeling of being able to put down the things she visualized on paper, so it became one of her most treasured hobbies.
“About the time I was in fifth grade, I started to take [art] more seriously,” she explains.
She discovered anime and manga, Japanese styles of animation and comics, and was enamored by the artistry and variety to be found in them. She began trying to copy the style, which she says helped her develop her abilities. Her art style gradually developed into something all her own, enabling her to employ and nurture her own unique styles of expression.
As she grew, so did her artistic abilities and appreciation. By the time she was in high school, McElroy's dedication to her art had made it surpass the status of a simple hobby, but she never considered doing it professionally. During her sophomore year of high school, she was assigned to talk about her plans for her future college major and career. She assumed that her family would want her to work in agriculture and forestry, just as they did, so she based her assignment on that plan. However, when she showed the project to her father, he seemed surprised, then remarked that he always thought she would go to college to study art, since she had such a passion for it.
Once McElroy realized that going to art school to study art and make professional projects was a possibility, she found the idea appealing, and decided to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
“It was a really amazing education,” she says. “It was very close to home, and it was in such a beautiful city...the professors there were all amazing, and I always felt like they were really invested in the students and how the could help them have a good future.”
She recently graduated from SCAD with a bachelor's degree in Fine Art. With her graduation, she began her career as a freelance artist, primarily focusing on illustration and concept design. She takes commissions and has worked on several projects, such as making concept art for a Star Wars fan film, Cayleb and making illustrated editorials for RenderQ, a student-run SCAD media blog. She is currently working on making maps for Firefly Cottages, lodging in Cedar Key, Fla.
Though it has its challenges, McElroy loves her career.
“I could be sitting in an office at a computer, but instead I get to draw, so that's pretty nice,” she says.
Perhaps you read this and think you may like to give art a try. It may be daunting at first, but, as McElroy says, the rewarding feeling you get from learning to successfully bring to life the things you envision is unlike any other. She advises beginning artists to “practice, draw everything you see and don't compare yourself to others.” Since art is subjective, it is important that beginners do not feel ashamed of their works. She says that now one of her greatest joys is being able to look back at the pieces she made in the past and seeing how far she has come since then. After all, we all have to start somewhere, and she says that dedicating even just a little time to art can yield rich rewards.
McElroy can be contacted for commissions by visiting the “contact” section on her website, quinceymcelroy.com, or via email at qimcelroy@gmail.com.