Changes Need to Be Made

Needless to say, this period of joblessness has given me a lot of time to think. It can be argued that the thinking has morphed into brooding. One thing is clear, however: something must be done. Something must be done about...my portfolio site. But what? Well, updating the content, for one. Adding stuff. Should I give it a new look? Should I dump Indexhibit, the thing that I built it with?
These are the questions I'm wrestling with. In the meantime, it's time for new business cards.

Double Cheez

I'll Take Two, Please, 2011 • graphite and Photoshop®

I've been checking LetterCult probably from the very beginning, although I can't remember how I found out about it. It might've been via Drawn, if I think about it carefully. Anyway...all that matters is that LetterCult is among the spots to be when it comes to custom lettering.

Last year, they started a thing called Alphabattle, where folks from everywhere did their take on letters A to Z, the results of which, when submitted to LetterCult via email, would end up posted on the site. I don't have to tell you that last year was nuts, so I never found the time to contribute (or didn't properly allot time, really). Having reached Z, they're messing with numbers now. While the 1 round slipped past my consciousness, I wasn't about to miss messing with the 2. With my current situation, I've decided to refocus my creative energy, and participating in this helped greatly.

By the way, I have to single out fellow Alphabattle dude Rory Phillips for posting amazing work each and every time. Take a look.

Al's Resolutions and 2010 Random Thoughts

Resolutions
The usual. They revolve around health and creativity.

Health: Eating better, exercising regularly. I'm not totally committed to this mentally yet, but it's in the back of my mind. I'm mainly doing it for me, but I do have a wife and kid to be around for, so yeah...I'm doing it for them, too. I'll have to re-establish Friday as my "cheat day" and be good for the rest of the week. My father-in-law is apparently committed to "de-chunking" this year, so this may become a family thing.

Creativity: Although I've done a handful of things, I feel like I've been play-acting at the illustration thing. This year, I'm making some moves. It starts with rituals and commitment: creating something every day. Drawing something – anything – everyday. And if I'm not drawing, I should be writing, or taking pictures. On the picture front, my wife got me a Fisheye 2 for Christmas, and I'm stoked! It feels kinda weird to be using film again, but I welcome it.
Getting back to the ritual thing, I gotta straighten up my workspace regularly. A clean spot to work is healthy. So yeah...nose to the grindstone and all that.
Bonus links - Great Illustration Resources:
Escape From Illustration Island | Zero 2 Illo | Holli Conger's Illustration Tips

2010 Random Thoughts

• Dante. Needless to say, he was the highlight of my year. He's wonderful. And my wife gets my undying love for working so hard to bring him into this world. 2011 is going to be full of discovery and landmarks for all three of us. I can feel it.
  
• Online By The Numbers. In 2010, I reached my eighth anniversary of running this here blog, nine years of being on gigposters.com, and 15 years since my introduction to the web. Crazy.
  
• Travel. The Minneapolis trip at the beginning of the year ruled. I saw friends, and ate a lot. I also decided that on my 40th birthday – or at least the year of – I have to be in Japan, either with the family or on my own. Goals are good thing.
  Looks like we might be heading to Calgary in a few months. Fingers crossed!
  
• Masticators. I launched a food blog with two homies that love food as much as I do. We started slow, but I see us writing even more stuff and having fun in the process. Full steam ahead!
  
• Jazz Fest. I had a blast. Can they top it this year? We'll see!
  
• T-shirts. I predict that I'll be buying a lot more shirts. I guess that's not really a prediction. Got some good ones in 2010. Formula Werks, DDC...you'll be hearing from me.

Zero 2 Illo 12 Week Challenge: Week 3

Well, week 3 of the challenge is upon us, and again, I feel unprepared. Don't get me wrong, I've been doing research, but possibly not enough. The first of two tasks was to 1) "decide upon my business structure" – all the legal/tax stuff, setting up shop – and right here was where I felt kind of clueless. Other than hearing I can claim a certain amount of square footage on my taxes for freelancing, I don't know a whole helluva lot.
As far as that goes, this photo pretty much describes what my current set-up is like, even though it's almost two years old. That will change on June 1st, when my wife and I will move into our new house, where I'll have my own spot. (It's all happening at once...new house, new family member to prepare for!) The size is just right for me to do my thing, and I can't wait to set it up.
But, I digress. I think it's time I have a long-overdue discussion with my pal Sam about how she set her business up, and whatever struggles she may have encountered. If anything, I'm sure she'd be able set me on the right path.

Next, I had to 2) "lay the foundations of my marketing strategy", and if you look at the challenge entry, the first thing I have to do is figure out who I'm trying to impress. I have to say my target is art directors. The next step?:

Based on your research, I’d like you to gather a targeted list of 10 Companies, Publishers, Art Directors or Manufacturers that you will be contacting when we get to that part of the challenge.

Well, I took that as a call to gather the art director info for the following ten magazines/newspapers:

Playboy, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The Walrus, Monocle, Esquire, Maxim, National Post, and Complex. This list might need some tweaking, as I've been thinking about some of these titles since college (I remember seeing Playboy Japan on an illustrator's client list and thought that was the most amazing thing ever). And the last step:

Armed with everything you now know about your list of contacts, plan out 6 portfolio pieces that you will be creating in the next 3 weeks of the challenge...

Okay, two or three of these will need to have caricature involved. Admittedly, not my strong point, but I'm down to get better. Some musicians, actors, political figures, etc. Maybe the other half should be concept-driven or humorous? I'd say that's the move.

I guess that's it! I really didn't think I'd get this far as flushing out what needs to be done. I did have a few notes to go by. I'm gonna roll by the Zero 2 Illo clubhouse and see what my compatriots have done, and take notes. And Jonathon has already posted this week's assignment, so I'm going to give it a look before bed.

I'm feeling way more accomplished than I thought I would. Either that, or I'm super-deluded!

Random Thoughts: April 13th, 2010

It's BDI time, fool. Get you some.

• Zero 2 Illo 12 Week Challenge, Week 2. This week? A business plan. Creative person Kryptonite. However, the way Jonathan and his lovely wife Lea have broken it all down for us, it seems simple enough to do! Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to chewin' on this one. Plus, it needs to be done.
  
• R.I.P. Jenny Joyce. (This bit might be somewhat NSFW) Jenny was a MILF before the term came about. She was among the most visible of early '90s mature adult performers for Filmco/Totally Tasteless Video, including Kitty Foxx and Cathy Jones. And by far, she was my favorite. AVN wrote a nice obit/profile for her.
  
• American Trademarks: Got a call today from the good folks at McNally that my copy of American Trademarks has arrived. Illustration and design powerhouse Micheal Doret wrote it up nicely on his blog, so naturally, I had to cop it. Also, Aaron Draplin – a man I look up to – is also profiled in this book, which is a incentive that put my approval over the top.
  
• Frank Stockton. Looking through a number of illustration annuals over the years, I can say that subconsciously, I've become a fan of Frank Stockton. However, I think my admiration for his talent truly came to fruition while flipping through Illustrators 51. There, I found page 3 of his six-page story, "A Shot At Glory" (written by Zev Borow) for ESPN magazine. In particular, I'm taken with the superior, aloof stance of the pitcher, Martha, in panel 9. Before you say anything, yes, I fully realize she's big, which I love. But that isn't it. What I love really, is how she's constructed. Her stance is real. When she says, "you suck, Borow," you can't help but believe she means it. I dug this page so much, I went to my library to find the real deal, only to find the whole thing online.

Zero 2 Illo 12 Week Challenge: Week 1, Part 2

Time for me to answer the question: What do you want to illustrate? Or, to be more specific, what kind of illustration do I want to do?
Editorial
Art prints and other ephemera
Comics
Art shows
I really do think that sums it up. My official/unofficial motto for the longest time has been "I just want to make cool shit", and now I've just made the cool shit specific.
We, as zero2illo12wc participants, were also to ask ourselves some other questions, such as (these come directly from the site):

• Is your idea commercially viable?
  You mean to do all of that stuff? Sure. I mean, the comics idea is mainly for the love of the art form and storytelling. It might be a pipe dream of sorts for me. I'm not sure I want to draw someone else's story. I really think I'd like to write and illustrate my own story, but I currently have nothing to say or tell. I just love comics. The truth is, there's no guarantee of success, and it's time-consuming. It's a labour of love to do it on the solo tip.
  So I could probably do all of that stuff, but I'll have to shift my energy as I need to. One part will pay more bills than the other. That's life.
  
• What are the target markets (publications, manufacturers, brands and companies) currently commissioning this kind of illustration?
  
  • Editorial: My personal "big two" are The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. There's also Esquire, The Walrus, Exclaim! (even though they only have one spot for illustration now), Monocle, etc.
  • Art prints and other ephemera: No one's really commissioning this stuff, but immediate outlets would be the gigposters.com classifieds and Etsy.
  • Comics: Top Shelf, Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Oni Press. I'd say those would be my ideal publishers.
  • Art shows: I'd kill to be part of a Gallery 1988 group show or something at Nucleus. Eventually, a solo show would be dope. I'd love to travel internationally for this kind of thing, but I'd have to be of Kozik or Baseman status. It could happen.
    
• Who are the big players (illustrators) in this market?
  
  • Editorial: Peter de Sève, Tomer Hanuka, Marcos Chin, Sterling Hundley, and many more...
  • Art Prints: Dan McCarthy, Dave Kinsey, Evan Hecox, man...check out OMGPosters.com and even more names will pop up.
  • Comics: Man...uh, Jaime Hernandez, Daniel Clowes, Seth, Chris Ware, etc. These dudes are the elite in my eyes (and off the top of my head).
  • Art shows: Frank Kozik, Coop, Scott C., Glenn Barr, Dave Cooper, and others. I really look up to these people.
    
• Why are they successful in this area? Look at their website and other online profiles, search for interviews with them online…How do they promote themselves? If you can break down what makes them successful (other than that they are very talented), you can apply this model to your own business.
  Well, first of all, they're all really good. And they never stop, they're constantly busy. A number of them maintain blogs, keeping people updated on their exploits/work/products/lunch. They're staying busy, relevant, and visible.

It's currently 4:38, and I should be in bed. However, I'm really glad I sat down and wrote this out. Maybe I'll be able to come up with a good game plan out of this. Stay tuned.

Zero 2 Illo 12 Week Challenge: Week 1, Part 1

And so it begins!

So far, there are close to (or possibly over) 80 folks taking part in the Zero 2 Illo 12 Week Challenge, and the enthusiasm is high, so far. All of the bios that Jonathan has been able to post, including mine, can be found here, and an assortment of discussions are taking place at the newly set up Ning-based "clubhouse", including an introduction thread.

The first task seems deceptively simple, but requires a bit of soul-searching; it's a question: what do you want to illustrate?

I more-or-less have an answer, but I think I should take a little time to suss it out, as I'm making it a public record sort of thing. Of course, I have the right to change my mind later, but I doubt there will be much deviation. For now, I'm gonna write some notes, and get some sleep. Peace.

Launched!

Looking back on my short list of resolutions, I'd say I handled 1 and 2 with varying degrees of success. With mere weeks to go, it's time to shovel some dirt on the grave of number 3 with the launch of my portfolio site.

I was building one with Squarespace a little while ago, but I couldn't get it off the ground for some reason. Believe me, I wish I could articulate why I wasn't feeling it. All I know is that Indexhibit – the platform I ended up utilizing – has been just user-friendly enough for me to dive in head first. It didn't hurt that my man Mark has been down with Indexhibit for a while, or that fellow gigposters.com member Scott Campbell has put together a fine site with it.

No, I can't say it's done, but it's a start. A long overdue start. I still have to fix all of the links to open in other windows, and I need to figure out that "previous/next" navigation thing to display the posters I want to put up. And I'm sure I've broken something in the process of making this thing. I'm far from an HTML or CSS guru, so it's good that Indexhibit has a forum where people have asked most of the questions that are on my mind. W3 Schools has been mighty helpful, too.

While the site is simple (like its owner), I wouldn't mind sprucing the joint up a little. I've been thinking about putting to use the collapsing menu bit that Scott and a few other Indexhibit customers have been messing with, and a few other things. Maybe you have some suggestions. You do, don't you? If you do, don't hesitate to drop me a line (my address is on my "Bio/Contact" page).

Did I mention that I like orange? Such a fetching color.

GIANT RIPOFF!

Unless you keep your ear to the ground for illustration happenings, you may not have heard about a fly-by-night Hong Kong publisher putting out a book full of stolen art. All of the work and interviews came from members of The Little Chimp Society site. Just fuckin' ridiculous.
Read all about it at Luc Latulippe's blog.

Unconditional Corgi Love!

This is my piece for the newly launched Winnipeg 'zine, A Paw In My Face, founded by my man Chris Pointon and Meagan Radford.
Those of you in Peg City can get yerself a copy from these spots:

Osborne Village
Starbucks, Kustom Kulture, Urban Waves, Second Cup, Music Trader

The Exchange District
The Fyxx, Mondragon, Connect Four, Art Space building, Into The Music, Mulberry Art, Underground Café

also...
The Fyxx on Broadway
Cousins Deli (Wolsely)
The Park Theatre (Osborne)
McNally Robinson Books (Grant Park) West End Cultural Centre

This issue's topic? LOVE.

Why a corgi? Because they're so cute!
If I could find the cutie I used for reference, I'd link it up, 'cuz I found it on Flickr.

Now, if you ain't from here, you can read the whole thing here.

Pip Skid "Tire Fire" T-Shirt

Yo, this was fun to do. Homie should have a bunch with him for his Halifax show in a little bit. Yup.

Illustration Friday: Missing

It's been too got-damn long. F'real.



Yo, Something's Wrong Here, 2007 • graphite, assorted markers, photocopier and Photoshop®

No high-falutin' concept behind this, really.
Original inspiration: a sketch I photocopied and taped up in my cubicle.
The title: the first line spoken in De La Soul's "Potholes In My Lawn".
Why use a photocopier?: an Illustration Friday idea I have yet to post (and complete, for that matter) was on the sketchbook page previous to the one where this resides. Didn't feel like having marker ink bleed through it. Photocopied it, finished it later. Yup.
First IF participation in a year. I'm hoping to make it a habit again.

Random Thoughts: July 4th, 2007

Top: Empowered #1. Adam Warren is so good, he sickens me. See for yourself.
Middle: A wet, but fun Canada Day.
Bottom: The White Stripes at MTS Centre, July 2nd.

• I shouldn't be up, but here I am.
• The Stripes show was great. My fandom is renewed. The Jason Stollsteimer incident bugged me a bit, but hey, who hasn't been in a dust-up now n' then, huh? Icky Thump is a great listen, too.
• Frank Kozik has 46 (!!!) toy designs coming out this month. Holy shit!
• My iPod is brain dead. The living room of my apartment is in shambles due to my rooting about for CDs.
• I did mention how gut-wrenchingly good Adam Warren is, right? I've been reading Empowered #1 over and over for months now, and I'm constantly blown away how great it is in both its script and artwork. Every panel appeals to me on both a technical level (the whole fucking thing is in pencil. PENCIL! Fine, don't believe me? Here's his process.), and on a very base one (Adam draws ladies quite nicely). I've been digging his work since he used to illustrate the "tech" column in Spin, and I was immediately taken by his ability to take manga traits and make them palatable for a North American audience, and this was when manga was still pretty foreign. Now that a lot of us are more attuned to Japanese comics, the signifiers he uses in his artistic blend are that much more entertaining when they're employed. On the writing end, Adam continually skewers comics and pop culture in general. In one chapter, a number of Empowered's "Superhomey" associates recount their origins...standard comic book fair. The twist is that they all got their powers via irresponsible sexual liaisons. Another chapter deals with Emp and her friend Ninjette giddily reading slash fan fiction on the internet about themselves and their cohorts. That's a fuckin' brilliant premise.
• While I'm talking about talented folks, let's shine a light on a French dude named Yves, better known as Balak. I got a deviantART membership only so I could freely comment on his work (which is lovely, and a little pervy) and Adam's. Plus, it allows me to be privy to some of their naugtier work, too. Y'all know how I roll.
• Other than that, there ain't a whole lot of reason to have a deviantART account, unless yer really into the anthropomorphic thing. I'm not.
• Fellow gigposters.com and flickr user Frank Sparrow (that's his pen name, actually) has a set of illustrations going, and I've been entertained by each one so far. Check 'em out.
• I'm going to bed.

Monster Popularity

For a Manitoban article. I haven't actually read the story yet, but I was told it was about the popularity of certain monsters. The person requesting the illustration (not the author) told me that the Frankie in the story was "one part charles manson, one part
oprah, one part einstein, and one part "journey" (the band)."
I gave him a Charlie shirt. She liked it. :)
See the large version here.
The story can be found here.