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.
Friday, April 21, 2006
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.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
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.
Monday, April 17, 2006
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.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
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.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Character Designs
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
80's week Part 2
The 80's were and still are the best as far as cartoons go. Every station had a saturday morning cartoon block. Now i wake up and see car dealer shows and teen shows on like Raven. Blah! I need the good stuff. Here is a SHOW alot of people may not remember. Mighty Orbots. Wow this show was on my top 10. Look at the animation in the intro. Just great. They don't make stuff like this anymore thats for sure. Well anime thats as close as you gonna get.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Model Sheet Tuesday....4/4/06
I don't know what happened to this show. I've seen some of the tv show and was like uhhhhhh, next channel. But when I look at these model sheets and breakdowns I'm like damn these are sweet. Same thing with Ben 10 I love the designs on paper but the show UgggggggH!!! There are alot of these from this show that are great.I'll post the rest next Tuesday. Just so you'll have a reason to come back.
80's Cartoon Week.
This week I'm gonna have to take it back to my favorite cartoons of the 80's. Growing up I loved Watching cartoons all day. I learned how to draw form watching cartoons. I remember I'd run upstairs and grab my paper and and sit in front of the TV and draw everything that came on. Here is cartoon #1 of the week that I loved. The intro to this day still holds up. Click on the title of the post and it'll take you to a fan site that has some pics to it.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
My work space!
I had a few people ask me what my workspace is like at home. So I pulled out the digital camera and took a few snap shots of the place I like to call home. Nothing super star fancy. I haven't gotten my new Wacom yet. So the old sorry monitors are still part of the office. One is already going out on me.
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