Mailbag
March 16th, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Do you sometimes work on more than one project at a time ? I find it difficult to complete one job, knowing there is another job waiting. Even worse when the DEADLINES are the same !! A: Absolutely. I am almost always working on more than one job at a time. Every job has stages, and in between each stage is usually some form of client review and approval to move on to the next stage. This is a process that can take some time. Once I reach that end of a stage point on a job, everything grinds to a halt as I… READ MORE
March 9th, 2008 | Posted in Freelancing
Q: When is an illustration completed ?? As a freelance illustrator and cartoonist for almost 25 years, I still have the problem not knowing “when to stop”. I sometimes OVERWORK my illustrations which means I start to loose the more spontaneous feel. A: I think a lot of illustrators have this problem. It’s easy to get very involved with what you are doing and overwork something. By “overwork” I mean to keep rendering or working on a piece, adding more and more to it, until you compromise the effectiveness of the illustration. Often that means making the piece too “busy”, where the eye can’t figure… READ MORE
March 2nd, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I just read your tutorial on inking from your blog. I just have a question regarding cleaning brushes and nibs after doing ink work. What would be an effective way to do this? What should I use? I just bought myself a brand new nib and brush, and I’m afraid of ruining them right away. I just want to make sure that they’re in good condition before I use them again. A: Ink is a nasty thing to dip a brush into. Permanent, waterproof ink? Even with careful cleaning your brushes will only last so long, but you can make them last as long… READ MORE
February 24th, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: As a college art student, or a freelancer, one is faced with many late nights in a row working to meet deadlines. I’ve had many of these instances and I found myself very sleep deprived, but I still had to push on through. I found that the motor skills start to detiriorate after several days of little to no sleep. Inking becomes very difficult and even sketching can be a challenge, not to mention trying to be creative in such a state. Have you ever experienced this, and how do you deal with it. A: Monster Lo-Carb. Seriously, I know what you are saying.… READ MORE
February 17th, 2008 | Posted in Freelancing
Q: What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out? A: That’s a tough one, because frankly I don’t stay motivated and avoid burn out. You would think that if you do something you really love to do for a living then working would be like going to a candy store every day. The reality is that no matter how much you like doing what you do, it’s still work and some days you just don’t want to work. I think this is especially true when you do creative work, because while it’s not ‘digging ditches’ it’s mentally and creatively exhausting. Sometimes you… READ MORE
February 10th, 2008 | Posted in Freelancing
Q: After years of doing what you do, how often do you find you need to refer to reference photos? I’d expect it with celebrities or well know figures, but do you have to pull out reference for rather ordinary things from time to time (vehicles, houses, interiors, etc.)? Or can you can usually work mostly from your imagination (mental picture)? Your illustrations are often so detailed (even backgrounds). I’ve never been able to (nor really worked on) drawing from memory. I would hope with repetition and practice that it’s possible, but just wondered during a typical assignment how much reference you might need to… READ MORE
February 3rd, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Do you have any tips and tricks on drawing figures or composing a scene with multiple figures in it? I’ve tried practicing by drawing from life, but I feel like the “from life” experience I get is sometimes stilted by the fact that many people don’t want to be drawn while sitting on the train, etc (and I don’t want to be caught staring!). At the same time, I can really see the interaction when someone if right in front of me. Are there other methods that have helped you? A: Learning to draw the human figure is arguably the most important thing any… READ MORE
January 27th, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: How thoroughly do you “picture” the final illustration in your mind before you begin work on it? Are you able to formulate a mental image of the final scene before you start and strive to replicate it, or is most of the image worked out on paper and in sketches? A: Good question. There are several stages to any illustration job, and each incorporates a mental “image” of different degrees. When I get a new assignment I get an initial idea that forms pretty completely in my head of what the final could look like. I think most artists have that first flash, and… READ MORE
