At SRQ Media’s 20th Anniversary Street Festival LaStrada, on October 20, we also acknowledged another 20-year milestone in the community. Dr. Larry Thompson has accomplished 20 years of creative impact at Ringling College of Art and Design, and as a special congratulations, SRQ Media presented a digital portrait of Dr. Thompson in a surprise ceremony. We recently sat down with Danica Jokic, the artist of the beautiful portrait to understand more about what goes into the process of creating digital portraits.

SRQ: Who did you speak with to begin conceptualizing the portrait? Jokic: Several people that have a history with Dr. Thompson including - Tammy Walsh, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students; Stacey Coley, Vice President of Advancement; and Hunter Thompson, Larry’s son.

What did you discover upon speaking with the friends and family of Dr. Thompson? It is apparent that he is incredibly passionate about Ringling College and deeply and genuinely cares about students and that people working with him genuinely respect and value him, they are very inspired by his hard work and dedication. He has created such amazing legacy and completely transformed college into one of the best in the world.

How long did the digital portrait and accompanying buildings take you to capture? Over 30 hours, there are over 35 hours of footage of the process.

What is the most challenging part of the digital portraits? “Getting the likeness”—making the eyes come to life, posture natural and the smile look genuine.

What is the most enjoyable part of creating a digital portrait? All of it. It was truly a pleasure to learn more about Larry and to paint him, as he is the perfect example of a man that has reached tremendous success in every aspect of his life, and continues to do so.

More examples of Danica’s work can be found at the website below.

Art by Danica Jokic