Just keep it simple

As I mentioned in my last post, which *gasp* was only a week ago! (That's fairly amazing in itself!), I have really been delving into 'art think' mode lately. I am calling myself an illustrator or freelance illustrator, or artist, or even art director when people ask what it is I do all day and never really leave my apartment, so shouldn't I start acting the part? I joke. I do work hard at creating my artwork, but the vast majority of people have no idea I even exist let alone my artwork or even this little blog here. So how to remedy that? I guess make a splash. How to do that? Well, be excellent at what I do is a good start.Obviously I'm not there and even if I thought I was there is always room for improvement. I recall reading about some of the great artists from days past and how they almost always had a low self-esteem regarding their work. Sure, some had a brave face, a bit of bravado, etc., but most when pushed would say they weren't all that good and needed to just quit or get better. As a whole I think artists are a bit like adolescents in that regard. They never really seem to have a firm grasp on self-image nor do they seem to be able to fully appreciate what they create because as soon as it's labeled finished it's crap in their eyes. They can always and always want to do better. Ok, so where is all this coming from? Well, I never really got into the whole 'art scene' at university. I was never really willing to be quite that pretentious as to make use of mysterious terms that only a select few understood. I was never really into the whole smoking jacket approach to critiques or criticisms of other artist's works. I always preferred to just look over a piece and try to learn from it. Give advice or feedback if asked, and be polite about it, and then move on. I never really got the need to juice up my ego at the expense of others, but I have certainly felt the effects of it. So when I hear terms tossed around as if they are some sort of private club speak, it baffles me. Something like "Rule of Thirds", for instance. It just means to create a solid composition that portrays a compelling, and visually appealing image. Yes, you can make use of the separation lines to adjust the image for maximum impact, but you also run the risk of a canned image that looks very much like many others out there. You can 'term' yourself into a cookie cutter mess if you're not careful. Now, I'm not saying that an art vocabulary is useless, I'm just saying keep it simple. Why not talk about how the image reads, how the subject is framed by the borders of the image, how the light, tones, values, etc. all interact to tell a story? (Yeah, I know those are more art terms.) Maybe I'm not 'getting' it, but for my money, keep it simple. Say what it is, and leave the decoding ring at home.

Collecting experience with knowledge

It's Monday again and I've managed to come up for some air a bit yesterday and today. Since August 12th until September 15th I pretty consistently put in 10 to 12 or more hours of relatively solid work every day without a break. Why? Well, for starters, as a freelancer I need to earn a living so I put in the necessary time to do what I could to meet that goal for my budget. Then, on top of that, GenCon '12 happened between Aug. 12th and 20th (including travel time). My business partners with Harsh Realities and a few volunteers ran 46 games in four days. It was a blast, people seemed to genuinely love our games and dice mechanic, gave praise and valuable feedback, and we learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work. It was also exhausting. Still, I took a few moments to look around the exhibit hall, see some other artists, and of course, a few art directors as well. I came home excited to get to work, and still had a week's worth of work to catch up on, so I put my head down and got to it. Oh, and on top of that there is the web comic to pump out every week. :)
So, that's why. I've been freelancing, working on artwork for Harsh Realities, Art Directing for Harsh Realities, doing the web comic for Worldview Warriors, and ramping up submissions for future projects and bigger clients as well. It's been crazy! This is the part where the rubber hits the road, as they say. I had a portfolio review with Wizards of the Coast that left me feeling in between worlds. I was told I was essentially wasting my talent by jobbing it out, but at the same time those practical needs of daily, weekly, and monthly life don't just go away because an artist suddenly decides he/she is just simply better than the pay they are currently getting. So here's what I have come to. If I want to reach my potential, I have to really hone those art and illustration skills. It takes hard work, dedication, and self-motivated drive. I also feel like I need to really locate my 'voice' as an artist, as much as I really dislike that sort of language. Still, I've had people tell me they can identify my work by it's look. I have a hard time doing that. So perhaps a better way to state this is that I need to learn to focus my already existent style in a more conscious manner.
Either way, I need to level up again. And the only way to level up is to gain experience. In the game world that's achieved by adventuring, slaying monsters, toppling challenges, and achieving goals. In the real world, as an illustrator, it's much the same, but I would say carefully observing, executing your observations, consistently and repeatedly knocking down the habits or short-comings of your work flow, and replacing your old portfolio with a newly acquired series of images to show off. After all, when you level up, people notice. You get new skills, or a new weapon or other gear, or a special ability that sets you apart from all the other adventurers out there. So. Knowledge and experience lead to leveling up. Putting in the hard work, extra hours, and dedication it takes to see yourself through to the next tier.
Oh, and one more thing that has helped put all this in perspective. Since starting the art direction process for Harsh Realities' first book, my artistic eye has changed. I have to give credit to Ninja Mountain podcast as well. I've been listening to their archived podcasts as I work and a lot of the insights offered there have helped remind me or inform me of things I need to know as an illustrator and an artist. I don't have that community of artists so much, but I now feel like I'm starting to create one around myself at least across the internet. A big part of this new network is from the artists I have been able to work with on the artwork for HR, and as I said, it's changed how I look at art. Especially my own. I think from here on out I will be thinking more like an art director when I create artwork, and I think that has already changed how I approach things from the ground up.