Summary

Pedro Cardoso was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since childhood Pedro has been very invested in drawing, and was often found playing with his own creations and imagined worlds. Struggling to find an academic art education in Brazil, Pedro moved to the United States in 2013 with the goal of learning traditional drawing and painting as the foundation for a portfolio in the entertainment industry. He graduated in 2017 from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a BFA in Visual Development. The first two years of his college experience, however, were dedicated to the Fine Art program, with a focus on Drawing and Painting, during which time he fostered his passion and fascination for traditional fine art practices. Pedro's school work was awarded accolades both at the Academy of Arts University as well as in shows in Brazil.

After graduating, Pedro started his career as a concept artist in the entertainment industry, and has worked in various projects ranging from video games and animated series, to movies and tabletop games. The projects he has worked on include the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Mattel's Masters of the Universe Revelations and Revolution, Wizard's of the Coast Dungeons and Dragons, among other projectes. He was nominated for Excellence in the Concept Art Awards for three years in a row (2023, 2024, 2025), and featured as a Showcase Concept Artist in 2019 for his contributions to the concept art industry.

Never losing touch with his fine arts passion, he attended painting workshops, classes and open sessions to continue his painting practice. This culminated in him starting his own studio in 2021, while in Rio de Janeiro for a brief period of time. There he began to teach figure drawing and painting and fell in love with the experience. He returned to Austin, TX and continued his teaching career at the Atelier Dojo in the fall of 2022. Passionate about teaching and the practice of drawing and painting in charcoal and oils, Pedro shifted his career from entertainment towards fine arts, while working part time as a concept artist. He teaches at the Atelier Dojo’s Academy program as well as their short term classes. Pedro has participated in several group shows showcasing his new work, which focuses on the figure and the figure in motion, including the 2025 Austin Studio Tours, as well as group shows at the Austin Art space and Camp Fluff.

Artist Statement:

Pedro Cardoso believes that Art is the result of a deep mindful presence with our practice. This presence happens during the process of interpreting form into abstract lines, shapes, tones, edges and textures, which exist in connection to one another and make up the essence of representational work. Diving deep into foundational ideas of drawing and painting, he is constantly searching for true and expressive marks that resonate from the large statements down to the smallest details. His works' aesthetics join the classical traditions of realism together with modern and contemporary sensibilities of film, fine art and illustration. Pedro’s work crosses the boundaries of genres, often exploring themes of masculinity, mythology, and humanism, with the human figure in motion at the center of his interests.

As an instructor, Pedro pushes his students towards understanding drawing and painting not only in terms of technique, but in regards to picture making and all of its possibilities of expression. He believes that academic training and techniques are important tools to help guide an artist in their craft, and that they must be used by the artist to achieve a state of mindful presence with their work.

Believing that foundational ideas and concepts of drawing and painting are the key to achieving an artist’s unique voice, Pedro not only wishes to achieve this in his own work, but also strives to impart his students with the knowledge to do so themselves.

Resume PDF

Skills

Software proficiency

Blender

Photoshop

3DCoat