Yuqing Wei’s creations: from Architecture to Animation

What’s your journey to here been like? 

I am originally from China and have been living in Sydney for 15 years. I studied architecture at the University of Sydney and completed my bachelor's and master's degrees between 2012 and 2017.

After graduating, I started my own small business based on my passion for art, selling my watercolor landscape paintings at The Rocks Markets. At the same time, I worked part-time in the university’s architecture lab and also as a design director at a local fashion company.

During the pandemic, the love and connection between people and their pets during a stressful period really moved me. I made a big change. I challenged myself to try something I wasn’t good at – drawing animals.

After lots of practice, I started doing custom pet portraits, and that became my new career path. Two years later, in 2023, I shifted again, this time to designing cartoon-style pet illustrations for T-shirts, jackets, and other apparel. It became my niche that connects both the fashion and pet industries.

Drawing has been my passion since childhood, and I’ve always dreamed of turning it into a career – one where I could share my ideas with the world. Late 2024, I felt it was time for another transformation – bringing my drawings to life through animation. That’s why I decided to study animation at UTS, to take the next important step in my creative journey.

Why animation at UTS?  

I'm currently studying Animation Production at UTS. I'm planning to apply for the Honours degree later because it allows me to work on my own animated film or project, which will help me prepare for my future career in animation.

I chose to study animation at UTS because the course has a strong reputation in the industry. Some of my friends who work in animation told me that UTS has great teaching resources and many graduates from the degree are well regarded in the industry.

I had also visited the UTS campus before, and I was really impressed by the modern architecture. The university feels creative and modern. The animation degree at UTS is known for combining both storytelling and technical skills, and it helps students get ready for future industry work.

Check out Yuqing Wei’s pet portraits and products on Instagram @weiscreations. 

I chose to study at UTS instead of joining a short course because I value the university environment more. I’m able to have the chance to meet with excellent teachers, access useful resources, and collaborate with a group of classmates who can learn and grow together. I think this kind of learning environment is special and very valuable.

My main focus is pet-themed drawing, which is usually created through 2D artwork or graphic design. But now, with the fast growth of video, I feel that making my drawings move – with visual design, animation skills, background music and voice – can help make my work more lively and attractive.

It can help me grow my career and break through the limits I have now. So for me, studying animation is not changing to a new field, but improving my current work, and learning how to tell more complete stories.

What’s your experience been like? 

I just finished my first semester, and there were many moments that helped me learn and grow. For example, in the first four weeks of our main subject, “Foundations in Animation,” we studied human figure drawing. This was something I was always afraid of. But our tutor, David Briggs, told us on the first day to “draw without an eraser”.

At first, I found it very hard to accept – drawing without an eraser sounded impossible. But after some practice, I learned to imagine the body structure and position before putting it on paper. Even if the lines were wrong, I didn’t need to erase them. I just drew the rough shape and adjusted slowly. This helped me feel less afraid of making mistakes, and my sense of proportion also improved.

Our lecturer, Patrick Grant, also told us not to be afraid to “make a bad drawing”. Also, he taught us how to make our character designs more alive – for example, a good character design is one where you can imagine what it sounds like just by looking at the sketch. That was really inspiring.

My tutor, Evie Hilliar, helped me when I had trouble developing my animation character. She told me to “push the pose”, to keep trying new versions, and to get new ideas through research.

In my 2D Animation Introduction class, our tutor Maria Juergens explained animation principles in a simple and fun way. Her humour made the class enjoyable and encouraged me to take on challenges for my final project.

We also had a theory class called “Digital Media Industries.” Our tutor, Annabelle Sheehan, helped me understand the social responsibilities of media creators and gave us industry examples and understanding that helped me learn about the media world in a deeper way.

What’s next for you?

In my spare time, I work on my own small business. I create animal-themed cartoon drawings and design related products. I make a living by selling my designs at big local events, such as the Easter Show and the Cat Lovers Festival. I want to keep building my small brand and slowly move my main focus to animation creation and production.

Do you have any advice for students trying to decide what to study?  

Follow your heart and do what you love. Choose a field that you’re really interested in and go deeper into it. It’s not always easy, but if you enjoy the process, you will grow. For me, I love drawing and creating characters, so studying animation is helping me take my art to the next level. Don’t be afraid to try something new or to challenge your weak points – that’s where you learn the most. Most important of all, enjoy it.