Happy B-Day Kat!

Okay, this is the last birthday that I know of, so this is it for birthday doodles. I hate to admit, but I did this last night after a Brazilian/Hallowe'en party, and I wasn't, er, quite sober, so I couldn't think what to draw, so I thought, I'll just draw another kitty!

Now, didn't I just go to look at your profile and see that you love fishies too. So, why don't we say that this is actually the moment right before the fish bites that bad cat.
Sorry I couldn't do something cooler, but... it's requiring a real effort to even look at the monitor right now, 'cause man, my head hurts.
Have a good one Kat!

Book Signing Suckage

All right, let me begin by apologizing for mocking Nate's selling of a single book at his signing. Ahem. Cause I didn't sell a single one.


I had maybe 2 older guys who at least chatted, but they were completely not interested. (One of them was working.) Some frat boys came by and I think they were half-flirting, half-mocking me. (Who can tell with stupid immature frat boys, anyway?) And towards the very end of things, right as I was packing up, a nerdly sort picked one of the books up, put it down, and laughed. I said "Do you like science fiction and fantasy?" He sneered coolly. "Yes, I do, actually," and sauntered off.

I'm definitely not cut out for socializing. Perhaps it was pessimistic karma. I'm also in the middle of conservative country (Lubbock has one of the highest teen pregancy rates in the country because they don't teach sex ed in their schools.) Maybe people will be more fascinated by my drawing at an actual bookstore. Maybe drawings don't mean much to college kids.

Happy B-Day Laura!

Hey, it may not be your birthday yet in Texas, but it's the 26th here. So, I didn't like how my cartoon of you was going, so I opted to do a really silly piece of fan art instead. I sincerely hope you don't find it too blasphemous.

This is the Domesticated House-Kynx. They make very interesting pets. Unfortunately, they do have a tendancy to develop obesity due to their telekinetic abilities preventing them from getting up very often. The Domestic house-Kynx is not recommended for families with small children or other animals.

Um, yeah. It's the thought that counts, right? Have a good one!

Spectrum 14

Hey, I think everyone should think about entering a piece for Spectrum 14. If you are not familiar with it, you can check out their website at www.spectrumfantasticart.com The entry fee is $20, but it's a great opportunity to get your work published and even if it isn't selected it will be viewed by some of the most influential names in the fantasy/sci-fi art world. SWEEET.

aminals!

So I drew this sketch on Sunday. Thought it would make a good main image for the website I'm always threatening, that I might get around to putting up some day...

I'm having a slight dilemma with this sketch. I actually like it, but it didn't turn out at all like how I first envisioned it. In fact, whole swirly-imagery-thing coming out of the pen ended up being waaay more stylized than my original rough sketch was. I had intended something more realistic that I could try to paint, but to me, this piece is just crying out to be inked. Sometimes I wonder if I should even bother trying to force my way out of cartooning and line art? I love inking, but I feel like I should be pushing myself to try painting more 3D forms. But if I'm being honest with myself, I'm far more interested in highly graphic, stylized or abstract illustration than I am by hyper-realistic painting (though I'm impressed by it, of course.) I'm obsessed with linework, and Aubrey Beardsley is my idol. So I guess my dilemma is, I don't actually feel like I'm stuck in a rut--but should I feel like I'm stuck in a rut?

No need for sticks and torches! Updated

Hi guys! Sorry for the interlude. I was caught between dayli life work and exhausting tryings to understand the blog tool. I have been working a a lot after the IOTF event. A few contests submissions and a whole new sculpture (I will include a few pics if I find how). Here the submission for the warcraft Blizzard contests (thanks Mike for the info).
Also I had my first signing event last saturday. It was kind of slow but it was fun. The bookstore wasn't precisely crowded and actually I was the only one doing signings. No one gave me breakfast cereal (the jealousy is killing me Naten!), but drawing in situ definetly "draws" the attention. And don't worry Naten, at the end of the event I only signed 3 to 4 books and my fiancee found one of them stranded near the cashier.

Before this signing event I e-mailed to Ron, Val and Steve (our new mentors ;) and Val asked me if I can foward some advices from the info she gave me bout signing events.. so she said:
"When our childrens' books came out, our signings were all different. Some did not advertise, and only a few people showed up. Some put us at a table, in the back corner in the dark - so to speak. But most were just nice folks, trying to earn a living with their love of running a book store. They want to share and sell books. Even a few the chains, had people who love what they're doing. So here is where you come in. Call the store and tell them you have a signing on (date ) and you have some questions. Ron reminded me : Tell them you would like to sell some Prints, and ask "What percentage do you take ". The more information you can give them - is useful for their advertising, A bookstore may give you a 4x4 or a 4x 8 table. Depending on space, just ask. Be respectful though, and I know you are. In answer to what to bring, Bring your business cards, notebook, sketchbook, and on your first and every time, a support friend. The support friend, makes it easier the first time After that, it's just fun, because you have had that experience, and then you can say to each other, "Well,-- That Happened " Have a wonderful time at your signing ! Send me a post on your impressions. "---Val


Ah! and this is the sculpture i started after the workshops. It is made of clay and measures 7" tall aprox. In these pictures it's unfinished so i will post the finished ones shorly.Everyone Take care, i will post more later...

Book Signing Report

Hello, fellow illustrators! Well, got through my first book signing on Saturday, and it was quite the experience. It was a busy day at Borders with about 3 other book signings, an educational game demonstration, and and Educators Discount Day going on. Whew! Kind of like a carnival. Anyway, they set me up at a nice big table, and immediately sprang my plan into action.

Deftly unsheathing my jumbo-sized sketchbook, I flipped the cover open in a vicious arc and narrowed my eyes at the oblivious store patrons. They had no idea what was coming. With a flick of the wrist, my trusty Koh-i-noor .5mm Rapidomatic popped out of its concealed holster and into my waiting grip. Then it started. Sketch! Doodle! Cartoon! Three were down before the staff had any idea what was happening. A crowd of onlookers gathered to witness the sweet horrible magic I wielded, and that only fueled my frenzy.

"What's he doing?" they cried. "I can only do stick figures," wailed a few older women. I knew they were in awe of my actions, but I felt they needed guidance. Focusing my chi and centering the weight of my spiritual power, I spoke to the masses. The gods' ambrosia to starving children were the words that flowed from my lips, and they knealt and offered breakfast cereals at hearing my truth.

"Practice makes perfect."

Anyway, while drawing to attract attention was a great hit, and I did have a crowd of about 8 for a while, I need to work on my selling. After about two and a half hours, I sold only one book, and even then I had to reassure her that it had nothing to do with Scientology. The good news is that for all that time, I was only left alone for about 20 minutes at the beginning and 20 minutes at the end (which was why I called it a day). So that's that.

Also, I heard that Alex had a book signing on the same day I did, so I think YOU, mistah Torres, should post a report too! That's all I have, but I'll get some sketches up soon.

Pin Up

Hey guys, I finally finished that piece for the pin-up calender. I guess the results for who won will be posted this week. There were some pretty bad-ass entries, so I'm not sure mine will make it in, but it was fun.

Also, I got a freelance job drawing a few characters for a fantasy RPG. Wooo-hoo! It's a small company, but my stuff will get published and it was really fun. I'll be sure to post as soon as I can show the images.

Work stuff...

Here's an ad that I worked on recently. Not terribly exciting, but it was the first photo shoot I've been responsible for. This ad will run in pubs for pediatricians, so it's not likely to be seen by the general public. Basically, I took over when another AD was swamped so the concept and overall layout are not mine. But I did play around with a few elements and had a hand in the final image composition--I was also a part of the model selection, wardrobe and other details. Overall, the shoot was a fun experience, but nothing really compares to looking at something you've done by your own hand. Just wanted to give you guys an idea of what I do. BTW, we took about 120 pics of these guys and, since everyone was out sick that day, I had to widdle them down to a few possible combinations. This was the client's selection and I think it works well. They were then added to the school bus which was shot separately and composed by our Photoshop guru. Tight deadlines and nit-picky clients caused me to work late many a night and drink heavily when it was done. Gotta love advertising.

Happy Birthday Ozzie!

Not the best likeness, I know, but I scribbled this out while on break at work Friday. Would've been better if I'd used a photo reference--but that just would've been too much trouble for a quick sketch. Also thought it would be funny to draw Marisol Nichols holding the cake... but I just didn't have that much free time at work. Hey, it's the thought that counts.

I see that Eldar commented on one of the posts! (waving excitedly) HI ELDAR! Glad you finally made it!

For shame!

Shame on me for being so lax. Things got kind of dead, and I wandered away in a kind of sad stupor. Things have been kind of lonely for me in this 25,000 person one-horse town. I'm in better shape than I was yesterday, though, because I started a writing group and our first meeting was tonight. I gave my prologue of Daemonfire to complete strangers and everyone loved it. Gives me hope for marketing it.
Here are some of what I've been working on. They are character chapter headings for the novel. I am nearly done with all of the animal-types, so soon I most focus on *deep breath and shudder* more of the humans. I kind of hope they won't be eaten alive, cause it's a bitch to change things, but I await your opinion.

No Art--Just News!

Hey guys, I received my first response from a publisher today and I have great news. They have an interest in publishing my story with a few minor changes. They publish books for kids in K-3, so I have to reduce my word count and use smaller words. Also, I have to expand my story to 32 pages, but I don't have to create any new art yet. If they're cool with the manuscript revisions, they'll send it out to school teachers, librarians, etc. in February to get their feedback. Then a contract negotiation can begin and I will start the new illustrations. I know it's early, but I wanted to share this info. I'll be researching appropriate words for kids in this age/grade level this weekend, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. For now, I'll hit B&N and a local educational store for info. Wish me luck! :)

New Kids on the Block

Here's a sketch of the kids in my new book. Still playing around with a few details, but this is their general look. When choosing names, I figured why not use people I know. I only wish there were 12 of 'em. So, Kat, the oldest sibling, is the chaperone on their trick-or-treating adventure (and is appropriately named bc of her costume). Nathan is our super-hero loving middle child (based on the review Nate gave of Superman Returns on his site, it seemed right). And the youngest is Mel, short for Melanie or Melvin. Thought I'd add a little mystery to this character (since Mel can be very mysterious--jk) Hope you all don't mind. Still fleshing out the story but I'm pulling some great refs so far. Oh, and I still don't have a title yet, but once it's written, I think I'll start asking for suggestions from all of you.

Also, earlier this week, I mailed out 26 submissions to publishers—17 with dummies of Pangaea and 9 query letters. I have a few more to send out, but getting through submission guidelines is a long process. Response times vary, so I probably won't hear back from anyone for at least a month. I'll def keep everyone posted, and hope to have more finished art soon.

Tumbleweeed...

... just drifting through to say hello. Been a little quiet here. Come on, let's see some sketchbook pages or homework assignments or something. I see Alex started a draft-- Alex, come back and finish posting? Kim must be finished her painting for the calendar by now, so I hope she'll post it soon. And the question of the hour is, where the hell are you James? Oh, and I wonder if Miguel has figured out the blog yet...?

Nothing much is new with me, except my hair, which is sky-blue now. I knocked myself unconscious for the first time in my life tonight by tripping over a cat. How unglamourous. We're cat-sitting this week, so there's a few extra ones milling around the apartment, and it was my own stupid fault for opening a can of tuna.

Here's a random doodle. Ten points if you can tell me who it is. Actually, if you can't tell who it is, then I am a terrible cartoonist. I just did it to play with the Wacom. I rarely do any actual drawing or inking with the Wacom, just scan my inks and colour them. This came out alright, but I still could've inked it faster by hand.