Food and figures

So this is what my desk looks like right now. I spend about 70% of my time working on my Nine story hotel story. I was thinking about calling it "Fallout," but now I'm leaning toward "In the Red Forest." Sounds less like a video game that way.


These next few are from my "suspect your food" series, looking at the integrity of labels such as organic, free-range, and hormone-free. They're being made using acrylic on multimedia paper. I start with a wash, which ends up mostly covered by the end by black and white. Then I plan to use a few, thin color washes over the featured animals. This is a pig in the back of a police car.


I plan to add more specific characteristics to the breeds of chicken in this one, not to mention a more dynamic angle than straight on.


This one is almost ready for paint. Just got to adjust the woman's arm and the height of the desk surface.



Here's an in-depth look at the technique. These guys are salmon, and all they need is the thin color layer now.


This little fella is going to be a goat-sucker, more commonly known as a "chupacabra." We're creating sock creatures for sculpture. Leave it to me to pick the weirdest option. Anyway, he's got pleather legs, felt arms, corduroy belly, and a knee-high body. He will be stuffed later, of course. And he will have two white fangs. Stuffed animals are a love of mine, and I'm really a sucker for this project. Ha. Now I'm going back to my day job of making art, not jokes.

Do not concern

from text edit. i really hope something works. poop poop poop

apparently blogger likes text edit, rtf, only.
this has been a test.

Work in Art

Janet Koplos gave a lecture at our school on Thursday night. Since Koplos is an art critic, she brought many examples of artists' work, which really helped her presentation. Had she spent too much time on a few pieces—or worse, a single piece—the majority of the audience would've passed into a coma.


After her introduction, we watched a video of a man who would walk into a room with a wood sculpture in it. He proceeded to kick the sculpture, and it of course fell down with a pleasant crashing sound. This event repeated several times, with differently shaped sculptures built from the same wood pieces.


Her main point was that in some art, the work done to create the piece is a part or the whole of concept. Koplos showed us slides of works that made us wonder if the artist had lost his or her mind while creating. In cases, this was half-true, as she stated a few of the masterminds behind these pieces were checked into mental institutions. Because the artists checked themselves in, they were allowed to create art and have assistants come in to work, as well.

Just a few of the people she spoke of: Jackie Winsor, Adolf Wolfli, Yayoi Kusama, Gary Lang, Wolfgang Laib, Ralph Bacerra, Josiah McElheny, Martin Puryear, Tara Donovan, Tim Hawkinson, and Tom Friedman.


I agree with the point she made; I've always been an advocate of good art that maybe doesn't have a universal, political, complicated, outside-of-itself concept. I believe that work can be great on its own.

Looking back

I suppose that underneath it all, I'd like to be a jack-of-all-trades with a comics specialization.
Preferably, I'd have my own comics published, though I'd be open to creating comics for someone else. Drawing comics all day long is a dream for me, and I'd be okay with having a day job while I create my comics. But eventually, I'd want to live off of my art.

a page from Selene, my comic about sirens

My current body of work doesn't directly reflect this, but it's due to the fact that MCA doesn't have a "comics" concentration (major). The school is heavily fine arts-weighted. Still I think that my fine arts roots will help me be a better comic artist. Plus, I'm working on my 13 page comic that I've decided to rename "Fallout," so that will definitely aid in fleshing out my portfolio.

A few semi-random things my portfolio could use:
lettering (for phylacteries)
inking (for the traditional divided labor in the comics industry)
collage (because I've never done it)
more comic pages in general
more "Sunday paper" strips (haven't done many)
politically charged work
scratchboard (because it's awesome)
some Bible scenes
children's book material
wax resist (will be in soon, as "Fallout" progresses)

Yeah, it is a little scattered, but I like doing it all. And that's what counts.

Still dreaming

Well, if I had to spend the rest of my life illustrating one book, it would have to be the Bible. Kind of a cop-out because it's such a large and varied book, but I'm a Christian. And I would never get bored.

As for my dream mentors:

I would love to be an apprentice to Bill Watterson. The man is brilliant, yet private and quiet. And he looks a little like my dad. Watterson is a master of drawing and philosophy; how great would it be to study under him?


I think my other choice would be Mary Cassat, who was one of the first famous women artists. Her skill is undeniable, and her paintings beautiful.

Squeaky
But, if I were ostracized from the art world forever, I would start an organic chicken farm for eggs. My chickens would roam freely, be very happy, and lay delicious eggs, much like my pets back home. And if the egg farm weren't pulling in enough, I could always find a day job to help out, like maybe cashier at a book store, or something. I'm not picky.

If I had one month and a thousand dollars for art supplies, I would make a giant, paneled painting, probably of chickens, or something else that I really enjoy. Of course, the money would go to buying canvases or making cradles. Working in phases, I'd start with penciling the general layout over all the pieces, then the painting process. Finally, the panels would be hung in a gallery or on the side of a really big building.

However, if I had six months and ten grand, I'd make a frikkin' sweet comic book. The money would be spent on supplies to create the pages, and the rest spent on publishing the sucker. The schedule would be very similar to the one I'm using now for my independent study: do all thumbnails, then pencil and color as I go. The finished piece would be a mass-produced copy with that wonderful new book smell. Mmm-mm!
Stella: a character from my upcoming comic

With an entire year and a hundred thou, I would probably go crazy. In all actuality, I'd continue from the comic I made with the ten grand, and just keep making more comics until I ran out of dough. It's what I enjoy. With lots of chickens!

Dream big, kid!

A few illustrators I admire/envy:

Rowena: Does a lot of sci-fi and romance book covers. A very realistic painter who went to school for art and succeeded.

Steve Dilon: Does work for the biggest comic publishers.

Gary Larson: Creator of "The Far Side," brilliant and twisted cartoon genius.

Julie Bell: Much like Rowena. Does work for Marvel, book covers, and trading cards.

Jim Davis: Makes a lot of money off the same thing he's been doing for thirty years. Syndication!

Frank Frazetta: One of the most famous sci-fi artists ever. Worked for everyone, including Playboy.

Scott Adams: Used to be a bank teller and kept his day job for years after Dilbert became popular.


Bill Watterson: Can draw people in midair perfectly. Plus, when he got fed up with the cartooning business, he became a recluse. And he refused to sell merch. rights for C&H.

Dave McKean: Art is amazing. Art is amazing. Art is amazing. Works for big comic companies.

Greg Horn: Comics cover man. Draws wonderfully proportionate characters, e.i. women who aren't 40-10-30.

Ten Magazines I would work for:
(in no particular order)

Dangerous Ink
Hi Fructose
Heavy Metal
Fangoria
Art on Paper
Juxtapoz
CMYK
International Artist
Pocketful Illustration
3x3

I think that if I had my own magazine, it would definitely fall under the category (or spell) of "goth." A large section of it would be devoted to vampires, since—thanks to "Twilight"—are totally IN. I'd hire a writer for fashion firstly. I'd also take fan fics, but I'd hire someone to go through them all, and pick out the good stuff. I'd get writers to cover make-up techniques and conventions, not just goth ones, but comics and anime. And I'd want it to be really dark.

We can dream, eh?

And if I weren't going to do magazines:

Top Cow Comics
Alternative Comics
High Tower Comics
Marvel Comic
Disney Studios
Dark Horse Comics
Image Comics
Dreamworks Studios
Harper-Collins Children's Books
Mad Magazine (yes, it's a magazine, but I'd be making comics for the Fundalini Pages. Plus it'd be cool to become one of "the usual gang of idiots)

Now I must settle back into reality, eating ramen and walking to school. Some day...