Patricia van Zandvoort (aka @Gartiry)
I’m a Concept Artist fom the Netherlands (EU resident), originally born in Paraguay, mainly focused on mood, creatures, and characters. I primarily work as a painter, but can incorporate 3D when needed and I'm always developing concepts with production in mind, considering tone, silhouette, material, and how a design supports the story.
I'm drawn to the darker side of the fantasy genre and Gothic worlds, but also to the whimsical. I'm especially fascinated by the balance between the two, where things aren’t always as they seem.
My journey began at 16, when seeing Buckbeak brought to life in the Harry Potter films revealed the collaborative magic behind creating believable creatures and immersive worlds. That moment set the course for my career, which I’ve been pursuing for nearly two decades.
Outside of studio work, I draw inspiration from filmmaking, fashion, studying composition, color, and visual storytelling. Living on a farm keeps me closely connected to nature and provides constant real-world reference for creature design, anatomy, and behavior.
After graduating in Animation, I got the opportunity to work under Bobby Chiu and Jim Demonakos at LightBox Expo as their Lead Community Manager, where I’ve helped manage and grow a large international online community full of artists on the Discord, and where I’ve hosted hundreds of Q&As with industry professionals and studios like DreamWorks, Sony, and Framestore. This has given me a lot of insight into professional pipelines, studio workflows, and creative collaboration.