Using a stylus instead of a paintbrush, Calvin Hillgrove, a BYU–Idaho illustration student is transforming blank screens into vibrant worlds—blending technology and creativity to push the boundaries of digital art.
Growing up surrounded by Seattle’s art scene and inspired by his father, Justin Hillgrove, an oil painter, Calvin Hillgrove said he has always had an appreciation for art.
“Our garage is like a big studio, there's paintings everywhere,” Hillgrove said. “We'd always be watching films together, like posters and big influences, like Studio Ghibli. Just being able to watch just such fantastic design and characters and worlds just come to life just as a kid definitely inspired me to do the same.”
In high school, Hillgrove collaborated with a friend to create and build an indie-style comic with a gritty ashtray aesthetic. He said he still dreams of turning the story into a TV show.
After serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hillgrove began looking for a place to refine his skills. He and his father toured Brigham Young University-Idaho.
“I was just absolutely enamored with the program, right away,” said Hillgrove. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to be here.’ This is so cool. I love learning about like history. I love learning about art and having these, like I've never seen this before in a school and education before.”
His most ambitious project yet is a short five-to-seven-minute film that he’s developing for class.
“We did props, character design, and we did environment design, and just figuring out more, fleshing out the world. And next semester, we're going to be taking advanced illustration where we'll be actually doing storyboard animation. And we'll be doing that for basically the next two semesters,” said Hillgrove.
Hillgrove has also worked with the company Handmade by Robots which licenses with Crunchyroll, DreamWorks, and Illumination. Through this work, he’s had the opportunity to help bring beloved characters to life, such as Toothless from ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.
Beyond the technical aspects of his craft, Hillgrove said he believes creativity is a part of the human condition.
“I want to be able to express myself and be able to help other people and be able to communicate. This is how I communicate with people,” said Hillgrove. “I want people to feel like they are loved, they have a place and that they're safe.”
To follow Hillgrove’s art, illustration, and animation visit his Instagram or search Calvin_Hillgrove on Twitch, YouTube or Tiktok.
For more on Hillgrove’s story as an artist, listen to the full interview on BYU-Idaho Radio’s podcast on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts