Wednesday, November 14, 2012

mistakes.

A friend of mine posted this on facebook. Trying hard to not think about how many of these mistakes I make, all the time. Click Through to read all seven. It's well worth it.

by Kristina Gehrmann.

1. Selling yourself as a beginner

I found a prime example of this in a forum for artists seeking work. The thread title was „Starting-out artist looking for a chance",, and the thread told that the artist is „looking for a client for whom I may draw" and has  „just graduated from art college". We all were at this point once, but usually it takes too long to realize that „beginner" is the wrong mindset, even if you are one. Such statements sound like excuses and are guaranteed to weaken your position. Don't make excuses. Do not justify your work, and do not justify your prices. This is a tricky habit to acquire since we're not very confident by nature, but remember the image you want to project, no matter what your actual experience level, is this: 'I am a professional illustrator. I know what I am doing. I am successful. I'm on the same level with my client and in an equally strong position. I am not a clueless servant but a business partner and expert who finds problem solutions.' To recap: you are not looking for a „chance". You are not „allowed" to draw for the generous benefactor client who might even pay you a little. You are a professional business (regardless of your actual experience and portfolio) acting as such, and deserving to be treated as such.      

~ read more 
 
meanwhile... here. I went to another life drawing session over the weekend. (NSFW)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

All Quiet Like

My latest post over at the Inkpunks, a bit about twitter:

"....My own relationship with twitter has been a shifting, morphing thing. In the spring of 2010 I was trying to get back into art making by drawing every day. I happened to discover an active twitter community of artists doing the same thing and sharing via the hashtag #draw365. I am absolutely certain I would not be where I am now if it was not for that online creative community being a place to get my my feet under me again as an artist...." ~read more 

Also, and this is purely random, today is the second day in a row that I've walked over to the local rose garden and just smelled the roses.


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

new scanner, life drawings (NSFW) & sore leg sketches

Finally got a scanner with a bit more room to move around in. This one. With an 11x16-ish scanning surface.

So now when I break out the watercolors on the big pad of 14 x 17 inch paper, I CAN SCAN IT. Mostly.

Here's from a recent life drawing session.
(NSFW)








marker, pen and watercolor on 14 x 17 inch paper
pen and watercolor on 14 x 17 inch paper

And also on just regular old 9 x 12 inch sketch paper, something the old scanner would have winced at.
ball point pen on 9 x 12 inch paper

Just for kicks, here's a few sketches doodled this weekend while driving home from a race in Southern Utah. I thumbed through a running magazine and drew from the photos in it's glossy pages, trying to take my mind off my sore legs.

micron pen over several pages of sketchbook


Excited to have a scanner again. Planning on using real drawing-on-paper stuff in some of my upcoming work. (Ooh, btw, have you seen this Wolverine movie poster?)

And, that's all. Just had to share.

Now for randomness... here's an open letter to a beloved busy person. It's a must read.