Wow! The entries are in... all 160 of them! Swing over to Art Order to check out the full line-up.
Judging results and prizes will be posted at the end of this week.
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| © Jeffrey Alan Love |
Monday, 16 May 2011
Sunday, 15 May 2011
By John Jude Palencar
In the previous installments of “Tips and Tricks” we’ve covered Brushes and Palettes.. There were some great suggestions/ input on palettes provided by the readers of this blog. Thanks for your tips. Next in the chain is the “workstation”. I’m not talking about your studio per say but the immediate area surrounding your painting or illustration. In my early days I had a small drawing table that my parents purchased as a gift. My youngest son, Kit, is currently using it. While they were well meaning, the drawing table was not what I was looking for. It was not very well made. Trying to adjust the height and angle was difficult to say the least. It also had the annoying trait of swaying like a drunken sailor on a weekend binge. I did use it for a number of years in art school until I could afford to purchase one that fit my requirements... My side work table was a narrow metal shelf that I found in someone’s garbage. It was sturdy but never quite held everything I needed to have on hand. Purchasing good equipment is essential to your work flow. Just like having good brushes and paint to produce professional results, having an area that enhances your work flow makes it easier to concentrate on the creative side, not to mention completing a piece more quickly. You’ll know you’re a candidate for purchasing a workstation if you are always looking for and / or rummaging through countless shelves, boxes. Worse yet, if you have to get up and endlessly hunt for an item. Trying to afford good equipment can be difficult, especially when beginning your career. Quality is never cheap, but rest assured that it will pay for itself in the long run. Even if you have to delay your purchase hold off until you can get the quality piece you’ve always wanted. The years of service a quality piece provides will out weigh what you paid for it. in the long run. The list can be daunting.... taborets, side carts, drawing tables, easels, paper shelves and general storage will all be required. It took me several years to acquire my studio furniture. Pacing my purchases put less strain on my wallet. Knowing when something is a good deal and jumping on various sales, closeouts and garage sales are helpful strategies to save if your on a budget. If your lucky the occasional estate sale can produce a beautiful piece of antique art furniture for your studio. While I’ve done my share of dumpster diving there’s nothing like unwrapping a brand new piece of studio furniture. Knowing it’s exactly what you’ve dreamed of and was selected after careful research in regard to your requirements.
Here’s my general setup - Work Area #1: Drawing table in the center, two side work/ supply surfaces with multiple drawers. Palette on the right side (left if I'm feeling lucky). My small flat panel television patched into my dvd player and cable tv, stereo speakers mounted on the wall behind the drawing table. One of the work units contain brushes, paint, and mediums and the other holds mostly dry art supplies... pencils, chalk, various angles, mechanical compasses and french curves etc... This is what works for me. Since I mostly sit while I work the “U” shaped configuration of this setup is fine. When I stand to paint, another configuration is required. The side units are made by Studio Craft and can be custom configured to your needs.
I’d enjoy seeing and sharing some of your setups on Muddycolors. Please send your jpegs to: muddycolorsjjp@yahoo.com Note: RGB jpegs @ 72dpi - no more than 500 pixels on the longest side I’ll try to post some of them in the next installment of “Tricks and Tips” Til then - Happy painting!
In the previous installments of “Tips and Tricks” we’ve covered Brushes and Palettes.. There were some great suggestions/ input on palettes provided by the readers of this blog. Thanks for your tips. Next in the chain is the “workstation”. I’m not talking about your studio per say but the immediate area surrounding your painting or illustration. In my early days I had a small drawing table that my parents purchased as a gift. My youngest son, Kit, is currently using it. While they were well meaning, the drawing table was not what I was looking for. It was not very well made. Trying to adjust the height and angle was difficult to say the least. It also had the annoying trait of swaying like a drunken sailor on a weekend binge. I did use it for a number of years in art school until I could afford to purchase one that fit my requirements... My side work table was a narrow metal shelf that I found in someone’s garbage. It was sturdy but never quite held everything I needed to have on hand. Purchasing good equipment is essential to your work flow. Just like having good brushes and paint to produce professional results, having an area that enhances your work flow makes it easier to concentrate on the creative side, not to mention completing a piece more quickly. You’ll know you’re a candidate for purchasing a workstation if you are always looking for and / or rummaging through countless shelves, boxes. Worse yet, if you have to get up and endlessly hunt for an item. Trying to afford good equipment can be difficult, especially when beginning your career. Quality is never cheap, but rest assured that it will pay for itself in the long run. Even if you have to delay your purchase hold off until you can get the quality piece you’ve always wanted. The years of service a quality piece provides will out weigh what you paid for it. in the long run. The list can be daunting.... taborets, side carts, drawing tables, easels, paper shelves and general storage will all be required. It took me several years to acquire my studio furniture. Pacing my purchases put less strain on my wallet. Knowing when something is a good deal and jumping on various sales, closeouts and garage sales are helpful strategies to save if your on a budget. If your lucky the occasional estate sale can produce a beautiful piece of antique art furniture for your studio. While I’ve done my share of dumpster diving there’s nothing like unwrapping a brand new piece of studio furniture. Knowing it’s exactly what you’ve dreamed of and was selected after careful research in regard to your requirements.
Here’s my general setup - Work Area #1: Drawing table in the center, two side work/ supply surfaces with multiple drawers. Palette on the right side (left if I'm feeling lucky). My small flat panel television patched into my dvd player and cable tv, stereo speakers mounted on the wall behind the drawing table. One of the work units contain brushes, paint, and mediums and the other holds mostly dry art supplies... pencils, chalk, various angles, mechanical compasses and french curves etc... This is what works for me. Since I mostly sit while I work the “U” shaped configuration of this setup is fine. When I stand to paint, another configuration is required. The side units are made by Studio Craft and can be custom configured to your needs.
I’d enjoy seeing and sharing some of your setups on Muddycolors. Please send your jpegs to: muddycolorsjjp@yahoo.com Note: RGB jpegs @ 72dpi - no more than 500 pixels on the longest side I’ll try to post some of them in the next installment of “Tricks and Tips” Til then - Happy painting!
No he didn't... Yes he did!!! This is amazing. For more on this piece of awesomeness see article and vid Here
Another article with more cool vids on 3D printers is featured in The New York Times Here
The cool thing is some of these printers can replicate most of their own parts and you can give it to a friend or neighborhood illustrator ;) ;)
Friday, 13 May 2011
-By Eric Fortune
"Hello Eric, how are you? I'm trying to make more traditional stuff, but i must confess i'm having a hard time! Thats why I want to ask you a quick simple question: Which paper are you using to make water basis painting? Is it hot pressed? your paintings are soo smooth i hope you mind mind sharing this info, but if you do, i totally understand, no hard feelings :) Thanks in advance and keep it up the awesome stuff!"
I think one must spend a lot of time becoming very familiar with any medium they are working with as well as the surfaces that they are working on. The quality of materials an artist uses can make a difference. However, I personally don't think that if you get the best paper and best paint with the best brushes the quality of work will just appear if the hours and hours of practice aren't there to back it up.
As for my own paintings, I get smooth transitions by using various methods ie wet on wet application, scumbling, dry brush etc. You can see some of my videos on youtube for tutorials. The thing that really connects all of these techniques is the time it takes to achieve the look I want. It doesn't happen on the third pass or even the seventh. It often takes long hours and multiple, multiple layers of paint to get a look I want. And after so many years of doing this I feel fairly competent that I could do it on just about any watercolor paper surface.
That being said let's get into the materials I actually use.
Watercolor Paper: I mostly use Arches 300lb Hot press. I like the heavy weight and the surface though smooth isn't too smooth. I find 300lb Cold press to have way too much texture for my liking. I feel it disrupts my imagery too much by casting deep shadows on the surface. When working on lighter paper like 140lb I think cold press is quite nice. The texture is much more subtle compared to cold press at 300lb. 140lb hot press is nice as well but almost too smooth for my taste. I've tried Fabriano brand paper previously and it was fine. There were often scratch marks that I wouldn't notice til I put down my first wash. This sucked because by then I've already spent the time transferring and finalizing the drawing. It may have been the store's fault. Not quite sure. So now I hold each piece of paper I buy up to the light and check for faint scratches before purchasing. If there's a scratch and you're cool with it you could probably ask for a discount:)
Brushes: I buy Utrecht brand brushes mostly. They are affordable and fairly good brushes. I inspect each brush I buy to make sure it's in good condition. Every now and then I get home and the brush is a little off. I use scissors or a fresh x-acto blade to make necessary adjustments if possible. Because the brushes are fairly inexpensive I don't feel too bad when they eventually get ruined by the accumulation of acrylic residue. I am however, very good about rinsing my brushes periodically during my painting session and then cleaning them with warm water and soap when done for the night. Don't forget the right brush for the right job. I used to paint with only a tiny round brush because that's what I was comfortable with. I ended up wasting a lot of time. Experiment with different brushes and different sizes.
Paint: I have mostly Liquitex paint. I heard Palencar uses Liquitex so I tried them and liked them. I've also tried Golden, and Utrecht brands and even had to use some student grade acrylic in a pinch. I have to admit they all seem to work just fine to me. It may have to do with the fact that I water them down so much.
Set Up: As you can see I have a small tupperware container that I use to keep my paints in. I put a paper towel at the bottom and spritz it with water every not and then to keep them wet. This helps the paints to last longer so they don't go to waste. I have a scrap piece of water color paper near by to test my mixed colors on to make sure it's right before applying it to the actual painting.
I hope this helps.
Eric
P.S. Donato is awesome. He always welcomes other artists to stop by and chat or look at some art work. On a trip to NY a few years back I contacted him and did just that. It made my day! Most of the artist I know are super nice and if they aren't too busy will answer questions and such. If you live in or around Columbus and would like to visit the studio for any questions or feedback etc. feel free to contact me.
"Hello Eric, how are you? I'm trying to make more traditional stuff, but i must confess i'm having a hard time! Thats why I want to ask you a quick simple question: Which paper are you using to make water basis painting? Is it hot pressed? your paintings are soo smooth i hope you mind mind sharing this info, but if you do, i totally understand, no hard feelings :) Thanks in advance and keep it up the awesome stuff!"
I think one must spend a lot of time becoming very familiar with any medium they are working with as well as the surfaces that they are working on. The quality of materials an artist uses can make a difference. However, I personally don't think that if you get the best paper and best paint with the best brushes the quality of work will just appear if the hours and hours of practice aren't there to back it up.
As for my own paintings, I get smooth transitions by using various methods ie wet on wet application, scumbling, dry brush etc. You can see some of my videos on youtube for tutorials. The thing that really connects all of these techniques is the time it takes to achieve the look I want. It doesn't happen on the third pass or even the seventh. It often takes long hours and multiple, multiple layers of paint to get a look I want. And after so many years of doing this I feel fairly competent that I could do it on just about any watercolor paper surface.
That being said let's get into the materials I actually use.
Watercolor Paper: I mostly use Arches 300lb Hot press. I like the heavy weight and the surface though smooth isn't too smooth. I find 300lb Cold press to have way too much texture for my liking. I feel it disrupts my imagery too much by casting deep shadows on the surface. When working on lighter paper like 140lb I think cold press is quite nice. The texture is much more subtle compared to cold press at 300lb. 140lb hot press is nice as well but almost too smooth for my taste. I've tried Fabriano brand paper previously and it was fine. There were often scratch marks that I wouldn't notice til I put down my first wash. This sucked because by then I've already spent the time transferring and finalizing the drawing. It may have been the store's fault. Not quite sure. So now I hold each piece of paper I buy up to the light and check for faint scratches before purchasing. If there's a scratch and you're cool with it you could probably ask for a discount:)
Brushes: I buy Utrecht brand brushes mostly. They are affordable and fairly good brushes. I inspect each brush I buy to make sure it's in good condition. Every now and then I get home and the brush is a little off. I use scissors or a fresh x-acto blade to make necessary adjustments if possible. Because the brushes are fairly inexpensive I don't feel too bad when they eventually get ruined by the accumulation of acrylic residue. I am however, very good about rinsing my brushes periodically during my painting session and then cleaning them with warm water and soap when done for the night. Don't forget the right brush for the right job. I used to paint with only a tiny round brush because that's what I was comfortable with. I ended up wasting a lot of time. Experiment with different brushes and different sizes.Paint: I have mostly Liquitex paint. I heard Palencar uses Liquitex so I tried them and liked them. I've also tried Golden, and Utrecht brands and even had to use some student grade acrylic in a pinch. I have to admit they all seem to work just fine to me. It may have to do with the fact that I water them down so much.
Set Up: As you can see I have a small tupperware container that I use to keep my paints in. I put a paper towel at the bottom and spritz it with water every not and then to keep them wet. This helps the paints to last longer so they don't go to waste. I have a scrap piece of water color paper near by to test my mixed colors on to make sure it's right before applying it to the actual painting.
I hope this helps.
Eric
P.S. Donato is awesome. He always welcomes other artists to stop by and chat or look at some art work. On a trip to NY a few years back I contacted him and did just that. It made my day! Most of the artist I know are super nice and if they aren't too busy will answer questions and such. If you live in or around Columbus and would like to visit the studio for any questions or feedback etc. feel free to contact me.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
by Donato
Christopher Moeller had a wonderful post two days ago about what it was like to begin his career in the arts after school. I thought I would follow it up with advice I have given to artists seeking direction on the path of learning, before they get to school. A bit late for those of you just graduating this coming month, but hopefully still applicable in the developing years after...
I just graduated from high school and I'm wondering about college and such. Is it worth attending an expensive university or should I just go to a smaller school? I'm very serious about my art and I'm very dedicated... I want to be an illustrator. I want to do everything from magazine covers and book covers to concept art for games or movies.Is it possible to be in debt and be an illustrator?
These are some very tough questions which could take a life time to answer. My Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University (and previous three years in the arts and electrical engineering at the University of Vermont) was very important in laying the foundation in developing my character and beginning my career, but equally important to this education was the drive to be creative, prolific and open-minded.
It has taken many long years of practice, patience, and devotion to attain the level of quality now found within my work. I am sure you have all heard this before, but it is the truth.Every artist must seek their individual path to success. The paths I took cannot be duplicated, nor should they! - like dropping out of engineering classes mid semester, or losing detailed sight permanently out off one eye two weeks before I was to move to New York City to begin my career as a visual artist, or moving to New York City and finding work at the Society of Illustrators as a coat-check boy (ok., that one can be duplicated). All of these events, and more, contributed to the drive and insights I developed to become a successful creative individual and challenged my assumptions about who I was and what direction I was determined to take as an artist.
Pursuing the arts is an admirable and challenging goal, but you have to be willing to make great sacrifices along the way to achieve those ends.
One of the greatest changes I struggled through was learning to detach myself from the hobby work, drawings, and paintings I had loved to create in my youth. To take art seriously I learned to study and find validation in all art forms. I am the artist I am today because of my ability to shrug off the old subject matter (comics, realism, and science fiction and fantasy) and embrace something new which my teachers and professors were exposing me to: abstraction, post-modern theories, deconstruction, gesture drawing, impressionism, surrealism, cubism, sculpture, print making, digital media, etc...Without stepping into the unknown, I would have never truly challenged myself nor experienced anything new. I would have never learned what it felt like to fly, content to spend my time walking. I see many artists who, while technically proficient, are grounded far too much in their youth and the content they find comforting there.
Obviously I have revisited the passions of my youth and mine them deeply for the art I now create. but I could never have become the artist I am now without seriously sidelining the content of what I thought was a direct pathway to creating the art I wanted to. Only through the passage into other venues could I discover what was truly in my heart.
I can tell you I am very happy with my career and would not trade it for another. I make a comfortable living, being able to support my family and travel and vacation when I wish to do so. But on the other side, if I had know how few artists actually make a living at this, I might of had second thoughts about pursuing this career. The burdens of financial debt weighs heavier on this new generation than they did on mine. I have taught at schools in New York and lectured at a dozen others across the country. Of the hundreds of students I have known, few are practicing in their chosen field as successes. Many of those artists/students were excellent, hard workers, but have not made it yet, or more likely, will not ever. The visual arts is a highly competitive field with only the most driven and talented surviving to make a career of it.
My suggestions are, if you wish to pursue this career, you must take it very seriously and be willing to work seven days a week. I’m not kidding here. You have to love it down deep - really deep - as in the reason for existence is to express yourself through art. Next is to take many courses and nurture interests outside of the requirements of the art major - history, philosophy, sciences, etc.... If you don’t learn about life, what will you have to say in your art? Many of the greatest minds in art were not ‘educated’ in art classes, the schools were a kind of ‘polishing’ wheel to their minds which helped them learn how to express themselves. This is not to say you cannot learn great things in an Art college, just realize there is a much greater world to embrace than what is in the class assignments. Most importantly chose a major which focuses upon content, not just technical skills. While almost all commercial art programs teach worthy technical skills, you can learn much of those skills through a few additional classes with hard labor, practice and perseverance on your own, or through an apprenticeship with another professional, or at a multitude of Atelier studios across the country.
Learning a specific technical skill to become an illustrator now is like learning to use a whip and spurs to get around town; the needs of the industry will be different by the time you graduate and in the decades after, change is constant in the freelance marketplace. What you want are classes and teachers that open your mind to another way of seeing and interpreting the world, these skills can be used across media and fields, not limited to illustration. Major Universities have programs and offer classes far outside the traditional arts fields and supply your mind with a well rounded and stimulated education. The art I create stands out because I attempt to provide a different view on the characters or places involved in the stories, something not typically found in science fiction nor fantasy, something from my life experiences.
This advice may not address the issue of finances directly (none ever can), but hopefully it will provide a way to justify and motivate decisions in your best interests.
I love what I do and I wish all of you luck in the pursuit of your dreams. As Chris as mentioned, it is worth it! Finally, my studio door is always open to those who wish to visit and learn (just call first!) If you happen to be in New York City the weekend of June 4th and 5th, I am hosting an open studio both days from 1-6pm. Stop on by!
http://www.donatoart.com/news.html#artwalk
Sincerely,
Donato
Jesper Ejsing
Today I want to continue down the path I was a couple of articles back, The encountering monster road. This illustration is for the cover of Descent – Road to Legend by Fantasy Flight Games. The cover on the box is changed slightly compared to the acrylic original. What I share with you is the painting version that has not been altered too much in computer.
The description was very simple: “Heroes vs Monster outside somewhere”.
I did a bunch of sketches but in the end we settled on a lonely female figure fronting a dragon.
The sketch that lead up to this choice is the one with the female and the demon. As you can hopefully see, most of the sketches up till the final one lacks a lot of drama and dynamic. That is what I try do capture while doing all those thumbs.
Here is the common problem for a fantasy artist doing battles of heroes vs Monsters: You always twist and turn and shuffle the figure around so that all is seen from the front all the faces are clear and everything is equally cool. It has the tendency to be a little styled or too staged, I think. What I really really like about his illustration is that the Chief,Christian Petersen , took the chance of having a hero with the back turned towards us on the cover. It of cause gave me a lot of trouble since I now had to do a figure looking really cool and strong and heroic from the back. What I like about the posing of the figures is that she is kind of stoic and calm in the moment whereas the dragon is all out attacking. I gave a white arrow with a magic glow so that we might think she has a chance. Also her posture indicate that she is not too afraid.
Inspired by Angus Mcbride´s MERP illustrations I gave her a small cat-like creature as a friend. The mountain is actually added afterwards at a request from the art director. I found some mountains from a cover I did years ago for a Norse Mythology book and more or less copy pasted them in. “Thank you Photoshop”.
I tried 4 very different colour themes. I loved nr 1 myself. Grey sky and all grid and brown, but I felt quite sure it would be out of line with what FFG wanted for a cover. I had just painted a bunch of very colourful illustrations and the bright sunny day of nr. 3 just felt like something I had never done before, so I went with that one. Ironically the cover was changed for the final box to be bluish/grey like a cloudy day. Had I just followed my instinct I think this cover could have been so much more.
Today I want to continue down the path I was a couple of articles back, The encountering monster road. This illustration is for the cover of Descent – Road to Legend by Fantasy Flight Games. The cover on the box is changed slightly compared to the acrylic original. What I share with you is the painting version that has not been altered too much in computer.
The description was very simple: “Heroes vs Monster outside somewhere”.
I did a bunch of sketches but in the end we settled on a lonely female figure fronting a dragon.
The sketch that lead up to this choice is the one with the female and the demon. As you can hopefully see, most of the sketches up till the final one lacks a lot of drama and dynamic. That is what I try do capture while doing all those thumbs.
Here is the common problem for a fantasy artist doing battles of heroes vs Monsters: You always twist and turn and shuffle the figure around so that all is seen from the front all the faces are clear and everything is equally cool. It has the tendency to be a little styled or too staged, I think. What I really really like about his illustration is that the Chief,
Inspired by Angus Mcbride´s MERP illustrations I gave her a small cat-like creature as a friend. The mountain is actually added afterwards at a request from the art director. I found some mountains from a cover I did years ago for a Norse Mythology book and more or less copy pasted them in. “Thank you Photoshop”.
I tried 4 very different colour themes. I loved nr 1 myself. Grey sky and all grid and brown, but I felt quite sure it would be out of line with what FFG wanted for a cover. I had just painted a bunch of very colourful illustrations and the bright sunny day of nr. 3 just felt like something I had never done before, so I went with that one. Ironically the cover was changed for the final box to be bluish/grey like a cloudy day. Had I just followed my instinct I think this cover could have been so much more.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Also...
The Eowyn and Nazgul Challenge ends this Sunday! That's just 4 days to finish up your pieces. Don't forget to submit your pieces to The Art Order for a shot at some prizes.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Christopher Moeller is a writer and an artist with numerous graphic novels to his name, including his own Iron Empires: Sheva's War and Iron Empires: Faith Conquers, which he both wrote and illustrated.
Many main-stream comic fans know Chris best for his work on several DC titles, most notably his covers for Lucifer, and the graphic novel 'A League of One', which consists of 102 pages of traditionally painted art. He immediately followed that up with 'JLA Classified: Cold Steel', another DC graphic novel boasting an additional 96 pages of art.
In addition to comics, Chris also works in the gaming industry. He has done numerous illustrations for White Wolf Games, including covers for their Aberrant game books, and miniatures game. He has done illustrations for the World of Warcraft trading card game, did the packaging art for the Axis and Allies miniatures game, and has provided over 100 illustrations for the trading card game Magic: the Gathering.
Over the years, I have grown more and more fond of Chris' work. Painting comics and card art requires a real knack for painting things simply, legibly, and in large part... from your head. Trust me, it's a lot harder than he makes it look! Whether it be males, females, monsters or architecture, Chris seems to excel at it with ease. Bold brushwork and strong silhouettes are trademarks of his style.
Check out more of Chris' work at his website: www.moellerillustrations.com
Many main-stream comic fans know Chris best for his work on several DC titles, most notably his covers for Lucifer, and the graphic novel 'A League of One', which consists of 102 pages of traditionally painted art. He immediately followed that up with 'JLA Classified: Cold Steel', another DC graphic novel boasting an additional 96 pages of art.
In addition to comics, Chris also works in the gaming industry. He has done numerous illustrations for White Wolf Games, including covers for their Aberrant game books, and miniatures game. He has done illustrations for the World of Warcraft trading card game, did the packaging art for the Axis and Allies miniatures game, and has provided over 100 illustrations for the trading card game Magic: the Gathering.
Over the years, I have grown more and more fond of Chris' work. Painting comics and card art requires a real knack for painting things simply, legibly, and in large part... from your head. Trust me, it's a lot harder than he makes it look! Whether it be males, females, monsters or architecture, Chris seems to excel at it with ease. Bold brushwork and strong silhouettes are trademarks of his style.
Check out more of Chris' work at his website: www.moellerillustrations.com
-By Chris Moeller
The one emotion every newly-minted art school graduate experiences is anxiety. Can I really make it? What do I do now? All my friends are getting jobs making $50,000 a year. Where does that leave me? I’ll be lucky to get a job delivering pizza.
I graduated from the University of Michigan School of Art back in 1985, ready to take the illustration world by storm. Until that moment, my life had been mapped out for me. I had put in my hours painting, drawing from the model, and showing up at crit time. Suddenly, I was out in the real world with no more crits, no summer vacation, no spring break, no class-mates. I wasn’t an upperclassman or a fraternity brother. I was one of millions of adults, expected to make my way in the world. Worse, unlike those folks with the $50,000 jobs, I had no clear idea what to expect. What faced me, what faces every student who graduates with a degree in the arts, is an undiscovered country that appears shadowy and frightening.
As the years went by, I realized that there was indeed a path through the wilderness, as clear and as straightforward as any law-student’s. I hadn’t seen it as a terrified graduate, but looking back now it seems obvious. The first thing to understand is that you’re going to have to pay your dues. Every starting profession demands this step, even those seemingly wonderful jobs your friends are embarking on. The hottest law student doesn’t leap right into a partnership, he’s expected to start at the bottom and work his way up. And prepare yourself, because, for an artist, this step can take time. Embrace the notion that it will take five years before you’re working full time.
FIVE YEARS
I can hear you laughing. Laughing nervously, perhaps, but, honestly, five years? When I graduated, I would have laughed right along with you. I may have felt intimidated by the challenges ahead, but I also felt ready. I was confident in my skills. I had been taught what I needed to do to get work as a freelance illustrator. So, when a successful illustrator named Richard Williams cautioned me that it could take a long time to break in to the business, maybe as long as five years, I nodded and thought to myself: “maybe for you, old man, but not for me.” Over the coming months and years, I had ample time to reflect on his words, and it helped me keep things in perspective. Five years later, literally, I got my first graphic novel commission, and my career took off. For those few of you who will get snapped up by a game studio right out of school, give yourself a hand! Everyone else, take a deep breath and consider the notion that this could take time. The years immediately after graduation aren’t some horrible purgatory. They can be some of the most fruitful years of your artistic life. Give them room to unfold. Have patience. Use the time to push hard for what you want, to refine your work and build your confidence.
THE RIGHT KIND OF JOB
First, you’ll need a particular kind of job. Remember, you’re looking for a JOB not a CAREER. Keep that distinction clear in your mind. Optimally, a job should be both part-time, and career related. The importance of your work being part-time can’t be overstated. If you’re working full-time, you won’t have the time and flexibility you need for portfolio-building, self-promotion, networking, all of the things you need to do build your career. There are obviously secondary points to be made here, the most important of which is to live inexpensively. Think carefully about taking on difficult financial obligations like large student loans, a house, or children. The leaner you can keep your life during this critical time, the easier it will be to get your career going. It can be frustrating to see your former school-mates driving expensive cars and living in big houses a few years after graduation, but keep your eye on the prize. Your path leads to you making a living doing what you love most.
The idea of finding work that builds career-related skills can encompass a broad range of possibilities. During my 5-years, I did some freelance spot illustrations, painted portraits, and worked in a textile design studio in Manhatten. In their own way, all of these jobs helped me hone my skills. The textile design studio was the least directly associated with what I wanted to do, but I was using paint, and I learned everything I know about color-mixing during my years there. So, if you can get work at a gallery, in a comic-book store, or in a museum, that time is serving a dual-purpose. If you find yourself working as a waitress or a garbage collector, don’t worry about it. Every job will teach you important life-lessons, and your job is fundamentally a means to help launch your career.
CAUTIONARY TALE
A friend of mine just graduated with a degree in film-making, and is facing the same uncertainty about the future that you all are. Rather than get a part-time job, however, he’s chosen to start working full-time as a salesman for an internet company. He told me that he will feel much more comfortable looking for film work with a year’s earnings in his savings account. It would have driven me crazy to “take off a year” after graduation. To my friend, the idea of having no money in the bank is equally unthinkable. He’s doing what feels he needs to do to move forward with confidence and security. Though it wouldn’t have worked for me, I support his decision, because I know his strength of character, and because he has a clearly formulated plan. My warning to him, and to all of you, is that money anxiety is notoriously persistent, no matter how much you have saved. Odds are, the same anxiety you feel now will still be there a year from now, demanding an extension of the “year off” by one more, and then one more, until you're looking back and wondering when exactly you fell off the train.
SAYING YES
I’m not going to go into the mechanics of looking for illustration jobs. Hopefully it’s something you learned in school, and if not, the internet is full of helpful advice on building a portfolio, submitting work to editors, etc... What I want to emphasize is this: while you’re on your five year plan, look for opportunities, and be prepared to act on them when they appear. As master illustrator Michael Kaluta told me when I met him at a comic convention in back in 1989: “When you are where I am, you can say no. Until then, you say yes.” Prepare yourself to say yes at every moment. Don’t worry about protecting yourself from unscrupulous publishers, take any job that comes your way. I know that sounds odd, but unscrupulous publishers are as likely to be your pathway to the promised land as they are to take advantage of you. I started my career painting comics for $60 a page! In exchange for working nearly for free, I demanded 100 copies of the printed comic to give out as samples (I still have some in my studio). Carry business cards wherever you go. Build a web-site and keep it up to date. Talk to people. That may seem obvious, but I learned as much from talking to artists during my five years as I did in school. Go to conventions, and when you’re at them, don’t forget to talk to the artists! It can be intimidating, but they are some of the friendliest, most helpful people you’ll ever meet. Trust me, they all walked the path you’re walking right now and they remember how scary it was. Ask them to look at your work. Ask them about their artwork, and their experiences breaking into the business. You’ll be surprised how generous they can be.
THE PAYOFF
Twenty-five years ago, I was in school with some incredibly talented students. I'm only aware of a few that are working as professional artists now. I’m convinced that most graduates drop out during the years immediately following graduation. They're stressful years. It's easy to feel forced by financial necessity into the full-time workplace, putting your dreams on hold. If you’re serious about wanting to become a professional artist, don’t let that happen to you! Keep your financial obligations low. Give yourself time to build your career. Look for ways to open the door to opportunity, and be ready to jump when that door opens. In the days ahead, remind yourself that you really are on a path, just like your engineer and lawyer friends. Their path is eased by fat paychecks and fancy cars. What you’re aiming for lies farther down the road, but is better than the most expensive car or the biggest house: a career doing what you love most. Be brave, be persistent, trust in the process. Every one of my illustrator friends will tell you: it’s a life worth fighting for.
The one emotion every newly-minted art school graduate experiences is anxiety. Can I really make it? What do I do now? All my friends are getting jobs making $50,000 a year. Where does that leave me? I’ll be lucky to get a job delivering pizza.
I graduated from the University of Michigan School of Art back in 1985, ready to take the illustration world by storm. Until that moment, my life had been mapped out for me. I had put in my hours painting, drawing from the model, and showing up at crit time. Suddenly, I was out in the real world with no more crits, no summer vacation, no spring break, no class-mates. I wasn’t an upperclassman or a fraternity brother. I was one of millions of adults, expected to make my way in the world. Worse, unlike those folks with the $50,000 jobs, I had no clear idea what to expect. What faced me, what faces every student who graduates with a degree in the arts, is an undiscovered country that appears shadowy and frightening.
As the years went by, I realized that there was indeed a path through the wilderness, as clear and as straightforward as any law-student’s. I hadn’t seen it as a terrified graduate, but looking back now it seems obvious. The first thing to understand is that you’re going to have to pay your dues. Every starting profession demands this step, even those seemingly wonderful jobs your friends are embarking on. The hottest law student doesn’t leap right into a partnership, he’s expected to start at the bottom and work his way up. And prepare yourself, because, for an artist, this step can take time. Embrace the notion that it will take five years before you’re working full time.
FIVE YEARSI can hear you laughing. Laughing nervously, perhaps, but, honestly, five years? When I graduated, I would have laughed right along with you. I may have felt intimidated by the challenges ahead, but I also felt ready. I was confident in my skills. I had been taught what I needed to do to get work as a freelance illustrator. So, when a successful illustrator named Richard Williams cautioned me that it could take a long time to break in to the business, maybe as long as five years, I nodded and thought to myself: “maybe for you, old man, but not for me.” Over the coming months and years, I had ample time to reflect on his words, and it helped me keep things in perspective. Five years later, literally, I got my first graphic novel commission, and my career took off. For those few of you who will get snapped up by a game studio right out of school, give yourself a hand! Everyone else, take a deep breath and consider the notion that this could take time. The years immediately after graduation aren’t some horrible purgatory. They can be some of the most fruitful years of your artistic life. Give them room to unfold. Have patience. Use the time to push hard for what you want, to refine your work and build your confidence.
THE RIGHT KIND OF JOB
First, you’ll need a particular kind of job. Remember, you’re looking for a JOB not a CAREER. Keep that distinction clear in your mind. Optimally, a job should be both part-time, and career related. The importance of your work being part-time can’t be overstated. If you’re working full-time, you won’t have the time and flexibility you need for portfolio-building, self-promotion, networking, all of the things you need to do build your career. There are obviously secondary points to be made here, the most important of which is to live inexpensively. Think carefully about taking on difficult financial obligations like large student loans, a house, or children. The leaner you can keep your life during this critical time, the easier it will be to get your career going. It can be frustrating to see your former school-mates driving expensive cars and living in big houses a few years after graduation, but keep your eye on the prize. Your path leads to you making a living doing what you love most.
The idea of finding work that builds career-related skills can encompass a broad range of possibilities. During my 5-years, I did some freelance spot illustrations, painted portraits, and worked in a textile design studio in Manhatten. In their own way, all of these jobs helped me hone my skills. The textile design studio was the least directly associated with what I wanted to do, but I was using paint, and I learned everything I know about color-mixing during my years there. So, if you can get work at a gallery, in a comic-book store, or in a museum, that time is serving a dual-purpose. If you find yourself working as a waitress or a garbage collector, don’t worry about it. Every job will teach you important life-lessons, and your job is fundamentally a means to help launch your career.
CAUTIONARY TALE
A friend of mine just graduated with a degree in film-making, and is facing the same uncertainty about the future that you all are. Rather than get a part-time job, however, he’s chosen to start working full-time as a salesman for an internet company. He told me that he will feel much more comfortable looking for film work with a year’s earnings in his savings account. It would have driven me crazy to “take off a year” after graduation. To my friend, the idea of having no money in the bank is equally unthinkable. He’s doing what feels he needs to do to move forward with confidence and security. Though it wouldn’t have worked for me, I support his decision, because I know his strength of character, and because he has a clearly formulated plan. My warning to him, and to all of you, is that money anxiety is notoriously persistent, no matter how much you have saved. Odds are, the same anxiety you feel now will still be there a year from now, demanding an extension of the “year off” by one more, and then one more, until you're looking back and wondering when exactly you fell off the train.
SAYING YESI’m not going to go into the mechanics of looking for illustration jobs. Hopefully it’s something you learned in school, and if not, the internet is full of helpful advice on building a portfolio, submitting work to editors, etc... What I want to emphasize is this: while you’re on your five year plan, look for opportunities, and be prepared to act on them when they appear. As master illustrator Michael Kaluta told me when I met him at a comic convention in back in 1989: “When you are where I am, you can say no. Until then, you say yes.” Prepare yourself to say yes at every moment. Don’t worry about protecting yourself from unscrupulous publishers, take any job that comes your way. I know that sounds odd, but unscrupulous publishers are as likely to be your pathway to the promised land as they are to take advantage of you. I started my career painting comics for $60 a page! In exchange for working nearly for free, I demanded 100 copies of the printed comic to give out as samples (I still have some in my studio). Carry business cards wherever you go. Build a web-site and keep it up to date. Talk to people. That may seem obvious, but I learned as much from talking to artists during my five years as I did in school. Go to conventions, and when you’re at them, don’t forget to talk to the artists! It can be intimidating, but they are some of the friendliest, most helpful people you’ll ever meet. Trust me, they all walked the path you’re walking right now and they remember how scary it was. Ask them to look at your work. Ask them about their artwork, and their experiences breaking into the business. You’ll be surprised how generous they can be.
THE PAYOFF
Twenty-five years ago, I was in school with some incredibly talented students. I'm only aware of a few that are working as professional artists now. I’m convinced that most graduates drop out during the years immediately following graduation. They're stressful years. It's easy to feel forced by financial necessity into the full-time workplace, putting your dreams on hold. If you’re serious about wanting to become a professional artist, don’t let that happen to you! Keep your financial obligations low. Give yourself time to build your career. Look for ways to open the door to opportunity, and be ready to jump when that door opens. In the days ahead, remind yourself that you really are on a path, just like your engineer and lawyer friends. Their path is eased by fat paychecks and fancy cars. What you’re aiming for lies farther down the road, but is better than the most expensive car or the biggest house: a career doing what you love most. Be brave, be persistent, trust in the process. Every one of my illustrator friends will tell you: it’s a life worth fighting for.
Thanks to Chris Moeller for the wonderful guest post today on Muddy Colors!
by Arnie Fenner
Thank God for small presses; fueled almost exclusively by passion and rarely motivated by profit (which is why I buy from them direct as often as I can as a show of support), the small independent publishers strive to preserve and advance the art form. And in many cases they help promote important creators who might otherwise slip through the cracks of history and into obscurity.
That's why I was extremely happy to get a copy of Robert Fawcett: The Illustrator’s Illustrator from Auad Publishing. Fawcett (1903-1967) was one of the most popular commercial artists of the 1940s and '50s and produced numerous illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, Colliers, and many other magazines. He used being color blind to his advantage, creating uniquely muted solutions to his work that added to their drama and overall mood. In 1948 he was recruited by Albert Dorne to be a founding instructor of the Famous Artists School and an outgrowth of his teaching was his seminal book On the Art of Drawing. Auad's celebration of Fawcett's life and work is a virtual treasure trove, featuring 250 images, an intro by Walt Reed, and commentary by David Apatoff. Robert Fawcett: The Illustrator’s Illustrator is both a beauty and a bargain.
Thank God for small presses; fueled almost exclusively by passion and rarely motivated by profit (which is why I buy from them direct as often as I can as a show of support), the small independent publishers strive to preserve and advance the art form. And in many cases they help promote important creators who might otherwise slip through the cracks of history and into obscurity.
That's why I was extremely happy to get a copy of Robert Fawcett: The Illustrator’s Illustrator from Auad Publishing. Fawcett (1903-1967) was one of the most popular commercial artists of the 1940s and '50s and produced numerous illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, Colliers, and many other magazines. He used being color blind to his advantage, creating uniquely muted solutions to his work that added to their drama and overall mood. In 1948 he was recruited by Albert Dorne to be a founding instructor of the Famous Artists School and an outgrowth of his teaching was his seminal book On the Art of Drawing. Auad's celebration of Fawcett's life and work is a virtual treasure trove, featuring 250 images, an intro by Walt Reed, and commentary by David Apatoff. Robert Fawcett: The Illustrator’s Illustrator is both a beauty and a bargain.
One of my early art heroes was Robert Vickery. Next to Andrew Wyeth was one of the premiere practitioners of egg tempera. Sadly Mr. Vickery passed away at age 84 in April of 2011. He started out as an illustrator completeing 77 Time Magazine covers before setting off into the world of fine arts. I did get a chance to meet him at group exhibit that I had work in when I was much younger. He was the featured artist. To really appreciate his work you had to see it in person.
Below are a number of links, including a new book on his work that was recently published. His demonstrations in were pivotal in my understanding of the medium of egg tempera. JJP Links: Gallery Obituary: Here You Tube videos: Here and Here Amazon Book Links: Here and Here
Friday, 6 May 2011
By Petar Meseldžija
The painting brush is a simple, yet powerful device. The trace that it leaves upon the canvas is a wonderful phenomenon - a marvelous present to us, and a precious legacy to the people of the future.
Just as the spoken word that carries a certain energy, both physical and emotional , so does the brushstroke carry the energy and the meaning, too. By placing the brushstrokes next to each other, the artist creates a “sentence”. And as any sentence, whose purpose is to communicate a thought or an emotion, the brushstroke sentences communicate a certain feeling. Therefore they are a perfect vehicle for the artist’s emotions.
The brushstroke is a statement of the artist’s inborn sensibility. It is the reflection of his longings, a trace of his efforts, the emanation of his uniqueness. These are the hidden powers of the brushstroke. Whoever understands that, and finds the proper way to express it, will not fail to amaze and inspire with his work.
There is a mystery hidden in a spontaneous, and at the same time well guided brushstroke. The frozen emotion that is embedded in such a stroke melts in the eye of the spectator, and releases its flavors and fragrances. Avoiding the control of ever alert reason, it penetrates the uncharted areas of our inner space. And as it reaches the level in us that, perhaps, makes us more human than any other aspect, it touches the cords of emotion, intuition and that mysterious and eternal longing of our soul.
The signature of the artist will stay preserved in the brushstroke almost forever, as the echo of the gone by ages is preserved in a fossil, trapped in the stone.
Such is the power of the brushstroke.
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| Rembrandt |
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| John Singer Sargent |
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| John Singer Sargent |
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| Joaquin Sorolla |
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| Joaquin Sorolla |
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| Sir Alfred Munnings |
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| Sir Alfred Munnings |
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| Akseli Gallen-Kallela |
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| Akseli Gallen-Kallela |
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| Paja Jovanović |
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| Ilya Repin |
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| Ilya Repin, detail from the painting Portret of V.V. Stasov |
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| Wojciech Kossak |
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| Lucian Freud |
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| James Wyeth |
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| Phil Hale |
And now a few humble samples of my own brushwork.
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| Mother and Child - 70x100 cm (27 1/2”x39 1/4”), oil on canvas, 2001 |
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| Saint Georg - 100 x 70 cm / 39 1/4 x 27 1/2 inch, oil on masonite, 2000 |
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| The Balance - 90x120cm / 35 1/2 X 47 1/4 inch, oil on canvas, 2003 |
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| Detail from Giants - The Bull Fight, 2010 |
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| Detail from The Legend of Steel Bashaw 11, 2005 - 2007 |
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| Detail from The Queen of the Kanguellas, 80 X 50 cm / 31 1/2 X 19 3/4 inch, oil on masonite, 2010 |
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| Detail from The Queen of the Kanguellas |
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| Detail from Svjatogor, 2010 |
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| Detail from a painting in progress |
This blog post was made possible by the extremely generous and friendly invitation of Dan Dos Santos to join the Muddy Colors “band of blogging brothers”. Needless to say, I am greatly honored by this invitation and I will try not to disappoint, nether my host, nor the audience. Unfortunately, due to my very busy schedule and the necessity of maintaining my own blog, I am not able to be a fulltime blogger on Muddy Colors. Instead, and for the time being, I will be a guest blogger and write the occasional posts. The main purpose of my posting will not be to teach you the certain artistic skills (although I will try to do that as well), but rather to inspire you. For I believe I have no things to offer that can match the importance and the might of the goddess of Inspiration.
Thank you Dan, and thank you guys!
Cheers!
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