Animator and Graphic Designer Andrea Mercado turned childhood passion into esteemed career
Ever since she was a child, Andrea Mercado was obsessed with cartoons. Growing up in Lima, Peru, she dreamed that one day she would work in animation, being able to make other kids feel how she felt watching her favorite shows, even though she had no idea at that age how animation worked. When she was twelve, her father bought her the book How to Animate Film Cartoons by Walter Foster, and her life was changed. Mesmerized by what she read, Mercado began trying to make her own animations, first on flip books and then on her old computer. “When I finally finished my first digital animation, I was so amazed! I couldn’t believe I had made characters move! And the process took a long time because animation is like that, but when you’re enjoying something you don’t really feel the passing of time. As I grew older, I started making little animations to make my friends happy, and that made me happy too. Now that I’m an adult I make animations that make myself happy, and thankfully, t...