Almost Angel

One of the nice things about summer break is that I have more time to paint . . . just a little. I worked on this painting a bit more the past couple days and figured I should post an update. I've enjoyed working with straight black &white on this one. It has allowed me to focus on value without the added complexity of hue. I still have a lot of details to finish . . . which reminds Teacher Me to say to my students,"The difference between mediocre art and good art is in the finish work!" Let's see how well I finish off this one.

Book Recommendation:
Drawing with an Open Mind

Drawing in Spare Moments

I've had little time to update my blog this year, and unfortunately, I haven't had much more time for my own drawing and painting. It's one of those challenges that presents itself for teachers: How do you find time to create your art when so much of your time is dedicated to helping others create theirs?

One option I've discovered is to work on a drawing or painting during school. I snag a few minutes here and there, usually in the form of demonstration. As a student, I always learned a great deal by observing other artists. Therefore, I hope my students will gain a little more by watching me.

Here is a charcoal drawing I started the other day for my illustration class.



I'll try to add updates as I continue to work on the drawing. It still has a long way to go.

Big Decisions

Have you noticed that the toughest decisions in life aren’t choices between Right and Wrong? No, the toughest decisions are when we have to choose between Right and Right. Recently, I’ve had to make one of the biggest Right/Right decisions in my life. Since 1997, I’ve worked for Alinco Costumes, designing mascots for companies like Disney, ESPN, and the NBA. I’ve done well there and my employers, Terry and Lowla Allen, have become like second parents to me. So, yesterday it was very difficult for me to tell Terry that I would be leaving Alinco. I have accepted an offer to teach art at the DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts in Ogden, Utah. It was a difficult decision, but it was driven by my love for teaching art and working with youth. And the decision, having been made, feels like the thing I am meant to do. And while I’m sad to leave Alinco, I can’t help but feel a great deal of excitement to be involved with the DaVinci Academy and to help develop this young art program.

My last full day at Alinco will be August 7^th. After that, I will probably still be involved with Alinco, helping with designs and projects, as time will allow. I definitely want to thank Terry and Lowla for their friendship and support throughout the past 12 years.

The Isle of Doctor Necreaux

A few months ago I had the chance to draw 65 spot illustrations for a new table-top game called The Isle of Doctor Necreaux, published by Alderac Entertainment Group. The website is now up and the game is scheduled for release on July 20, 2009. The cover art was done by Scott Purdy and I did the interior illustrations. There are a few sample illustrations on the Necreaux website, although it doesn't show my favorites. After the game is officially released I might post a few.

Creative People Recognize and Nurture Good Ideas

Trait #2: Creative People Recognize and Nurture Good Ideas

For me, generating ideas is sheer joy. Seriously. I love to sketch new characters and concepts all the time. Quite often, those ideas go nowhere. But then, every once in a while, I look at an idea and think, "yeah, that's the one." I want to take it further and ultimately to share it with other people.

So what makes an idea stand out? What makes it good? And what makes it worth your time?

Honestly, those aren't easy questions to answer, but I hope the following points will help:

1. Let me start by saying that as you exercise your creativity, you WILL have bad ideas. You will think they are wonderful in the beginning, but in the end, they will turn out lousy. It happens, and it is a GOOD thing, because experiencing bad ideas is a vital part of learning to recognize the good ones. So, I don't want you to think having a bad idea is a bad thing.

2. The basic question to ask yourself about any idea is, "does it solve the problem or challenge?" For example, if you're building a bridge, does it span from one side to the other and can it hold the weight it's expected to carry? Or if you're creating an illustration, does it communicate the text clearly and in a way that appeals to the viewer. For every creative endeavor, there is a purpose. So recognizing a good idea is really the act of defining your purpose and then picking the idea that fulfills that purpose best.

3. Often the key to recognizing a good idea is simply to try it. Mock it up. Write it. Do a sketch. Experiment. That's how good art and good science come to be.

4. Share your idea with other people. As an artist, the purpose of my art is to communicate. So, if I show it to someone and it fails to do that, I need to rethink the idea. But remember this: some people will not like your idea, but your mother really will. So, don't just share it with one person. Get several opinions and consider if your idea is really working. If it's not, don't take it personally and be willing to go back to the drawing board. This is not rejection. It's a good idea under construction.

5. And, ultimately, a good idea is what feels right to you. While others may or may not like your idea, it is important that you do (remember Trait #10: Creative People Value their Ideas).

There are many other ways to recognize a good idea, but I hope these will help point you in the right direction.

Suggested Sketchbook Activities:

1. A Good Reworking

Look around and find three stories, characters, advertisements, etc., that you consider "bad" ideas, and rework them your way. Then share your sketches with a friend and see how he or she responds. For example, while I'm a big fan of Star Wars, I'm not a fan of Jar Jar Binks. So I've considered how he might have been improved and sketched him more to my own liking. I'm sure you've got your own dissapointments, so this is your chance to make things better.

2. Concepts #2

Basically this is the same as the Concepts activity from my last post, but with the addition of one step. Share your concept sketches with someone else and see how they respond to each one. Ask yourself, does each sketch communicate the concept clearly and which one is most visually appealing?