VIP Creator Highlight: Lily Newton

The PVS Virtual Internship Program

In today’s industry landscape many art students are hard-pressed to find opportunities to gain real world experience and training to supplement their higher education and career development. Prime Vice Studios has established its Virtual Internship Program to give opportunity to talented students who wish to gain valuable experience and/ or earn academic credit for their efforts. 
This interview series seeks to highlight our interns, share their testimonials and assist them on their creative journey.

About The Creator

Lily Newton is an illustrator and visual development artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work plays with themes of nature, fantasy, and nostalgia. She is a lover of all things whimsical and loves to showcase the magic in the mundane in her art. As she prepares to graduate from Kennesaw State University with a BFA in Illustration in the fall of 2025, she is excited to bring her unique perspective to the industry.

PVS Internship Experience

Thank you for providing your internship testimony. Please share why you did an internship with PVS?

I wanted to do this internship with PVS to experience a professional setting which could reflect the industries I want to work in. The freedom the program lends to students allowed me to create work for my portfolio while developing my professional skills and collaborating with other talented artists and professionals.

Can you share the most interesting story/ stories that happened to you since you began the internship with PVS?

The Discord group for the internship was always a good time. It was nice to see how my fellow interns were progressing in the program. Sharing my feedback with them and hearing their feedback for my work created a very positive and encouraging environment.

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Pivotal Moments of the Internship

We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned? 
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One mistake I made was with a concept art piece I created where I neglected to add textures to some of the surfaces in the environment. When I received feedback about this from Mr. Perez, I wanted to be finished and not have to fix my error, but knew that the input would improve my work. I worked hard to make sure that I effectively implemented his feedback and the painting was greatly improved due to this! 

Can you share a pivotal moment when you realized that the internship was actually making a significant impact in your life?

As I added my work from the internship to my portfolio, I realized that it had allowed me to finally start creating visual development work that I had been scared to start. The VIP (Virtual Internship Program) gave me the boost I needed to start work that can lead me to a career in animation in addition to illustration.

Skills Acquired, Skills Gained & Connections Made

Lily, please share what skills you've acquired through your experience with our internship
 
In the VIP, I gained design skills in the context of IP creation, as well as strengthened my time management skills and professional communication skills.

How about knowledge you gained?

I strengthened my knowledge of character design, world-building and story writing, as well as IP development and copyright.

Thank you. Tell us about the connections that you’ve made while working with us?
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I am happy to have connected with PVS and the network of interns and artists within their community who I can continue to connect with in the future.

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Vision For The Future

Imagine we’re sitting down together two years from now or further looking back. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
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I would love to have received opportunities in the animation or illustration industry from the work I made in the VIP. If the pieces I made during my time here, or ones I make following the program relating to the story I developed, I would be ecstatic!

What do you hope your art/IPs  will do in the world?

I want my art to inspire others to look around and recognize that despite the gloom we are increasingly seeing, wonderful things are everywhere if you know where to look. Connection is everything, and often a little magical. I want to give people a sense of that with my work.

Advice For Creators & Future Interns

From your perspective who should do this internship? Who would you recommend for this internship?
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The VIP is especially beneficial for students who are interested in selling products using their original artwork such as comics, stickers, apparel, or other merchandise. The program specifically focuses on sequential art but can be attuned to other industries such as animation in my case.

What advice would you give to interested students?

Have specific goals in mind even before you start the internship as it is highly self-directed. What career are you interested in, and how can you complete the program in a way that can help you get there? What kind of products would you be interested in creating? Most importantly, use the time and resources given to you to make what you want to create. People can see your voice in your work and that is what makes your work stand out and ultimately successful.

Final Thoughts

What type of clients, audience do you want to connect with or work for?
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I would love to work on tv or film animation, picture books, and freelance illustration projects. If you also love the whimsical things in life, I am happy to work with you!

This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your art. We wish you continued success!​

Creator Contact Info

Reach out to Lily via the following links and contacts!

Website: lilynewton.myportfolio.com

Social Media: @berryhourz (Instagram, Twitter)
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Email: [email protected]

Creator Art Gallery

​If you or someone you know would like to apply to be a PVS intern, apprentice, or volunteer fill out an application by clicking the button below.

VIP Application