Scarf mer

Here are a series of pictures building my new mermaid picture.  Most of them are just camera phone pictures as I went along - but I like looking at them all in a row.

Here's the pencil sketch I did in my 71st sketchbook.  It's a character of mine named Alanna.  Pretty.  I was looking for a quick start to a mermaid, and the way her legs are folded made me think she was a perfect pose.  Especially if the scarf was one of my water scarfs...  yes.  excellent!

 Here's the pencil sketch - still on clipboard.
   I do the pencils and then scan them into the computer.  Print them out very light on really nice watercolor paper after some erasing of redundant lines.

Flesh tone first.
yeah - crappy cellphone picture

Choosing nice color for the mermaid tail.  Something green, but I wanted to keep it in the brown tones.  That way, when I add the blue scarf, there will be some great contrast.

Adding more browns.  Want to fancy her up, so I am adding some stripes.  I use to catch perch and there were stripes there - not like these - but it makes me remember my youth.










 

Must get to the scarf - get those pretty blues on.  Some darks, some greens.  Make it like a cool wave.

Now I can play with the tones and making things darker.  Some background, and the other fish.  Some are nestled in the scarf.
Seashells.
Yup, getting there.

There!  Done.  I planned for the white foam and it opens up the wave nicely.  All the stripes are excellent.

I liked the details on her face too.  (By the way, the original is still available.)

obscure? Not any more

I went to Lush cosmetics today - I love their bath fizzies.  My T-shirt was the GenCon shirt I got in the mail.

To my surprize, the sales girl said, "Oh GenCon!  Are you going to YoumaCon?"  She was a fan.  She even understood my musing about WorldCon.

Huh.
I use to think that we were a very obscure group of fans.  That there were only a few of us in the wide world.
Not so.
Certainly, San Diego Comic Con should teach me that is no longer the case - but it just seems odd that at the high-end cosmetic store; I find fans.  Well, good.  We are no longer the few, the smart, the misunderstood.  I guess I am now a trend setter (I was gonna say 'hip', but that's showing my age).

   I think it might be important to remember, when planning new pictures, to remember that they have a wider appeal than I think they do.  Dragons seem fairly mainstream - certainly Smaug will be well recieved.

Gelatinous Companion Cube

Nice to be home

   It's totally great to be home.  My friends at the 7-11 missed me, and the cats haven't let us alone.

   Now is the time to re-pool my energies.
   I've updated my commission list.  I have 25, although it's been my experience that some people who put nothing down are never serious by the time I get to them.  Kind-of an impulse at the time thing.  At least 5 of them might fall off quickly.

   Worldcon reminds me of my roots.
   GenCon gets me excited about my game.
   I need to touch base with friends and family.

   In other words, I need time to be me.

WorldCon

This year, instead of Dragoncon - I went to Worldcon.  It was in Chicago, and my first Worldcon was a Chicon.  I have many friends, and it's practically local.  I absolutely hate it when there are two excellent cons on top of each other.
   I found the Writing Excuses gang and got a ribbon.  I love their pod casts.  Howard was up for a Hugo against my friend Ursula.  So many good choices this year!  Sabrina found a gorgeous coat - practically as the dealer's room opened.  A few costumes and some nice pieces to buy.

   I got George RR Martin's autograph in my sketchbook collection.  Found Neil Gaiman at the Hugo party.
   Ursula won the Hugo.  We hooted and howled.  Jumping around was definitely happening.   I looked to sit with the SofaWolf guys, but they arrived later than we did - so we kept our better view of the stage.  I had Karen Bovenmeyer - newly published writer - to sit with.  She understood our craziness.

    (The pretty starry back ground was a hand made scarf by Darleen Coltrain - gorgeous).
   The Hugo Party had really yummy pecan pies on a stick.  There was a lobby bar that was hopping all weekend.  I found Irene Gallo and Greg Manchess a couple of times and was too busy talking to take pictures.

   It's always great going to a Worldcon.  It's a totally different environment than the trade shows.  The emphasis is on writers and the business of Science Fiction and Fantasy.  It's quieter than I remember the old days.  Some of the quite is because I am an old school fan now - and not experiencing the glow for the first time.  It is quieter - but it's a backbone con.  I really, really enjoyed going.  I felt very connected and part of the Nerdy Goodness and not just the flash and sparkle.
   Had a great time doing art for David Schmoker - he totally made my con!  Four color sketches - or was it five?  Some take home work too.  Yeay.  I'll post some later.
   Loved having the SofaWolf Guys there.  It makes a statement to the old fandom that furries are here.  Validation.  Street/Fan cred.  I am there to help with that too!
   Today is collapse and recover day.  Too bad Sabrina's first day of school was today.  She went from two weekends in a row to get up way early and start her junior year of High School.

con art pics

   While working at the cons, I try to remember to take pictures of the work I produced.  Thank goodness for cell phones with cameras!
   I tend to keep track of how much work I do a year.  I keep notebooks with a print or artist proof in them.  At the end of the year, I count pencil, B&W and Color -  also fantasy and furry.  It lets me know how much work I seem capable of in a year.

   I wish the lightning was better.  I wish that I didn't take cock-eyed pictures.  But, I think the real wish is that I could travel and set up a scanner.  Ah well, at least I have some record. 

Keep it loose

   Sundays are always the last minute rush around - trying to get that last sketch before the artist leaves.  For me, I need to make enough money before I run off and spend some on sketches.  So, I sympathize with people who show up at my table on Sunday looking for sketches.  Heck, some people only come on sunday (depending on the con).
   So.  I do have Sunday - Pencil's Only - sketches.
   These are sketches I have to do at the table - interruputed by sales, costume gazing, friends saying bye and the like.  I would certainly rather do sketches overnight, back in some hotel room - where I can drag a lamp over the work.
   I find myself trying to work quickly on those sketches - loose.
   Sometimes those sketches turn out better than the ones I have sweated over!  It's the immediacy of the line work.  I usually hit the poses I know pretty well or have worked out before in my sketchbook.

   I'm just surprised how these things work out.

Toronto Fan Expo

This is the second weekend in a row that I am off at a convention - one more to go.

   I saw Neil Adams.  The first comic book con I went to I bought something from a pro artist and gave him a check - he said 'Oh, you live on Neil Adams Road!'.   Since then, I have wanted to meet him.
   There were some great costumes, and I seem to always forget to take pictures.  There was a guy dressed as Batman on vacation - bathing suit, snorkel, towel cape, cowl...  There was a girl in power armor cleverly made from thick floor mats which will sculpt to shapes when heated.

  I did art - as usual.  I had a gentleman who said he was a tuxedo cat, and didn't go into details.  It's so hard to get all the bits exact when I am busy at the table.  Got many very happy people.  I could totally make prints from the white fox girl above.

 Chained!   As a dealer, I can sometimes get some nice scenery pictures before all the lines get there.  Gotta scan our 'Game of Thrones' pics.

   Took this pic of Batman and Robin playing games.  The thing that makes it is the amazed kid!  Totally a random happy!
   Had fun with Heather Bruton, she's my booth partner.  Met Obbi from the Devil's Panties (who was with Jennie) and he is my hero.  Made it across to talk to my Blind Ferret friends.  Spent a lot of time staying behind the booth so I didn't spend money.
   Made enough by Saturday to get a Jill Thompson drawing - but it turned out she was leaving on Sunday, so I missed her.  I shall now regret it.

Color vs GreyScale

   At the Furry Cons I go to, there are a levels of art sketching that I do.  Pencils, inks and grey scale.  I mostly do grey scale because 'everyone' else is doing it.  I put a high price on it to chase everyone away, and they still come. 
   I bought markers, which I guess I like well enough - but often I forget them at home.  I switch to my box of watercolor, which I love.
   So, there I sit - doing art late at night.  The watercolors are out....  what harm is putting color on instead of grey, grey, grey.  I've done it a few times.
   Now my mind spins through the implications.  Color overnight sketches at cons.  I would be able to charge more.  I'm charging $80 for greyscale - so that would be $100 for color.  tempting.
   I charge $100 for take home colored pencil pics.  I can't charge the same for at home work (where there is a lot more detail and un-distrurbed, unrushed work done) then I do for at come homework.  So, this means I will probably up the price of my Take Home work (or lower the at con prices...)
   I also need to figure out what to charge for watercolor Take Home work.  I have a price for colored pencil, and one for acrylic... but I like doing the watercolor now.  I feel confident in offering it.

Thinking.
   I spoke with Donato once and he said I should put my commission prices up fairly high so that I would be available to do the work I wanted to do - instead of directed things.  I see what he was saying.

Your own Artistic Voice

   There's a lot of different styles of art out in fandom.  Having just gotten back from GenCon, I saw a lot of lovely work.  Much of it, I would certainly buy.
   Am I allowed to say that I am tiered of the slick winged girl in a bikini look?  Where is something romantic?  Where is something even Disney-like in the show?  Even the Disney movies have a style guide where Hercules looked greek, and Emporer's New Groove was aztec-ie.
    My voice isn't like all the others.
   That's not a bad thing.
   I have to remember to make my own work good without just doing what everyone else is doing except this time I drew a red-haired girl....

GenCon

   Where else can you tell someone to take 100 experience points and they smile at you?  You can get into an interesting conversation about gaming systems at the nearby sushi restaurant?  Squeee.  What a blast!

   Hauled in, unloaded with ease, got my cheap no-problem parking place, found April, checked into the hotel.  All like I've done this before.  Spent most of Wednesday finding friends and saying Hello, hello!
   A dealer friend on mine said he doesn't get a booth because he can just bring his old Magic Cards, sell them, make the same amount he would normally make by working hard all 4 days.  He just enjoy's himself the rest of the time.  he bought me a Remorhaz figure as I mentioned it was my Favorite Monster.
   Had my picture take with Loth!  My husband tweeted back to me about things that happened in my game - and I smiled.  He might be taking credit for something one of the other gamers said - but it was wayyyyy excellent.

    Lar came and found me and showed me I am in the new Least I could do game!  I'm on the cover and everything.  Turns out, I'm a cheap date.  How did they know?
   Every year, I look at the Dwarvin Forge mini's and want them!  This year was no exception.  And - I don't even run minis!  This year it was undead, bones and skeletons.  Yeah,  sounds just like parts of my game - I can totally see what to do with them... and I don't use minis.  They use to have a contest - and I would be totally perfect to win, 'cause then, I would buy so many more.
   D&D Next (Dungeon's and Dragons Fifth edition) is on everyone's conversation list.  I pounced on so many people to tell me what happened at the playtest.  So many interesting viewpoints.  It won't be out for a while, and I am hungry for it already.
 

   Did art - as always.  Sold six originals (the little ones) and was left with two.  I had homework (drawing over night) every night - and have been teaching new buyers how this whole commission thing works.
   Picked up 9 take home commissions!  Ran out of forms to give people (Thank goodness Kri could get some copies made for me).
   Didn't find Elizabeth Vaughn - who's novels I LOVE.  Karen said she mentioned me to her, so I'll look for her online.
   Sold out of all sorts of things! 
   Bought Dice, $2 game books of spells, traps and monsters, a game supplement (Pathfinder as I don't have the time to search for something more appropriate to my game).  Tome Smith gave me stuff!  I traded art for one of the Drow dice.  Traded for these art card portfolio things.  Found a 20sided on the floor so that closes my con well.
   Packing out is hard on me when I am alone - because I have no one to stand guard over my trunk and stuff while I walk to the van, and wait in the staging grounds (which are packed at close).  Everything was great!  Dealers, con staff and convention staff look over over things.  Long drive home alone, which means I sing my fool head off - which is also hard as my voice is going after all the talking, talking, talking.
   Signed up and looking forward to next year.

GenCon

Well, I'm off to GenCon today.  I'll be set up in the artist alley, and having a blast.  Hopefully, I can keep myself from shopping.  I'll try and pick up the D&D Next packet.

I'll be doing pictures for people - overnight usually.  Come by and say hi.

Commission Forms

I tell people right away, I'm a gamer girl.  As such, I believe in character sheets.  Character sheets lead to Commission sheets - as usually, the art needing to be done centers around a character.

I've seen a lot of character information write-ups that include a lot more information then I need.  Uh-huh - yes, I see her eyes flash at you from across the room...  but what color are they?  After six pages, I now know too much about your character - when what I really want to know is stuff like hair length, hair texture and hair style (three different important facts).

So, I made a commission form with the information I need to know, like a character sheet.

Then, I made it a two part form!
This means my client gets a copy as well.  We are both safe!  The money down as well as money agreed for the total picture is easy to see.  If they come back later and say she has green eyes, I can check.  I have been mistaken in the past, and so have they - it goes both ways.
I also have a bit of information about how long they will wait at most, and the fact that I have the right to make a few prints if I want.  Information is important.

After I get it home, I hole punch it and get it in my 'Art Brain' (My daytimer for art stuff).  Now, I have the order to do them in as well.

Sticky notes get added later for contact notes.

It works great!  Keeps me working.

Coming soon to a Con Near You

I've got three in a row!  Three!  GenCon, The Toronto Fan Expo, and The World SF Con in Chicago.

I try to have new things at the shows.  It's important to have something new for people to come and see. - but this time, I don't think I am going to manage it.  At least, not for all three!

Right now, I'm busy trying to get a commission at least onto paper, and a couple of new things for the con sets.  I have a week.  Prioritize!  And, get to work!

The Blank Page's Rival

Some people say the most intimidating part of a picture is the blank page staring at you at the start - I think it has a rival.  When you have the pencil's all full of hope and potential.... then you must lay down the first bit of color!

It never seems right!  It is so full of pigment against the white of the page!  What if I have chosen the wrong color at the very start of things?

Take a breath.  Keep going - you can balance and move through areas later!  Just get started!

Circles

First, you draw a circle.
- then, you hate that circle and erase it.

Then, you draw a circle.  same place, same size, same amount of circle-ness.
-that one, you love and you go on!

This is the process of art.

As a young artist, I would sketch a lot.  For some sketches, I would think - yeah, this turned out.

Now that I am more experienced, I get to that point where I think - no,no!  I can make this.

While before, I was pleased with what happened, and the fact I was learning - now I look and know what I am trying to capture.  I know it's not a fluke, but a practiced series of constructed lines and ideas.

When I get frustrated, I know it's because I've improved.  I've come so far from the surprise of it turning out to expecting it to be what I am shaping.  It's a good thing.  Frustration is a sign that you are improving!

I find it amazing that when I have work to do, life interferes.  I am a full-time artist; home all the time.  You would think I would have plenty of time to get my work done - but like everyone, I just have too much to do.
Gotta pay bills, take my daughter shopping... well you know.   Stuff.
My mornings are generally productive - but it's hard to get the acrylic out and get started.  I know that my family will be up 'sometime' and then I'll have to put everything away.  I will shoot for it anyway today - that way I can take inventory of my paints and see which ones I need more of - thus when we go shopping, I can be productive.

The trick to being a professional stay-at-home artist is being organized and making sure you get something done everyday.  Even if it's not art - if you are clearing your plate so you can get art done.... or making certain you have your materials at hand... it's good.

Directions

I set out my work at cons all the time. I have generally noticed a trend. I show people my new fantasy painting and they smile at me, pat my head and say 'Very nice, Diana - Hey, wait.... lookit the cute kitties!'. Much like the old adage; start with a joke - I find cute sells.

Most of what I sell is the cute stuff.

Most of what I like to paint is the fantasy pieces .

Yet I am competing in a big arena. There are a lot of people out there doing gorgeous work. Some of it seems too slick, or too edgy for my tastes - but I assume that is what sells (since I see it all over the place).

I have my own voice. Every artist does. I have been taught to nurture and treasure my own tone of art. I also notice there aren't a lot of ladies out there doing the sort of art I would like to see. Something with Romance, something that touches my own life's dreams - instead of 1/2 naked ladies with wings. Not that I should complain, some of my favorite characters are busty ladies.

So, this rambling comes down to a series of choices.

What direction am I heading in?

Am I in the industry just to make money, or to satisfy my soul?

Can I do what I want and add a cute element to it? And is it telling that I say 'what I want' when what I mean is Fantasy?

I think it's good to look at what I am doing once in a while. It keeps me moving in some direction rather than just repeating. Thinking.

San Diego Comic Con 2012

Shopping Adventures

There was a Durpy myLittlePony that was special exclusive purchase at the con. I figured they were nice, but I didn't really need one. You needed to get in line to get a ticket to get in line to buy your special toy - and I wasn't going to do that. Well, they went like hotcakes! I have friends who wanted one. I suppose I should have scored one on the first day. They were sold out before the end of the con.

I did manage to make it all the way to the end of the hall - once.

Found a really nice couple of new to me artists in the small press area. Bought a sketchbook.

I found Chris Sanders - who use to be just behind me but moved - and scored some of his posters in addition to buying sketchbooks. I sent a couple of posters back to the Sofawolf table for the guys and Kenkat.

Got a couple of sketches in my collection book.

Wanted to buy Donato's Captain America picture - but need to wait for prints.

I made Dave buy a button down shirt with a Captain Nemo theme. yum!

I bought a Utilakilt! They were the booth behind us, and I have ordered one to my size. They are cut for guys, and my booty just made the size go up.

While shopping, I found a lost badge on the floor! Eyikes! Can you imagine loosing your badge on the very first day? I turned it in to Lost and Found with a note to come by the booth - and he did.

 

Swag Adventures

I saw posted the bags from the con, and was disappointed - but wait! Sabrina came back with a Hobbit bag! That wasn't on the release! Need Need Need! I needed to try and score one for Terrie - who's house I was staying at. I found a great commissioner who had a hobbit bag and I meeped at her. She was staying with friends who got hobbit bags.... I told her if she brought me a bag on picture pick-up; I would give her the pic for free. SCORE! She did!

Dave stood in line for Ninja Turtle specials, and I went back again. Bob at home, watching our kitties wanted some. That was a longish line, but there were nice people to talk to.

A Doctor Who Lunch Box was twittered from a friend - need. Dave was first in line and bought the first one sold in the US.

Bob Eggleton wanted a Godzilla figure exclusive, so Dave was over at that line picking one up.

I sent my family out every morning. The Warner Brother's booth had Hobbit pins - yum! We also got some Superman T-shirts as well (but I was really after the buttons).

Searched all weekend for the Fringe fedora’s - didn't get one.

After the close of the dealer's room, I tend to skate around and see what people are throwing out. I picked up some of the con bags orphaned by people who probably just didn't have room for them. I like to take them home for gamers and friends. We scored the Batman one after close. Got Hobbit, Big Bang, Batman, Fringe, Vampire Diaries, Arrow, Superman, SciFi Channel, Twilight - in the big bags.

Getting home to my Detroit airport, I found the zipper had given away on a suitcase. We had even brought at extra duffelbag to relieve the pressure on all the suitcases! I went through all my swag and found I was missing the Daffey Duck hats and a bag of business cards and actual comic books (At a comic convention? No! Really?). I called all the airports in question and then sheepishly found the bag Sabrina carried carry-on had been left in the car and had everything.

There were foam Dalek hats! I wanted one. I failed.

Costume Adventures

Sabrina did most of the costuming, disappearing one afternoon for the Homestuck photo shoot.

Dave looked great in his Captain America Renaissance outfit. The pants did not last the con. He did have fun getting his picture taken. He would pass people in the hall - Captain Jack - and say 'Captain' and get the reply 'Captain'. What fun!

The Aztec - who I think was a local sports guy having a blast in his costume. He know how to blow a mean conch shell.

Celebrity Adventures

We went to Wootstock, a cabaret for nerds - and got to see some Trek guys (Levar and Will) and Myth Busters (Adam & Grant). Paul & Storm, Damit Liz, Marion Call, Rob Reed.

Just walking around I got to see Chewie, Abe Sapien (Hell Boy), Lou Fargino, Goeff Peterson (Late Night with Craig Furgeson), Will Wheaton. I just missed the Dwarves from Hobbit at the Warner Brother's booth.

I got autographs from two girls from the Hunger Games. Sabrina smartly got in a line, and was given a wristband. This got her an autograph. April actually went to see when, and it turned out it was being done right then. I was busy with clients, so she went instead. With the wrist band, she got in line and didn't have to wait too long. Amandla Stenberg and Willow Shields

Talked to and saw Terry Dodson, Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Donato, Ruth Thompson & Alwin, Alan Williams, Steve Argyle, Sue Daw, Roz Gibson, Kenkat, Terease Mathers, Lar Desouza,Todd Lockwood, Phil & Kajia, Echo & Lazerous. Saw Tina Thomas on the last day as we were packing out. Many friends and people whom I only see once in a while. I really should just take pictures as I go along.

Dave recognizes people (while I am oblivious) - he saw Starski, was almost run over by Gene Simon's entourage, cast from Cleveland show, Rob Paulson (Pinkey), Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall), Robert Downey Jr, Scalzi, Scott Card (Dave spotted him), Pat Talman (Babalon 5), and more that I can't get him to list right now.

Adventures in Sales

Obviously, my regular customers know to come and get pictures done. Whew! Always nice to be supported and have some work to do. David asked me to do what I wanted, and my mind blanked and I did my characters rather than our characters - shows you how busy I was.

David (Cobra) came by and got me too - and was looking to connect with Terrie for work with her. I managed to hook them up - doing both of them a favor.

Sold an original - always good.

Watching my sales this year. I note that I sell a lot of cute things, as opposed to the big pretty fantasy pics I like to do. I am thinking .... maybe I need to focus in a new direction.

There's more - but I gotta go play DDO!

Me, Myself and I

I do a lot of quick drawings just for my own sake.  I have sketchbooks and sketchbooks just filled with doodles and ideas for me. 

Here are some more finished pictures that I have done for my D&D game.  Fanzines filled with pictures, stories and bits for my game.

Don't forget as an artist to take time to do things for yourself!

Such an Ugly Child - twitter posts

While I was working on the new painting for San Diego Comic Con, I tweeted the progress.  Here are those pictures, run together...

Here is the sketchbook sketch that I started with, the finished sketch of the girl, the ents added to the sides - all put on board and the first brown down.  This did take me a couple of days.  I got Sabrina to pose for me and set up the lights for two good shades of light on her face.

Filling out the ents, I wanted them to be very simple in color as a kinda of background element.  With the girl frisketed off, I still wanted to show the girl even if wasn't getting any work done on her.  Darken and beard.  I knew I wanted the root beards, and it took me a while to be brave enough to put them on.

Once happy enough with the ents, I peeled the girl and started on her flesh tones.  I put on the contrasting blue side light and Sabrina decided she was a frost giant.  Did a little work on the branch design over her head.

Working on all the pretty hair.  It started to look like fire, and I didn't want that, so I did the poor man's frisket (post it notes) and made certain they were curls, not flames.  She's beginning to look good.

I did that nice trick with the plastic wrap to make a design on her outfit.  There are lots of little details that are being picked out now - so they are hard to see.  The last picture, her pupils are in - meaning I am done.

There!  It's tilted because it's just a photo from the cell phone.  A close up of the girl just to finish things off.
Happy.

Painting Start

Coming up on SanDiego Comic Con, and I'd like to have something new to hang in the back of the booth.
I decided to do something with a dryad and some tree spirits about her.  I wanted to throw in a little BRAVE idea because I liked the movie.  I did a couple of little sketches to set a direction...

The idea of a pretty girl with branches coming out of the shock of red hair appealed.  It I give the ents root beards, then I will have all sorts of directional lines in up and down directions.  fun.

Thinking of making her tribal, with markings of bark on her face is spirals - but this is just a thought.  I might want to keep her clean and craggy up the tree people in the background.

Gotta get to work....

Monday Lists

I admit it - I like mondays.  It's my day to establish my goals for the week.  I make lists and estimate the projects to do, and collect ideas to work toward.

As a stay-at-home artist - it is imperative to get things done!  So often, it would be easy to work as the muse strikes and that means not working at all (my house needs cleaning, the beach needs a visit, there's this movie/game/place...).  If you want to be sucessful, you need to figure out where you are going and start!

I have been at this long enough to understand my own work load, attention span, and the gauge of how much I can accomplish.  With my lists, I can make certain I am not loosing ideas, projects, directions to keep going in.  The work never ends, but it's happy challenging work that I choose to do.

Having been 'recovering' (read playing DDO and lazing around the house) for the last week, I am eager to get back to it - fresh and happy.

David Allen - Getting things done : recommended for people interested in goal setting and checking things off their to-do lists.

Work for friends

Before AnthroCon, I was contacted by PeterCat to say that there was something special and sneaky going on.  Someone wanted to propose to his lady at the art show - and they were setting aside a panel to be filled with pictures of their characters.  That way, at the art reception, the lady could round the corner and be confronted with lotsa art of her character being proposed to by this character!

What fun!
I did a little picture for it.  A little gold color in the background of the pencils.

It's marvelous that such a simple thing for me can help make a big impact on someone's joy.  It's what I do art for!  Makes me happy to be an artist

here's his LJ : http://spotweld.livejournal.com/194755.html.  Go see the rest of the art.

After Con Work

I go to a lot of cons - while there; I love taking sketchbooks and doing work overnight at the con.

   There are people who believe it would be easier if the artist just took the request home, and could finish it in their own time.  Yes!  It most certainly would - BUT...  At home, I have other work to do.  At home, the little $25 sketch suddenly becomes so much more - reference pictures, longer hours, better tools, rested mind, mailing costs - are just some things that come into play. 
   God forbid that my house decides to eat something!  A sketchbook stacked on a pile of books could easily be missed for months.  Not to mention that sketchbooks are often filled with other drawings that the client has paid good money to have as well.  Time and deadlines will often interfere with pick-up work from a con - so who knows how long a commissioner will be waiting, and how long they expect to wait.
   Taking something home from the con also means that all my commissions have to wait just a tad longer.  They are usually patient people, and I do have room for sudden projects and art - but I feel a responsibility to them.
   I charge more for take home art - commissions; taking on something from the con is also cheating me and the weight of all the bills I have hanging about.

   I have taken things home from cons anyway - I am just way aware of what I am agreeing to.

Staying Loose

I'm back from AnthroCon and might have caught up on sleep now.  I take art to do at the con, and it keeps me busy all weekend.  On Sunday, any work I take at the con has to be done quickly - people are gathering the last things so they can go home. 

Sunday, I try to stay loose.  Sunday is quick sketch day.
Sometimes, reminding myself to stay loose is the key to getting a really nice sketch.  I've been drawing all weekend, I am loose and practiced and hopefully in the groove.  I worry about only having a short time to produce - but I was pleased with everything I did.

Keeping the sketches fast and loose is an excellent way of getting something going.

Catch up

Today is my birthday, and I'm spending it getting some last minute pictures done for the art show at AnthroCon.  It's interesting that as a working artist, there are no days off.  Not that I mind drawing - I certainly would have done some of that today.

I laid out space in the living room and put down all the finished originals I have ready for the show.  I had one more 2 x 4 space left - and it's in the naughty section, so I have no lying around art to fill it.

Life is in the details - take advantage of them.

Little Sketch Books

When at cons, I like to pick up little collected books of the artist's pencil works.  I always feel like I am included in their circle of friends - like I am going through their sketchbooks.  It's a personal space sort of thing, and I love that look behind the scenes.

I like 'em - so I made one.  Then, I looked twice and made one for the furries and one of just fantasy work.

Hopefully, more people will think of doing these.

IMC missing you.

drat it!  The IMC is this weekend till next weekend - and I could not go because Anthrocon was moved up a week (due to Sports draft).  I thought I could be okay with this - but wow, do I miss it.

The Illustration Master Class is a week long intensive art session by leaders in the SF and F art field.  They have lectures filled with fabulous information and great artists who will come by your painting and be glad to give you input or help. 

I miss the discussion of my sketches, the interpretation of my chosen assignment - being pushed to the better ideas; using the feedback to understand what the industry is looking for, and how it relates to my work.

I miss the lectures, picking out new tidbits of information that relate to my level of learning.  Heck, even the safety class reminds me of the materials I am working with every day.  The names of the artist there this year is amazing, and I wish I could come and say hi.

The interplay with other people of my profession - when I am so use to be working alone in my studio.  Seeing friends also touched with the wonderful spirit of inspiration for the long week.  Being able to talk to artists who's work I admire, and watch them work (if I have the time).

Not to mention the food - and so much of it.  The cafeteria style eating was always great to find new friends to sit with and learn about.

All the work, work, work...  Inspiring,  The work of the other students, the faculty's work set up, and even mine - pushed to be better through the help and input of others.
 
Next year for sure!

colored sketchbook

I have used sketchbooks for years.  They refine my drawing, are a great space for generating ideas, and a place I draw friends.

Recently, I have come across a couple of my favorite artists who use a sketchbook with brown paper-bag colored pages.  The work inside is done with black and white.  This gives a more color ready sketch.
By working with the white tones as well as the structure lines - the artist would be more aware of the use of light in the composition.  By using a sketchbook, you would become more aware and familiar of structures and blocks of light against the dark.  Brilliant!  The artist is suppose to command the viewer's eyes, their experience of the work - and lighting is a great way to do it.  It's something I want to become more aware of.  I always tell people I work on toned paper so that I am highlighting up and shading down.  I understand!
So, I ran out and bought a colored paper sketchbook.  Lovely.  My size.

pbpbpbpptttt!
I haven't got the hang of it.  I go back to the white books where I can see the lines of my composition more.  I am still sketching in black and white in my head.
Either I need to force myself more into the color book, go and find a grey paper book (since I am use to grey and not brown), or re-work the idea that it's a place to refine the light work - and not the line work of a painting.

working on it.  I will not give up!

Equipment

Things I can't live without.

Epson 4800!
A good color printer.  This one lets me print 17 inches across and I can get 2 8.5 x 11 prints at one time.
It's got the huge ink cartridges so I don't have to change them out all the time. 
A real workhorse.

$2K

 Fletcher 3000!
Mounted on the wall downstairs (near by gaming/cutting table).  Cuts board straight and true.  Cuts plexiglass and glass.
No more struggles, no more sore back - no more messed up not-square mat.
I worked at a framing place for a short while, and fell in love with this tool.  Just measure and pull.  ahhhh.

$1.5K

Rototrim
A cutter, 24inches wide. 
Pendulum blade cutters do a different job, but I love this paper cutter.  It'll do a few sheets of prints easy, and it long and fabulous.  It'll take mat board, bristol and other useful art papers.
It's constantly cluttered with little strips of edges and ends.

$200




Invest in the tools of your trade.