Hey there, I’m Travis Womack, and I’ve been working in the world of digital art and design for over 15 years. I’m a graphic designer, 3D modeler, animator, and 3D printing enthusiast. Being born in the 80s, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the evolution of technology throughout my life, including the birth of the internet and have always been an early adopter of technology.
I’ve always had a passion for art, especially animation. As a kid, I loved watching cartoons, movies, and playing video games, dreaming of one day working in the entertainment industry. I spent countless hours drawing and painting, and as soon as computers became accessible to the masses, I started using them to learn digital art.
In 2005, I started learning 3D modeling, inspired by my love for video games and animation. I dreamed of working for companies like Nintendo or Pixar, but although those opportunities didn’t come, I continued to hone my skills and passion for art, animation, and gaming.
In 2009, I discovered 3D printing, well before it became mainstream. At my college, I got the opportunity to work with an industrial Uprint 3D printer. Because I learned how to make it run, I was given full access to it. This allowed me to explore the possibilities of 3D printing and forever cemented my love for 3D Printing. I used the printer for years, and eventually, I got my own Ultimaker 2 and started printing at home. I still use that printer to this day.
During my 3D printing journey, I started making videos and posting them on YouTube. After some trial and error, I hit a breakthrough when I made some fan art for the YouTube channel Cinemassacre. That led to more collaboration projects and eventually a credit in the Angry Video Game Nerd movie. The work with Cinemassacre gave me the idea to make a series of 3D printed art pieces called “Logos to Life,” which helped me connect with many YouTubers in both the YouTube food and 3D printing space. I spent a number of years making videos and collaborating with countless people throughout those communities.
A huge spark of inspiration came to me in 2017, when fidget spinners were all the rage. It started as I began to experiment with laser cutting and sublimation at my job at Reedville Goods, a vintage sign shop I worked at during that time. I began messing around with making custom fidget spinners. I made some random fun designs, and also put the logos of my friends on them. While recording one of the logo spinners for a vlog at the 2017 Bay Area Maker Faire, I noticed that the logo on the spinner looked animated. This sparked an idea which I discussed with my friend Garrett that led me to putting a three-frame animation of 8-bit Mario on a spinner. When I recorded this spinner I was blown away and immediately posted it on Twitter. It went viral almost instantly, and for the next six months, I sold an insane amount of my new animated spinners online and although the fidget spinner craze died down, I decided to revisit the project in 2020. The new designs instantly became a hit again. I still make new designs weekly and this random discovery still remains one of my strongest passions.
I’m always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible with digital art and design, and I’m excited to share my creativity with potential collaborators and employers. Check out my portfolio to see some of my best work!