This edition of the BSC NFT Spotlight brings one of the most well-known artists on the BNB Chain.
Meet PancakeSwap’s Chef Cecy
If you are a user of BNB Chain, you have almost certainly seen her work. She is Chef Cecy Meade, and she is the Lead Illustrator and 3D Artist for PancakeSwap. Her hand and mind are behind the artwork of PancakeSwap’s widely popular Bunnies and Squads NFTs collections.
However, behind the artwork is a fun and caring artist. In this interview, BSC News had the pleasure to speak with Chef Cecy––amidst her busy schedule––about her background, her beginnings at PancakeSwap, the state of NFTs on BNB Chain, plus much more.
Keep an eye out for what is to come from PancakeSwap. Chef Cecy has hinted that the top Decentralized Exchange (DEX) and Automated Market Makers (AMM) of BNB Chain is cooking up some fresh and fun NFT ideas that should bring new life to the NFT atmosphere of BNB Chain.
Her work is available as the PancakeSquad and PancakeBunny NFTs, but she is also a member of the Terra World NFT universe.
Q: Do you mind sharing a bit about your background? Where you are from?
A: I am an illustrator and designer from Mexico. I studied a degree in design and after felt more of a need to follow illustration. I spent many years––almost 15 years––working with 2D and 3D Animation, visual design for big studios in Mexico. I worked with advertising studios and on projects for companies like Nickelodeon and Disney.
A fun experience I had was making some greeting cards with a major US company that mimicked personalities like Strawberry Shortcake. I want to say it was seven years ago when my path in 3D brought me to new platforms online, and eventually, I was found by the team at PancakeSwap.
“It feels nice and really feels nice to be a part of something important. It is great that so many people appreciate my work. I love to create something that is changing people’s lives. It has been very rewarding and fun.”
Q: Tell me about your inspiration? It reminds me of classic cartoons, like things from Cartoon Network or Pixar or even classic Nintendo.
A: When I began doing illustration, I didn’t want to do editorial style. I saw myself doing more than design. I wanted to create characters and fun things. I saw myself in illustration, character design, even visual development. I felt like these areas had a more professional feel, not like formal feeling but more career paths. It became important for me to be investing time in the feeling and the style of my art. It is important to build a brand. I wanted to be happy with what I created, and that began with building a brand I enjoy.
Q: Your style seems to fit perfectly with PancakeSwap – How did you begin work with them?
A: I started when they were just 5-6 people. I was originally contacted by Chef Hops to help with some of the early illustrations. Chef Hops contacted me on Instagram, and we chatted for a little bit about the idea, and finally, I accepted.
I started as a freelance artist. I was just making some illustrations for the site. If you go look, you’ll see I wasn’t the artist for the first NFTs and some of the first drawings. I went full-time on the team when I think we grew to something like thirteen people.
If you can remember, the early images at PancakeSwap, used real bunnies at first. They had the concept and idea ready already, right? They were using pictures of food-related stuff and real images. They contacted me because they had seen my style and saw me as an artist to match their theme. They like how I already had pictures of things like pancakes––I don’t even think I had drawn a bunny though. [laughs]
So when I joined, they had already started. I joined and had to help organize the art. I had to trust them and believe them. I didn’t know if it was a scam or not. I thought it was weird that they all had animal names. They are all anonymous, and it is totally different from any company structure I worked with before.cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fstreamable.com%2Fo%2F2zkcj8&display_name=Streamable&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreamable.com%2F2zkcj8&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-cf-east.streamable.com%2Fimage%2F2zkcj8.jpg%3FExpires%3D1646993640%26Signature%3DQGv7Z0aNHZOR7udeK6vjymfby3N57l4feCkTPto5bufUHzJvxD3v7vRDgq7-pomtdy%7Er2j-0ygHTZfWX2nCCuBel3WqIgAf0tdC1IkeKy7nRhIsWHobni0Olc0qjbPBMmtZF5ys7xY%7ErawplJxk8Um6cMUyMWxGVnRW1F6vylPGLkk2IXwZH%7EFxx4go9AYhYulXCkuzGJyLKGo%7EZACs9duzq83hb75zQq0q%7EKZQsckGgPIbqa1mkW-oxLleaESacPp6Ql9kSbxyA07Csmc7nDW9K0mfor0BjcjXWkMhBiRvIk6CDfHBXrBaiIe9DnFMtCatJTfWw-6SGr4BmIJHLaQ__%26Key-Pair-Id%3DAPKAIEYUVEN4EVB2OKEQ&key=96f1f04c5f4143bcb0f2e68c87d65feb&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=streamable
Q: What’s the feeling like to have your illustrations as the top NFTs on BNB Chain?
A: It feels nice and really feels nice to be a part of something important. It is great that so many people appreciate my work. I love to create something that is changing people’s lives. It has been very rewarding and fun.
I am learning a lot from my teammates. I am very lucky and grateful to be part of this project.
The people I work with are passionate about PancakeSwap, and my teammates love what they do. I am delighted.
But I just do the doodles. I am the external face, more or less. I am not anonymous. My teammates do so much stuff that I do not understand.
Q: Tell me more––if you can––about the PancakeSwap team.
A: They all have nicknames. There is Snowball, Yuna, June, Lime, and more. It’s funny because I only know all of their voices, not their faces. It is interesting to work like this.
But they are all very nice people. They work very hard and are doing tons of work. They want to make it bigger and better. The team is full of designers who do UI and UX and lots of developers and coders. The art team is me, and I’m just a small part.
Q: What went into developing the Pancake Bunnies? Did you have a process? Tell me about their creation.
A: Yes, I would say there is a kind of process. The first stage is to establish the identity. For the bunnies, the base is most important. It is important for the brand to grow. Having a good base from what you want to show is very important to build from. I need to know want I want to transmit with the image.
I usually begin with sketches. I can play with things until I get a good idea. There is really no place or specific time that I sketch. I will draw almost anywhere, but usually at home. The individual ideas come both fast and slow–– sometimes it’s planned. For the bunnies, the initial brand related to PancakeSwap. It was pretty easy because there was already a defined concept––when it is like that, it helps.
The Squads was a little weird at first. For this project, I had to start from zero. I had to do all of the artistic parts plus the theoretical parts. I had to work and coordinate with the developers about what was capable and possible. I also did some research to make sure everything was done right.
For both projects, I generated a ton of assets. We still have thousands. I want to say I made like 2,000-3,000 for each.
Q: What is your view of the NFT Community on BNB Chain?
A: Yes, definitely Ethereum and OpenSea are more popular. But, what I will say is that the perception is different between the artists. People are still learning about Binance and the BNB Chain. Lately, there have been some great artists moving over to BNB Chain.
The thing is that it is not just the artists who create opinions. It is also the people and users who perceive and create opinions for whatever reason. The artists just create.
I have no opinion either way, though. I don’t have an allegiance to any chain. I like artists on all chains and support the industry. I know it is still growing, and we all need the support.
Q: Tell me about your roller-blading! You seem to always be out and about.
A: Rollerblading is a hobby. I did it as a kid, and I rediscovered it with the lockdown. To be honest, I was just burned out. I wanted to do something new and get outside to beat the lockdown. It has become a form of relaxation. It helps with my thoughts and feels like some meditation. It helps with art and helps remind me there can be things more important than art. It helps me to create art with a refreshed mind.
When life can be frustrating, I can go out and be free on my skates. I don’t go out and do crazy things. I like to go around the parks near my home and just explore some. It’s fun and free-flowing, just not super aggressive.
Q: Do you care to comment on the NFT and crypto scene in Mexico?
A: Firstly, there are not many people or artists who are involved. But they are trying to learn, and the scene is growing.
The problem is that crypto is that many people still think it is a bad thing. People will reject it immediately if you tell them about it. People are scared of scams, or they will say that it can only harm people or that it is bad for the environment. They will say all these bad things. On social media, NFT artists and influences can be blocked in Spanish-speaking chats and threads. It is very weird. People just do not like it.
Slowly more and more people are getting interested––especially with designers. They are getting in more and more involved. But it is still very small. NFTs are becoming more respected as artists gain money and recognition.
This kind of space gives more credit more importance to the artist. I know people who are like painters, more traditional artists, and the NFTs are a way for them to get more recognition. Soon, NFTs will be more important.
Q: What is in the future for Chef Cecy outside of PancakeSwap?
A: I want to create my own NFTs. I am trying to create some free time and work on my own NFT collection. I find this refreshing, but it is complicated.
I’ve wanted to do something I enjoy outside of PancakeSwap. I want to do something with decent ideas, and it may not be super cute. It will still follow my style, my influence, but will be something separate from PancakeSwap.
I still don’t have too much developed, so I don’t want to say much.
Q: What job would you like to have? What job would you not want to have?
A: I always wanted to be a scientist. Whether that be physics or biology, I’ve always dreamed of doing something very different, like an astronomer. I love podcasts and researching science-related things. I am very curious about these things. I like to know how things work, from cells to space. I love how it opens my mind
I guess I would say something repetitive or boring. Basically, something that doesn’t have anything new to share each day. I think it is important to be continuing to discover and do new things every day. I wouldn’t like to do the same thing every day.
Q: Do you have any favorite media that you love? Music, movies, books?
A: I just love music. It is very important to me. I love music while I draw and while I rollerblade. And I love all kinds of music, both English and Spanish. I am not sure I can name anything specific at this time. I love too many.
Source : bsc.news
