Laila Wanted to say hello

More Hornets Artwork

Here are a few more pics that I did for the Hornets this year.

Woman drawing

Nothing too hot about this one. I was gonna put this in my sketchbook. I still may, just wanted to share with you guys some new stuff that I got knocked out during the game last night and while laila was sleep.

More Laila Pics.

Laila finally let me take some pics of her with her eyes open. Before she would always close them whenever I tried.

New Sketch

Here is something new from me that I did while looking at this sorry oh so sorry Heat team get they butt kicked by the Mavs. I thought the Heat would give a better fight than what they doing tonight. Depressing just depressing. I love Wade but damn they sucking.

Airport pic

I get into work today and a guy i work with tells me to come to his desk and look at something. I get there and bam he shows me this picture. Its in the international part of the atlanta airport hallway and There I am in the middle. That's a old old pic when i was in school like 98. I don't know how long its been up there since i've never been to that part of the airport. I don't even remember letting anyone take my pic for that matter but I thought it was cool that millions of people get to see me everyday. lol!

YO!Gabba Gabba

My boy Saxton sent me this link today. I thought it was pretty cool. Hell its got Biz Markie in it you cant beat that. I think Laila will enjoy this when she gets to that age of watching TV. you can peep out the site here http://www.yogabbagabba.com/
Gabba Gabba

Laila Simone Moore

Here is the reason I haven't been posting new art too much of late. My little Princess Laila Simone Moore

Sketchbook Coming along!!!!

Sorry I haven't been on top of things of late because of the new baby in the house. I've been working on my sketchbook that Im going to try and publish by the end of the year in-between baby naps here and there so its been a slow process. Here is a image that is gonna go in the book. Different Gorillas will be popping up in the book but mostly the book will be what you're use to seeing from me, like women and hip hop type stuff. I'll keep everybody posted as I go.

I pity the fool!!!!!!

I haven't been keeping my blog up to date much since the baby has been so near. Last friday at work they showed a Episode of Mr. T since they were gonna be airing it on Adult Swim. Man i haven't laughed my ass off like that in a long time. The acting and story line was so bad you had to laugh. I loved Mr.T going up. He beat Rocky's ass and he drove a cab in DC Cab. Oh man the memories this brings back. The 80's was the best for animation.

Baby almost here!

I got about 2 weeks left until my new born baby will be done cooking in the oven. Here are some pics of my wife I took today. She looks like she's about to drop right now.

Sketchbook Coming soon!!!!

I told myself I would publish a sketch book this year. Well here is a sketch that is going to be in it. Not sure how many pages I'm gonna put in it just yet since I'm just getting started on it. I want it to be mostly new stuff and not stuff thats been on my website for like the last 3 years. Tell me what you guys think of this so i can see what you guys like and don't like. Feed back gets me pumped to do some really good stuff for this book.

Fat Albert!!!!

One of the best Animated black cartoons of all time. I love the fact that this cartoon taught kids something of meaning.

Rookie of the year, Chris Paul

I did some Illustration work for the Hornets about 2 or 3 months ago. Poster art and some drawings for a video that I have yet to see. Here is one image form the video. I'll post some more later.

Ballerina sketch

Here is a ballerina that i drew yesterday before leaving work. Traffic is a monster here between 3-7 that sometimes I just stay late and draw until it dies down.

Model Sheet Tuesday 4/18/06

Step right up, step right up! This weeks model sheets are from the show Evangelion. Right now I'm working on a game for Adult Swim for this show. This is gotta be the hardest damn game I've worked on. I'm trying to make the Eva less detailed. Since I had the model sheets already up I thought I'd post them. So enjoy.

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook

You get a call from a client that wants you to do a painting or drawing for them that they are going to use for a promo. They ask you how much would the project cost them. You're mind is blank!!!! Well I'm like that alot of the time. I don't want to over charge and i sure don't want to under charge myself for alot of work that is gonna kill me in the end. I'm not sure of everybody's level in the art game so this maybe just for the newbie artist out there.
Book Description
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 11th Edition is the industry bible, containing information all graphic artists and their clients need to buy and sell work in a totally professional manner. This edition has been revised and updated to provide all the information you need to compete in an industry moving at lightning speed.

Classic Hip Hop animated video

When i first got to art school BACK IN 94 this video had just came out. I remember looking at it and was like yo that's what I wanna do. I had never seen cartoons and hip hop put together like this before. Well as you know the rest is history.

illustration 101

I found this on http://www.kerismith.com/


So many people have written me asking for advice I decided to put this short list together. Some of these things may be stating the obvious but I wanted to start simply so that you don't get too overwhelmed with an enormous load of things to do. Be gentle with yourself. The goal in the beginning it to just start, forward movement in any direction is good. It helps to just get that feeling of accomplishment, when you come back from the mail and feel really good about sending out some cards.
1. Go to a library or bookstore and look for publishers, magazines, etc. that use work like yours, (in a similar style.) Find names of art directors & addresses on the masthead, (usually by the contents page, the masthead lists everyone who puts the issue together.) For publishers you may have to do some digging, look in Writer's Markets, web pages, etc. ALWAYS be on the lookout for places, restaurants, posters, greeting cards, advertising, murals, comic books, products...etc. that your work would be suitable for. It will become natural for you after a while. Research:
Graphic Artist's Guild
The Business of Illustration by Steven Heller
List of Research Journals, Magazines,and, U.S. and World Newspapers
Canadian Magazine Publisher's Association

2. Once you get a name and address (start with 10 names and go from there). Do not overwhelm yourself too much, just start with a few! Send them samples. It could be color copies (good quality) or a printed piece. The MOST important thing to remember is that the work and samples be appropriate to their publication. notes: If your work seems to focus mainly on animals try Children's magazines, animal magazines, licensing for products, etc., look for companies that already publish stuff similar to yours. It would not be cost effective for you to market to Time Magazine. When mailing you will usually have at least a 2 percent response, (I've found it to be more like 10 percent).
Also try to stick to one style when targeting clients, they need to know what to hire your for, (you want them to think "Comic-like, oh I need to call...insert your name here")

3. For further help I highly recommend: -read Seven Steps to getting Published for advice on how to go about the creative part. -research promotional mailers and marketing for designers. Some simple techniques in bookbinding can be very helpful in coming up with some unique promotional mailers. A good book for this is Making Memory Books and Journals by Hand by Kristina Feliciano, Jason Thompson, and Barbara Mauriello. -Read: my recommended reading business & money section and "How to Make a living doing what you love" -make a business plan, starting with short term goals that are do-able (it will all get done, take it slow!) -if you haven't been already, the "Art Talk" section of TheIspot is an excellent place to pick up info from people who have been in the business for a long time.

-read designer Bruce Mau's Incomplete Manifesto I particularly like, "Don't enter competitions, Just don't do it, it's not good for you." When I first read this I was stunned, all my teachers in art school always told us, "Enter every competition you can. It's good promotion if you get in. It's worth the cost." In the beginning I did this. I wanted so badly to win these competitions that I tried to create "winning" artwork. It was usually contrived and not from the heart. I never got in. I think what Bruce Mau was talking about was when you put something into a competition you are putting your work up for judgement by a third party (in this case a large magazine or organization.), thus giving them the ability to deem your work 'good' or 'bad'. When you do this is you are in effect putting other's opinions ahead of your own. Now I know we must all face rejection at one time or another. (You have heard the saying, "if you are not being rejected you are not trying hard enough.") But it seems strange to me to PAY someone to judge your work, these competitions are quite expensive. I'm sure I will get some flack for this opinion by some who truly believe in entering competitions. After several years I started to get into many of the major awards annuals (without trying), and in my experience I have not yet gotten a job from it, so I do question the promotion incentive. If you are producing work that moves you, over time you WILL be recognized by others, but a) competitions should not be a motive for creating and b) putting other's opinions over your own puts us onto a subjective scale, ("I must not be living up to the rest"). Create your own rules.

Character Designs

Here are some of the character designs I did awhile back for this online game for Hi-C. It was a pretty fun freelance gig that I wish would have turned into more. The client was happy so I'm happy.







Here are some of the character designs I did awhile back for this online game for Hi-C.