Gah! It's Been So Long!

Hi guys! Glad to see there are still some folks stomping around the old place. How was Japan? And Comic Con? And Dragon Con with Stephen Hickman?
I landed a concept art job for a burgeoning video game studio called L337 Media here in Austin. I'm getting paid in stock right now, since the company's just starting out, but it takes the sting out of having to work for reverse mortgages. I'm under an NDA, so I can't post anything, but we just pitched to Square Enix and things apparently "went well". If it gets picked up, I'll have a game credit with Square Enix! (!!!)
I'd kill for an art director right now, though, my bosses are marketers, designers, and pitchers before they even remotely approach the art spectrum. On the one hand, I have a lot of artistic freedom, but on the other, I can get confused about what they have in mind. Like "Make this more realistic, more dramatic, and more movie-like". Slightly conflicting.
I'm also marketing one of my novels. I've gotten some promising feedback from agents, but no one's said "yes", yet. Sword-and-sorcery is not the current trend, modern day fantasy is. Curses!
I hope everyone's doing okay and livin' well, all artsy and stuff. I miss any intelligent, art-related conversation. Seriously. I have no one local I can talk to about that kind of thing (but I do want to join the SCBWI, Austin has a chapter.) I hadno idea how lucky I was surrounded by all of you.

Hey people. Just a quick note to say that I won't be at the San Diego comic con after all. It was too expensive in the end, It's going to cost me less to go to Japan for some reason. So I'm going to Japan later in the year instead :)

Nothing to post today :( sorry

Hopefully I'll be there next year.

yours Mel

Another contest

See below.

Hey there! Tell all your artist friends that there's a new contest...

The Comic Artist's Photo Reference Contest

Okay, artists, sharpen those pencils because IMPACT Books and Buddy
Scalera have an art contest, to celebrate the upcoming release of
Comic Artist's Photo Reference: Women and Girls and we want to see
your art!

THE PRIZE:
- One grand prize winner will receive both books in the Comic Artist's
Photo Reference series (People and Poses, and Women and Girls), plus
some nifty art supplies and will be featured in the May IMPACT
Newsletter.
- Two runners up will receive a copy of Comic Artist's Photo
Reference: Women & Girls.

THE PICTURES:
http://buddyscalera.com/contest_women/index.htm

THE RULES
* No purchase required to enter.
* Must use the images provided (see above link)
* Create your own original comic or fantasy art in whatever medium you
like (pencils, inks, markers, etc.) based on the gallery of images
below
* Sexually suggestive images automatically disqualified
* All characters must be original creations
* Marvel, DC, Image, or other licensed characters not permitted due to
copyright restrictions

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
* Subject line of your email must include the title of your work, your
name, and the number of submissions you've made. Example: "Pinup Art,
John Doe, Submission #2"
* All entries must be in JPEG format, 72 dpi.
* Submit entries to buddy@buddyscalera.com
* Winners chosen at the sole discretion of the judges

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: April 25, 2008

NOTE:
This email was sent to you because of your POSSIBLE interest in comic book art
and photo reference or because you purchased on of my photo reference
products. To be removed from any future mailings, just click REPLY and
note "Remove" in the subject or body of your email. For more
information, visit www.buddyscalera.com

Not Dead!

Hi Guys!

I've been thinking a lot about all of you lately and at the same time kicking myself for not posting more. I have a new group show opening in Atlanta called the "Deep Dark Woods" , so that has occupied a lot of my time. Also, I have been doing a bit of freelance stuff and working on the portfolio, I'll post come images when I get the OK from the publisher. Convention season is coming up and I just found out that Steven Hickman is going to be a judge for the Dragon Con art show! How cool is that?! I'll have to post more later, it's back to work for now.

Are we all dead, then?

Is life getting away with us all or what? The old memories are fading, eh?
Anyone else on ConceptArt, cause I'm scared to death to post! I'm imagining a bunch of froth-mouthed snoots tearing apart my attempts at anything. But man, can people on there draw.
I'd just like to know, so maybe I'm not so lonely on there.

Short comic

Sorry I haven't posted anything in ages. I was expecting to post this alot sooner.

This is the six page comic that has been accepted into the next 'Character sketches' anthology put together by Gestalt. It should be at the San Diego comic con this next year along with myself ^__^

I've decided not to post the whole thing here, so people will have to buy it to see it all :P These are the middle three pages

It's lead pencil on paper. I'm not sure how long it took me to do in the end... a few months I think? It was Somewhat inspired by Shaun Tan's 'The Arival'. Any of you lot know who Shaun Tan is?

cheers, Mel

Is it still my work?

Ozzie asked me to post my side of the collaboration we did at the beginning of the year. It's an Abnepos (avatar) of Arista, the forest goddess.
So, I have a question. I've been working on these animal character templates for a roleplaying book that's going to come out in March 2008. We're wrapping up the last of the work. The guy I'm working for has tweaked my work, and actually made improvements on the characters. Mostly fine detail; I'm not a detail person. He's also added texture and refined the fur. There is a notable difference between my pieces and his tweaks on them, and his do look better.
So can I post these improved pieces in my portfolio? As my own work or with a disclaimer like "collaboration with so and so" at the bottom? Cause on the one hand, I think his improvements make the pieces nicer to look at, but on the other, I'm afraid my "style" won't count for diddly if people see it was a collaboration piece.
So, I guess I really don't know what to do, but I didn't want to ignorantly wonder into the world of plagiarism without meaning to.
More posts, I say!

Webcomic

Hey guys,
I teamed up with a writer in my area on a webcomic that's currently on his site. His name is Chris Wichtendahl and he writes a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and comic short stories. In looking for a writer to collaborate with, I figured the local comic shop would be a good place to find someone and it just so happened Chris was good friends with the owner. This is the first of a few collaborations in the works, including my Halloween story which he's already brought a bunch of cool ideas to the table for. This story was scripted and lettered by Chris, and I did the pencils and inks. Check it out and enjoy.
http://www.hemispherestudios.com/webcomic.html
PS Laura, you should post the colored Arista you did--it was really well done. :)

Return From Outer Space!!

Hey Guys!

Man, it's been too long since I've had my fix of of the good ol' Illustrators' blog. I have missed you all immensely and I'm sorry for not writing. A lot of things have been happening lately. Dragon Con was a smashing good time. I met George Lowe and C. Martin Croker, the voice actors of Space Ghost and Zorak on "Space Ghost Coast to Coast". I randomly ran into Corey Adams, an animator for "Williams Street" (Cartoon Network) and made a new friend. Martin Croker is also an animation director for the Cartoon Network and he was very interested in my work. I've been in contact with him, so hopefully something will come from it. Also, there was interest from White Wolf and several other small publishers. The exhibit in the art show went well and I sold several pieces. I'll definitely be back next year.

I just re-designed my website, and I would like to post links to your respective sites if anyone is interested. Just post your URL and I'll add it.

Jay and I recently moved to Atlanta, GA. The art scene is much more active here and I have a solo show booked for November and a group show in December. A gallery in midtown is carrying my prints. We've only been here a few months and I'm already exhausted from all of the marketing and foot-work. The good thing is, it's paying off and I'm getting a lot of good exposure.

It's Spectrum time again! Call for entries begins in October, so everyone should enter(www.spectrumfantasticart.com). The down side is that it's $30 per entry, but I think it's worth it.

These pictures are a few new things I'm working on. One is a digital painting with the intention of practicing light and texture creation. The other is a sketch I completed for the Dragon Con quick sketch competition.

WIPpy

Hello, all! Just dusting this blog off a little with a work in progress. This is just some fan art for a friend's book, but it'll soon become a digital painting. It's been a long long time since I did a montage piece, and this one's based off the first Harry Potter movie poster for parody purposes.

Anyway, I'm posting here to see if anyone has any helpful tips, problems you notice, etc. Thanks, and I hope you're all still doing well!