Art of Seven - Steve Santillan

ISteve Santillan Biography

Steve was born in East Los Angeles, California. He pursued commercial art studies at Los Angeles Trade Technical College and Majored in Illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Steve worked for 15 years as an in-house Illustrator for a Package Design Studio in Orange County, working directly with some of the largest consumer product companies and best-known brands in the world, such as Disney Consumer Products, Buena Vista Home Videos, Disney Interactive, Kellogg's, Welch's, Hunt Wesson, Warner Brother’s, and many others.
Steve was a guest speaker at two esteemed institutions - California State University Los Angeles and California State University Northridge. At California State University Los Angeles, he spoke to the students at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Program (LACHSA) and participated in the Disney TV Animation Career Day. Additionally, he served as an adjunct professor at California State University Northridge, where he taught classes in Visual Development and Drawing for Animation.
In 1998, Steve participated in the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles U.S. Air Force Art Program, creating paintings depicting Mexican American Air Force servicemen. These paintings have been displayed at the Pentagon, the Surgeon General's Office, and Tip Toe Alley. He was the first artist to paint the first Mexican American airman for the Art Force Art Program. Steve has exhibited his art in Sacramento's State Capital, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Glendale, and Orange County, CA.
He began his animation career in 2003 at DisneyToon Studios, where he worked as a background painter on ‘The Lion King 1 ½’. Following his time at DTS, I transitioned to Disney TV Animation and have since contributed background painting to various shows across the Disney TV animation network. He was privileged to serve as Lead background painter for ‘Jake and the Never Land Pirates’ before moving on to ‘Mickey's Roadster Racers.’ 
He's had the privilege to work with other prominent animation studios such as BentoBox Animation ‘The Great North,’ Nickelodeon Animation “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Warner Bros Animation ‘Harley Quinn, and ‘KiteMan.’ He is delighted to be back at Disney TV Animation, contributing to the ‘Phineas and Ferb’ production.’ Painting, whether digitally or traditionally, remains his true passion.