The first years my parents got married, my mom sewed up some Christmas decorations for their little Scarborough basement apartment out of bright green and red and white calico. She made two lovely stockings, and a bunch of little love birds for their tree.
Every Christmas they get pulled out from storage, and still look beautiful – they’ve held up better than most of our familys other ornaments. And on Christmas morning, if I’m at home I wake up to the handmade green stocking, at the end of my bed.
So, now that this is our first married Christmas, I figured I’d make some little love birds for us too, out of more scraps leftover from the wedding
This is my wonky little birdy prototype. He’s a little funny looking, but he’s a first attempt, and I think once I tweak the placement on the next one, he’ll be looking much cuter.
But now… Mmmmmmmmmmm… Liam is baking bread! So excited!
Just ’cause I’m not in school, doesn’t mean I want to stop learning. Never. I want to be self-taught. Here’s how I’m going to do it.
I’m gonna do my best to:
- be serious and professional when learning, creating and pursuing
- be open-minded and light-hearted when learning, creating and pursuing
- go ahead and aquire (and read) as many good art, illustration and design books as I can, whenever I can
(right now: rummaging thrift stores for vintage children’s books counts)
- go ahead and buy tools that will make it easier and more fun for me to create whenever I can
(right now: one of those little wooden bendy model guys and an adjustable stool for my drafting table)
- take workshops somewhere in something technical but creative whenever I can
(right now: print making, or jewellery smithing, or comic creation really interest me)
- go to LOTS of life drawing
- read more (everyday)
- write/blog more (everyday)
- draw more (everyday)
- create, for no reason other than to create (everyday)
So long as I make some kind of change to myself or my environment, made something happen, learned/made/created/adapted/altered something in the world somehow (flapped my butterfly wings, hoping for a hurricane in Guatemala, so to speak) it’ll be a good day.
Some interesting reading on being self-taught:
autodidacticism
amateurs are the devil
I’ve been waiting to share this – I made my family home made presents for Christmas this year, and the one I am most proud of is the one I made for Liam:
It’s a board game.
The top half of the board is meant to look like a birds-eye view of the rooms of a mid-century bungalow (obviously I took some inspiration from Clue here).
The premise being that this is the home – high in the Hollywood hills – of a young writer, about to pitch a new TV show (yes, I have a very active imagination).
To win the game, you have to run around the pool and come up with a great idea for a show, and then search your bungalow to find your missing typewriter so you can get it down on paper.
I had some of the most fun with the little pawns – I drew little retro faces onto circles of shrinky dink (which I’ve never used before – sooooo much fun!) . It worked really well, as you can see. They’re super sturdy, and just the right size.
My inspiration for the little faces was the character design of the faces in the 1961 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book – I first saw it (in an earlier incarnation) at Ward Jenkins Ward-O-Matic and when I found a copy at a local vintage store, I knew I had to snap it up immediately. Not only are the illustrations amazing – but all the antiquated design tips are a huge inspiration for a girl like me with a retro decor going on.
I love how all the men wear sport coats, and skinny pants, and ties – so of course, I had to whip up a dapper little Liam (check out the green pawn).
On agenda for today:
1. Answer age old question: How do you keep an egg dropped from 8 feet from breaking using only a sheet or two of white card-stock and white glue?
(Yep, I’ve been assigned an egg drop in my Form and Structure class)
2. Figure out what an egg drop has to do with illustration.
(Probably something to do with it being a challenge, and coming up with creative interpretations and solutions and whatever – but I mean, really, isn’t this a 10th grade physics class thing?)
3. ‘Design’ a recipe for an innovative, and original fast food that can be served in 28 single serving portions to every student in my Design Process class and will appeal to 17 year old tastebuds and win Iron-Chef-style food-off.
4. Figure out what designing a fast food has to do with being an illustrator.
5. Ignore the fact that fast food assignment is basically excuse to grade class on throwing a term end party (too bad no one’s of age, otherwise my recipe would involve large quantities of booze).
6. Blow apx. fifty bucks on supplies I’ll never use again.
Before I left this last weekend, I actually did some art!
I painted this little painting/collage for my studio. It turned out pretty cute for a last minute project. Nicely graphic and cheerful (which is just what I need for inspiration).
Also on view, is my new red glass candy dish, and german transistor radio (from the early sixties), as well as a few of my little friends.
I think I kinda need to go to the broken pencil – canzine. It’s at a hip Toronto boutique hotel on the 30th of the month.
I’ve always had an unfufilled fascination with zines. It would be nice to fufill it.
I’m even thinking of seeing if I can throw together a cute, little zine to hand out there, in the next few days. It would be a million times better than a buisness card.
And it’s a challenge. I think I’ll take it.
Yay!
I have come up with some projects to work on. Alas (which is a word I’ve been using a lot recently … weird) they do not pay.
The first is the aforementioned Brock Press design style guide. I have already written a staff writers guide for them, so I figured since I ain’t got nothin’ better to do, I’d whip up something to help them with graphic design and layout. They need a wee bit of help keeping them in line with what has been done in the past. As much as there are some talented visual people working there right now, they don’t seem to know how newspaper design works as well as they should. Which is fine, since, as I’ve all ready stated that newspaper design is much more complicated and daunting than it needs to be.
My second project is to get my boyfriend a job.
I’ve always stared lovingly at all those creative self-promotional projects in Print magazine. I figure, at this point, it’s not gonna hurt if we throw something a little more creative than a resume together, even if it is me and not him who’s looking for a graphic design job.
It will be creatively done, but I’m looking at it as an ad campaign to get him hired. After working in student media, I’ve seen the kinda crazy stuff movie studio’s and record companies and festivals and the like send out to get people to pay attention to them. Why shouldn’t an english major looking for a job?
Also : ooops. It’s not Google. But I don’t think it matters at this point.
In order to keep myself busy, I offered to help out the Brock Press by whipping up a little newspaper-design style-guide.
So today I sat down to work on it. At which point I realised it’s a beast of a thing. There is a lot to keep in mind when laying out the various elements of a newspaper.
Not only is it a complex and precise art, but each part has a specific name to it, a technical name that the average person would not know or understand.
Do you know the difference between a deck, a flag and a masthead?
I certainly don’t know why everything newspaper related is nautical themed.
When I disagreed with my editors, was that mutiny? If so I should have walked the plank long ago.
Hmmm. Seems all this design rules and nonsense is driving me a little loopy.
Alas, I must soldier on.
Why do I volunteer for these things anyways?
My busy few weeks seem to be drawing to a close. I am happy to be through with them, but I also feel like I got a whole lot accomplished. Especially this piece of furniture I’ve overhauled.
Liam’s parents brought this ugly old fake wood veneer dress down with them (as we were running out of places to put our clothes). I decided to get it covered up with paint immediately – and what a difference.
What was once dark, drab and retro (in a bad way) is now bright and shiny and white. I just have to find some nice handles. I’m either gonna spray paint something ugly (like the faux Victorian brass handles it came with) a bright neon turquoise, or splurge on some beautiful chrome Restoration Hardware drawer pulls.
Haven’t quite decided yet though. Depends on how I’m feeling and doing, (especially income-wise).
I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity and inspiration. There’s a lot of stuff going around that’s been making me excited. The latest issue of How Magazine has got some pretty hot stuff in it this month. I have actually been sketching and drawing more, but I find it a bit harder to conceptualize my designs on paper, so I’m not sure if I will fulfil my promise of a real-live Illustration Friday illustration. But I’m OK with that, because, I feel like just getting out there with real live pens and ink and paint is enough for now.
I’m hoping that I will stay on my creatively inspired track and come up with both a big personal project to work on (I’ve got some ideas), and perhaps even the courage and time to start promoting myself for more freelance gigs.
Of course, I have a last bit of work to do on The Very Big Project (that Just Won’t Die).
Just some playing around with something that my client decided they wanted to change.
At the last minute.
Which doesn’t stress me out too much, but I’m not the one who has to get it to print in the next couple days.
The reality is that for the most part, this client has been delightful, so I don’t mind a bit of bureaucratic mind-changing.
Check out that link to my portfolio over there on the sidebar. I’ve switched up a few things, and added in a completely new category – one that should put any questions about what on earth that “Very Big Project” is at rest. Yep, as I’m nearing completion I’m keeping it a secret no-more. It’s too pretty to keep to myself. Just look for the hot-pink button, and the mystery will be (mostly) divulged.
Last night we made pizza and settled in to a long night of finale hotness.
I try not to talk about tv too much (or ever) cause most of the time there just doesn’t seem to be much point… but… Lost! Ahhhhhh! So good! They explained just enough to make it a season finale, and yet much too little to satisfy me. I want more! Those writers know what they’re doing. I’m totally tuning in for the rest of eternity.
It’s also fun to come up with ceaseless conspiracy theories on the true plot behind all the mystery.
My current personal theory (which I’m quite happy to be left with, even if it is for an entire summer) involves a diabolical genius in a nehru jacket and an army of minions in moon-suits living in subterranean super-futuristic bunkers deep beneath the artificially created island. The “numbers” are simply their project name, that involves some kind of apocalypse/world domination. The boy is the key to their plan, or maybe just the Antichrist.
How else to explain all the biblical references?
Today should be fun-filled with Brock related errands, crafting, possibly some sewing, and maybe even some trifle making. Advantageous, I know, but I have a lot to get accomplished before I go home for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival! Yay!
Today I am finishing up work on the Very Big Project. I basically have only a couple drawings left to finish and then I’m done (unless my client decides there’s anything else they need done – which is still pretty possible). Here’s a little sneak peak (that is obscure, and tells you absolutely nothing about what the Project is, or what it looks like, ha).
In between moving things around in Illustrator, I was downloading songs. The entirety of Stevie Wonder’s 1972 “Talking Book” to be specific. I have decided it is one of the best albums ever, of all time. The cat agreed. Her little ears twitched in time to “Superstitious.” It was the the cutest thing ever, of all time.
The first completely me-less issue of the Press has come out. I ‘m pretty sure the new illustrator Joe put me in his comic, but the gif’s too small for me to read the text and be sure. I’ll have to pick up a copy. It makes me very excited, I was editor all last year and not one comic artist put me in their comic. Joe is my favourite person again (sorry new layout guy who used to work for Fantagraphics).
Just had a pretty good lunch meeting about the Project. It’s coming along nicely (on my end any way – the other end is sick, unfortunately). I’m actually pretty much finished up. I just have to clean up my work, make sure it all makes sense, and do a little supplemental fun stuff. Since a certain someone is after me for keeping secrets, I’m sharing a little sneak peak of my work. I really didn’t mean to make things sound so clandestine, I just like keeping things to myself until they’re complete – especially when they’re for a client and not just personal (and maybe if you sent me an email or asked me about it in person I’d share the details).
It’s a model sheet of one of the characters I’m working on. You may recognize her from a previous illustration. Actually, she started out life as a preliminary sketch for “the Project” but I decided to… you know, a couple of birds, one stone.
Although now that things are winding down, I’m worrying a bit. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do when this project is over. I may have to start actually trying to make work for myself. What a novel concept. But I have a couple ideas. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.
But I have been buried under work of late. That infamous Very Big Project is taking up all my time. Which I don’t mind actually.
I’m working mostly in black and white, very clean lined, but cluttered with gradients, and a lot of grey filling in the empty spaces. I didn’t like the way that looked – too lazy and muddy looking. I looked back at my original drawings in my sketch book, and realized that they looked a million times better. They’re just black brush pen on white sketch paper, no fancy gradients to be found.
So I’m keeping the illustrations just to stark black and white, thick, line drawings and recreating the shadows and texture by hand. Which I’m much more happy about, but is definitely a bit more time consuming. Stark black and white just works so much better graphically. It pop’s right out at ya, which definitely what I’m going for with this work.
Stark, pop, graphic and dynamic. Definitely some good hints as to what I’m working away at.
An (admittedly selfish) note to bloggers: If you are a 32 year old housewife with angst: please refrain from telling the world about it. I only read about your cute little lives to entertain myself, and occasionally steal ideas on how to make stuffed animals or block prints, not because I want to see what teenage live journals would be like if they all aged 10 years, got a domain and knowledge of Typepad (but retained their need to have random strangers validate their lives).
Seriously. We all need a lot more Travis Nicholson in our lives. Now that’s how you blog.
Also note how I did not bracket that opening paragraph with <selfish> blah blah </selfish>. That’s tired.
Enough of my self indulgent telling other people how to live their internet lives though.
I am actually pretty happy with the way things are going (disappointing daily blog reads notwithstanding).
The VBP is going very well, despite yet another slight hiatus due to finishing off my work at the Press.
It’s coming to a close. The last issue of the academic year is hitting stands, and all that’s left is for me to train the incoming protege, and hope he or she doesn’t outshine me too horrifically.
I am still very busy, what with the Very Big Project and all, but for once I feel like I’m actually getting somewhere with it. That is either because going to that conference this weekend allowed me to “get some perspective” and “come back with a fresh outlook,” or simply that all the various visual elements are starting to come together to give the thing some backbone, some real body and reality.
If you’ve ever started something, and looked at it when it was halfway through, and been about ready to toss it in the trash… Well, then you know where my mindset was. I can be freakishly patient most of the time when it comes to artistic things, but sometimes it’s hard to see things clearly when they’re not whole, and completed, you know?
Not that this project is completed, of course, it’s just that there’s enough of it done for me to be sure of where I’m going with it.
It doesn’t help that I’ve got that whole “dayjob” thing to do at the same time as the VBP. Thankfully I got to do a fun info-graphic this week. Info-graphics can be the best, creatively, because there’s so many elements to play with. I’m serious, really! They may be stodgy old charts and maps traditionally, but that’s exactly what makes them a challenge to make fun and pretty.
There is too much to do, and not enough time to do it. I’ve been trying to get work done on the Really Big Project, but this week has proven to be much too busy. It would figure that now that I have alternative work to do, the editors have finally realized that having a illustrator on staff is a useful resource.
Ton’s of requests for illustrations this week, and more to come.
While I appreciate actually having to do my job, I feel like its left me behind where I should be.
I’ve managed to get a little done today, and I will probably work on the RBP into the night (such is working freelance). However, tomorrow afternoon I leave for a regional conference in Windsor. So that pretty much cancels out the weekend.
On the upside, I really seem to be getting into the swing of things.
I’ve run out of ink for my favourite pen, and I haven’t gotten the chance to run out and get another (especially since the variety I use just so happens to be a rare and unpredictable thing to hunt down) so there’s been no more sketching, but there has been a lot more experimenting with gradients and transparencies in Adobe Illustrator.
I seem to be at a spot where the infamous disadvantages of 3D rendering simply aren’t important anymore. I’m just looking for a way to apply clean and minimal texture to something, without resorting to fiddly Photoshop filters and brushes. I’m very happy with the way this stuff is turning out.
The Birdie got printed in the paper this week, but there was no space for the Fishie. They were both originally in black and white, but I colourized them. I also turned the bird into a robin in celebration of the fact that today, though rainy, actually makes me feel like spring has arrived.
I’ve been putting off mentioning it for fear of scaring it away. But I think it’s safe to say that the warmer months are upon us.
Woah, and the sun just suddenly came out to confirm my suspicions.
Alas, I am stuck inside by the cold glow of my laptop screen.
Back to work I go.
I am currently working very hard on a number of things, Very Big Project included. Today shall be busy as well as I have to work out an ed-comic of some kind (we put out the paper once a week, usually on Monday, but we bumped it back this week to give us a bit of a holiday), and go in to layout the comics page, and help out some editors with the illustrations I have promised them.
In the meantime I have found the following intriguing:
The new Beck video, it’s typographilicious,
Imaginative fairy cards by Tord Boonjte (he of the pretty paper cut-out trend),
The illustrations of Lori Joy Smith,
The beautiful info-graphics (bet you thought that was an oxymoron) of Annie Bisset,
Going to see Sin City this weekend,
And Cameron Diaz, believe it or not.
And also, happy birthday to a certain special worm out there. He will never be pigeonholed again.
I am a chronic avoider of sketching. I have to be pushed into doing it. This is why I am trying to participate in Illustration Friday every week, it gets me working. Not that working out illustrations on the computer is really the problem.
It’s getting a real pen on real paper.
I don’t lack confidence, or inspiration. I just don’t draw.
I occasionally feel guilty when talking to fellow artists who have spent their days, their entire lives, with their nose stuck in a sketchbook. I get a little rusty from not being in constant practice, but for the most part I’m not bad at all.
The way I rationalize it is that I am an observer, rather than a recorder.
I am the type of person who will sit and look at something for a very long time, soak it all in, before I start work on it. I pay attention to the things around me, the colours, the shapes, the light, the surfaces.
I’ve heard that that’s the way the ancient Japanese painters worked. They would contemplate something for a very long time, years even, before picking up an implement. That is how they created such precise, graphic and minimal images. They had studied there surroundings for so long they could condense things down to the most absolutely necessary detail.
I think it also has something to do with my near-sightedness.
Which sounds odd, but I’ve also heard somewhere that being near or far sighted can have an very real effect on the type of art a individual produces.
I believe it, because I am very focused on the foreground, the small details, people and objects. Which makes sense if you think that when I take off my glasses, that’s all I can see.
Working on this Very Big Project means that I have to literally go back to the drawing board.
And the weird thing is… I’m enjoying it. Doodles, storyboards, sketching and re-sketching the same elements over and over again until I’ve perfected them… I don’t mind it at all. And best of all I can actually see improvement in the confidence of my lines and shapes over a few pages.
I may just have to change my tune about this whole drawing thing.
I’m officially starting work on a very big project. It’s kind of daunting and all encompassing, I’m not always sure where to start.
I was playing around with the concept of coming up with my own typefaces for though, and drew up this:
It’s sort of a roughly inspired by the work of Hoefler and Frere-Jones (who most Mac users will be familiar with from their beautiful Hoefler typeface). It’s an attempt at a retro, vernacular, titling, sans-serif. I’ve thrown it in some graphic mockups for the project, and I think it looks pretty hot. I just need to figure out how the heck to turn it into a real-live, honest to goodness font. There are very few font editors out there, and all of them cost money. I would love to ownFontlab, as it seems to be the best program out there, and it would work on my Mac – but I think I’m gonna have to settle for Font Creator which does not work on Macs but costs 400 dollars less as it has a free 30 day trial.
I know I’m no Jonathan Hoefler, but I just want the text in my art to be as personal as the art itself, but be a little cleaner and more consistent than my normal scrawl.
Is that really too much to ask? It seems for less than 500 dollars it might be.
Also, I’ve got the cat addicted to smoked turkey. Is that weird? She won’t touch canned salmon, or cheese, or cat snax, or wet cat food… but she tries to eat our sandwiches when they have smoked turkey in them. She’ll occasionally eat ground beef and fresh salmon, but she freaks out for smoked turkey. She’s not your average picky eater, she’s practically human in her choices. I’m gonna use it against her though, and train her to actually come when I call her with little meaty bribes.
