5-28-2011 Update and art

I've got one week of school left. I have a few projects I need to refine and finish up, then I pack my bags and hop on a train back to PA.

I'm looking forward to being home, seeing my friends, spending some time with my fiance, but I miss the sequential art community that I have here in Savannah. I'm already looking ahead to the fall when I'll be back down here.

This weekend is going to be all about getting my projects finished. We have a really cool project for my Drawing class that involves us using the setting of River Street here in Savannah. River St. has all kinds of great old architecture, and plenty of different settings that will be really fun to incorporate into a drawing. I still haven't quite decided exactly what I plan to include however, and that of course is absolutely key in making any good piece of figurative art.

I also want to share a quick bit of cool work I did the other night. It is a few characters from my Wings a Shadow Cast story that I created with a friend of mine years ago. One day we'll actually make the thing a reality in paper form? Who knows. Regardless I still enjoy drawing the characters on occasion.

Sweet right? I need to draw more actual comics though, I probably spend too much time just having fun doodling or doing compositions like this one.

SCRAWL and the weekly happenings.

I'm currently sitting in the SCAD Jen Library, listening to the beats of Andy Blueman and writing a research paper for my Islamic Art and Architecture class. It came to me the other day this is actually the second to last weekend I have here in Savannah before the summer break. That thought is both exhilarating and a little frightening.

I have a new project that I am excited to work on over this summer. I'm currently calling it SCRAWL. Here is a little preview

Look interesting!?

I think so! Its about an as of yet unnamed writer, and some of his adventures and personal struggles in a slightly futuristic world.

Wish me luck! I have so much to do this summer, and it's very challenging working in writing and drawing a story while working 40 hours a week. Its a part of life that I will probably be dealing with for a large chuck of my life, but nevertheless isn't something I'm looking forward too. Im much more interested in just writing and drawing as my full time job. But as they say, thats the dream!

Editor's Day 2011 and some thoughts on formal art training.

SO!!! 

Wow I've been bad about keeping up with my blogs this year.  I have been updating my deviantart site a bit more than this one, but regardless its been pretty low.

So I intend to remedy this with an update about my weekend, as well as a piece of new art!

This past weekend was Editor's Day here at SCAD. It's probably one of the most exciting days of the year here. The school has a bunch of editors come out and do portfolio reviews and some panel discussions. I signed up early was able to get two portfolio reviews!

I had a review early on Saturday morning with Bob Schreck, and editor who has worked in comics for the past 35 years or so. He gave me some really good feedback on my portfolio, and gave me a good idea where I can improve on it. 

I also had a great review with Will Dennis from Vertigo Comics, who also pointed out some areas I need to improve on, and talked a bit about developing your artistic abilities, and how important it is to be in a community of like minded individuals who can look at your work and give you feedback on it.

I was thinking today about that, and how great it would be to have a "studio" type of setup with some friends of mine who are working and studying here at SCAD. I don't know if that will happen, but I do know that having a community of artists here, who I can bounce ideas off of, and critique work with is invaluable. 

I actually see this networking to be much more important than simply doing well in classes. I have some to the conclusion that as an artist, you don't have to go to school to be good, but going to an university like SCAD has some fantastic advantages. For example, Editor's Day. If I was able to see an Editor at a Con, chances are he or she will be busy, harried, and at least a little stressed out. Coming to SCAD is like a vacation in some ways, and it gives them a chance to really slow down and actually take a good look at work as well as give really thoughtful feedback.

Another good example of why going to an art university is important is the fact that you are critiqued constantly. From your professors, to friends and other students, if you are open to listening, you are always going to be able to get some great feedback, and your work will improve so much faster than it would otherwise. Rather than have to wait for that opportunity a few times a year to show an artist or editor your work, you can get feedback daily. 

It's really crazy to me how much my art has improved over the last year since I have been here. It has in fact been a little over a year now, Five quarters, but the dramatic increase for me has really come since around this time last year when I had my first Sequential Art class.

Anyway, Lets hope this next year will see work that is twice as good as it is now!

And for fun, here is a picture that I drew and inked this afternoon. I thought it was great fun, and I decided to throw some color on it. I don't color often, and I don't feel like its my strong suit, but it does give a certain energy to any drawing.

Enjoy!

Its been awhile since I last updated!

School seems to be going good so far, but I still need a job! I haven't had as many commissions as I was hoping for, maybe I am charging to much, or maybe its because I haven't bought into selling my soul with that manga fad.

before you get angry about that statement, let me defend myself.

I like manga. I love anime.

I have liked manga and anime for a long time. In fact I remember when the only way to watch anime on tv was to tune into SciFi after two on a saturday night. Its everywhere now. There are alot of fun things about it, but what people are following mainly these days is doing nothing for any artform. The style is still copied from styles previous, most art has little backgrounds or proper story, its just a bunch of expository dialogue drawn out over months to make more money.

I digress, plenty of bad things can be said about american comic books as well, I'm not even going to get into that. Ultimately it comes down to the artist themselves, and I see more american artists experimenting and pushing the artform forward that I see from manga-artists.

SO, point being...

I am putting new rates for my commissions! I'm only taking them down a little bit, I value my work way to much not to charge what I am, BUT I really hope people take advantage of it.

In other news, SCAD is fun, I'm so glad to be focusing on comics again and learning and imrpvoing my critical thinking and skills!

I'm still Hungry.

Savannah etc

This is my third full day in Savannah this new decade. So far it hasn't been so bad. I got my forms from the student employment office, filled them out and am on my way to turn them in soon and make some phone calls. I got my books, some supplies, and enough ramen to last me for the next 2 weeks or so.

On the subject of ramen, its by no means my favorite, but until I have work I need to eat cheap, no fun filled tasty dinners for me! I guess I'll lose that 30lbs. I gained while I was home.... must be why they said I looked strung out when I got home last year! :P

I had my first to classes at SCAD yesterday, Scriptwriting and 20th Century Art. I think both will be fun, and a little challenging. Today I have my first class in Three-Dimensional Design. Not quite sure what to think of it just yet, Im sure I can find it valuable, but I am not looking forward to the cost, nor the projects specifically right now.


My girlfriend Katie said that she is sad I'm not taking any drawing classes this quarter. She loves my drawings, and I enjoy them as well, but it will be a nice break, and gives me a chance to work on my own stuff and sketch while I am working on the class projects, which this year will be a lot of writing. She has been participating in helping me with a daily sketch which is fun!

I am also opening myself up for sketch commissions. Nothing too fancy, but I need to be making some extra money, and commissions is a way to at least dull the blade of poverty so to speak XD

If you are interested in commissioning me, you can look at my Deviantart page for information and pricing.

The End and the Beginning

I haven't much updated anything for people over the last month. I suspect this will be changing as I head back to school and want to leave something for people to look at to see how I'm doing.

I have less than 24 hours to go before I hop on a train and head south to Savannah. I haven't rode a train in many many years, and that experience alone will be fun for me I don't doubt. I have quite a few graphic novels and comic trades that I have been saving ot read on this ride, and am looking forward to it.

That being said, I will be without my car for the school year. I was planning on using it before it broke down, and while this will hopefully save some money for me insurance wise, it will also mean that I am going to be totally on foot for the next 5 months.  I have never been in this position before, and it is both liberating and frightening.

I also will be needing to work as soon as possible, I have saved alot of money, but I will still be needing to make more while I am there. I am also considering posting up for commissions on my deviantart site, since alot of people do commissions through there, and with my paypal setup it could work quite nicely.

So for now, these last few hours, I will spend them with my family and my girlfriend, enjoying their company before I head back off again to adventure and uncertainty and excitement.

Sick

Blah. I have been feeling pretty ill for the past few days, I even called out of work today after leaving early the last two. I really hope this is humpday and that I will be fine for work come Black Friday and the wedding this weekend.

Today I'm just sitting around working on a tattoo design for a close friend of mine, and wish this darn headache and lethargy would pass.