how to be an illustrator and late new years resolutions

so the busy period of overtime getting in the way of my art should have come to an end. now I'm back to my lovely 7 and a half hours a week. ah well at least i can work on my art. I've got 7 days holiday to take which practically works out at 3 and a half weeks by march. this is what happens when you live in a timeless world XD. more time to work on my art (though i must get a holiday form as they where out of them last time) and been paid for some of it too, that's good.

so its an other year i looked at how much art i produced last year and finished piece wise it was disappointing, sketch wise it was okay, mainly because i still haven't got all my sketches scanned and posted. i need a more convenient to get to scanner.

I'm currently working on this picture

its the chains one from before only changed a lot, i messed up on the colouring and re sketching it the exact same wasn't feeling right for me, even light boxing it (in the form of taping it to a window) wasn't working out, so i went back to the original idea of designing a character for my illustrated book and took it from there. I'm hoping to have it done by the end of Tuesday, its going quite well, pity i have been so distracted today. i have decided to create at least 4 finished pieces a month (aiming for 2 in January due to not making decisions fast enough) starting with the 5 pieces i have yet to finish. hopefully everything will go to plan. people say I'm to hard on myself at times. i should get one of those schedule wipe boards.

recently i have been having problems getting on the PC that can run my art programs, been kicked off a few times which has been a bit of a downer, luckily where getting a second study put in (not for me but for my boyfriends mum) and hopefully me and my boyfriend are going to invest in a new PC soon with our Christmas money (the old one is going to be stored in the wardrobe as we will probably need it when we get our own place). i'm also debating of getting my current art table stored and using my fold away easel to draw with due to space issues in my room and getting a new bookcase/ stealing my old one back.

i have invested in a couple of books to try and push my art forwards.

the first is the artists' yearbook 2010/2011

"the artists' yearbook is the only comprehensive up to date reference guide to getting ahead in today's art world. offering advice and inspiration in one fact packed volume, it features carefully vetted information on and contact details for more than 3,000 visual art businesses and organizations"

its mainly based around the UK with a few sections listing things world wide. some of the articals where interesting, though overall its more a yellow pages for artists with a brief description about what everything is and does. the fairs where disappointing, not because of the book per say but by the fact you have to represented by a gallery from what i can see. gonna read that section properly soon. but the competitions are a possibility.

the other book was called how to be an illustrator by Darrel Rees http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-be-Illustrator-Darrel-Rees/dp/1856695301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263842518&sr=8-1

And omg this book is fantastic. this isn't the book i mentioned with my picture of all my art books (which grows constantly i might add) that one was about children's illustration and i found it very vague with only one chapter of i believe 12 pages about getting published. it was good for things such as the notion of making dummy's etc. but was a bit to general in my opinion. this one however is fantastic. its geared more towards the business side of things. i actually came away thinking to myself wow i think i know enough to get started now which is a good feeling, I'm a bit more confident at what i need to do and how i need to go about it to get a job. the portfolio comes first. which I'm gonna work so hard to make this year. the artwork first obviously, and then the whole portfolio design. I'm not going for the over sized portfolio i think a small art book would be better as its easier to look at (and the art director who wrote the forward seemed to prefer this) it made me think about studio space, weather it ideally would be at home or a rented out studio, whether i need an agent or not etc. it talked about contracts, how to write an invoice and keep track of them. i found it a book worth buying

i also thought I'd chime in with some useful links i have found over the years.

the first is a useful blog i found ages ago called the art of business http://www.artofbusinessblog.com/ I'm not the best business woman but this blog which sadly is updated very infrequently has some really helpful hints and tips from separate bank accounts to keeping track of your finances every month etc.

the second is a artist alley guide for cons (obviously) by telophase (http://telophase.deviantart.com/) that can be found here http://www.projectbluerose.com/tutorials/anime-convention-artist-alley-survival-guide/, its very easy to understand and separated well. though it does assume that you know where some cons are (which at the time other then one of the ones in London i didn't know of any which was frustrating) but some research should solve that (http://www.cosplay.com/calendar/ has a list of conventions, not all of them as often the little cons are ignored but its a good place to start) while it is aimed at anime conventions I'm sure that the information can be applied to other conventions and arts and craft fairs.

hopefully these links and books will be interesting or useful for those interested in illustration and art.

happy drawing/ writing/ whatever you guys do.

video time laying down the under paint

next part of the kerrin picture. i have decided to colour this one and record the process from start to finnish. i'm making the videos as and when i paint them. so it may take a while for the next instalment (especailly with all the projects i'm working on)

and a wip of the whole picture so far, shame i cant do full screen recording as it comes out so blurry :(

anyway thats all for now

happy drawing/writng/whatever you guys do

video time

so I've finally made my first recording of my art. i think i'm going to do more of these, even though they do take a while to save. i used a photo of a friend Kerrin Tatman who i have known since way back, I've like known him since he was 5 (i will have been 8) and he stole my sausage roll... which i really don't get because hes vegetarian. he's a very talented musician and belongs to no soup productions. "Here at No Soup we are passionate about live music, creative costumes, physical theatre and original writing. Each summer we come together to create a new show, take it on tour and (hopefully) entertain and inspire our audiences!" http://www.nosoupproductions.co.uk/ there website is still in its very early stages but look them up if you want to find out more ^^.

and heres the final picture

i may color this one, once i have all my other pictures done that is since i really should finnish them before starting something new XD

anywho happy drawing/writing/whatever you guys do

Chérie

more sketches.

time to share my sketches again. my sis got me thinking of how i said i'd draw a picture for her in manga style, i'm still in the design process but so far i have come up with this, i think the nose needs tweaking a alot and could look more like her... work on chin and nose me thinks. i'll leave it till tomorrow and see what i think.

i also drew a reoccurring character of mine, i use her to represent myself on the internet, she is my avatar here and on deviant art, i'm planning to change my other avatars on other websites to her also.

i'm annoyed with myself artistically at the moment, while i knew i wouldn't finish the witches moon picture on time, i'm annoyed that i tend to mess around on the internet, if i didn't mess around so much i think it would be at a stage where i could enter the competition. next time i'm gonna work harder, but for now, i'm going to sketch more and finish the three pictures i have already started.

any who happy drawing/writing/whatever you guys do.

art, halloween and stuffs

so i've done some research, apparently i cant get another student loan according to some peoples and websites so uni is definatly off the table. i talked to someone art work who's doing an art and history course and says for fine art its not worth it anyway, might as well hire a studio and paint constantly it would be cheaper too. oh well i shall continue to produce art work out of some bedroom in a small town called Mansfield, reading imagine fx (one of the best art magazines on the planet i might add) and doing my best to get feedback off the Internet.

studying film and tv production is turning out to be the biggest mistake in my life and i'm feeling out of my depth at times. its like i'm trying to keep up with amazing artists but are drowning and getting further away. i feel like i'm not improving fast enough and its such a scary thought. i feel so far behind. people tell me i've improve with every picture i do but i don't feel like i do, i guess i'm concentrating on everyone been better then me rather my improvements. you'd think having my work in an art gallery at the age of 14 would have been an ego boast but i guess until i find my confidence which comes and goes, its not going to happen.

so the witches moon compition, it goes not so well got a week to go and i don't think i'm going to complete it, and of course it been my annual halloween picture that's not going to happen either at this rate. blagh. still gonna finish it even if i dont make the date on time. i need to stop pissing around on the Internet when i'm suppose to be doing digital art, i know i piss around because i think i'm crap but i'm not gonna improve if i dont get my head into gear.

so i'm gonna share with you my unfinished digital art today. .. all of which will get completed.

masquerade

Roselina

witches moon




i also have another sketch to update for you guys :D drawn from the lovely http://tigg-stock.deviantart.com/ 's stock ^^







in other news work is going well. i have to make a costume to wear for halloween for it though. well i dont have to make but i'd rather make a costume, i like making things, you really feel like you have accomplished something when you do ^^. i'm gonna go as a cat. i'll post some pictures of it online :) gonna have to buy a patten or two, fabric, zips etc. i already have the foam, hair clips and fake fur which i'm gonna make the ears out of... no head band for me XD want a couple of giant bells but cant find any so far, maybe i should use a gold bauble and make it look like a bell. i can always take my little bells off my bag and attach them other places so i make the jingling sound. hummm i really should start that sooner then later... but fabric shops wont be open today... sigh. are well best get the planning and make the ear, tail and coller (except the bell) today. gonna go for a black and orange theme me thinks. i like dressing up to much and i put way to much effort into it. besides i need a costume for my boyfriends works Christmas party... just have to recycle it then XD.

anywho happy drawing/writing/whatever you guys do

time to upload some sketches done for anatomy practice, refrences used are from http://liam-stock.deviantart.com/, http://www.ranum.com/ (http://mjranum-stock.deviantart.com/) abd comic artist's photo references women and girls (even thought the youngest person in the pook is 17...hum) by Buddy Scalera (published by impact)

these are done in manga studio which i'm trying out and definatly getting with my next pay check. i love the pen tool and drawing in it. definatly going to use it for my illustrated book :D.

any who must go back to drawing :D turns out thursday is sketch day

happy drawing/writing/whatever you guys do

the art plan

last time was all about going to uni. i've decided to make a good portfolio and take it from there. i dont want to apply too early as i need to finnish a few pieces to show them but art has suddenly become a whole lot more important.

i know my masquerade picture is definetly going in once its finished because its my best damn picture i have done so far. i'm gonna do some natural media pictures too mainly water colours and marker pictures i think. do some life drawing (i should look up classes near me or get a life drawing book) and work on a proper manageable sized sketch book... A3 is a bit big for a sketch book.

on another note i'm entering one of the imagine FX's challengeshttp://community.imaginefx.com/forums/thread/245498.aspx the topic is witches moon and i'm going for a scifi witches on a moon picture. it should be fun and i want to take witches away from the traditional idea of witches. heres the first WIP, planning of chopping the edges off and adjusting there height. but its a good start and i'm feeling confident about it. gotta finnish it by midnight on the 31st of october hopefully i'll make it! wish me luck.

need to do some organising, i'm trying to do to many projects at once and its not very productive - 3 digital pieces, 2 traditional, a tutorial and a compleate illustrated book (which i wrote too) and a handmade book is compleatly bonkous to try and do at once. so need to make a plan everything a bit more and stick too it.

i'm in such a meh mood today, proberbly because i never feel like i have time to paint when i have work. oh well hopefully i'll pass through it after work.

decorating the room is getting there, the wardrobe has been fitted which is good, just got to do some touch ups and paint the picture rail and skirting board then thats done :D and finnaly will have rid of the disgusting curtains woo! i also have art draws now :) i'm thinking of claiming another one to store my actual art in.

i should go plan my art out... i should get a diary/planner for next year it would make things easier.

anywho happy drawing/writing/ whatever you guys do.

haggis