MCA Illustration

Guest Critters!

2011-05-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, this is fun.

Big-time real-life Webcomics heavyweights, Scott Kurtz, Kris Struab, and Brad Guigar, are our guest critiquers for Comics 4's final class. These guys each run successful webcomics, collectively wrote a book on how to make webcomics, and host a podcast on the subject. But does that mean they know what they're talking about?

Yes, I'm pretty sure it does.

Check out their work, below:

Scott Kurtz's PVP
Kris Straub's Starslip
Brad Guigar's Evil Inc.
Webcomics Weekly podcast
How To Make Webcomics (the book)

A note to recent graduates

2011-05-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

First of all, congratulations! You've slogged your way through and hopefully learned a thing or two in the process. However, I would like to remind you that although this is an important step, it is by no means the end. You still have a great deal of difficult work ahead of you. Often times the outlook can be daunting, even scary. This is normal. Many of you will find yourselves in a strange state of post-graduation limbo, not sure what is the "right" step to take next. This is also normal. Insecurity is normal, it comes with the whole "artist" package. The important thing, the defining factor, is work. Continuing to work in spite of everything else will get you through to your goals. Action is the best antidote to fear.
Here's a good little article on that topic.

So you've made it through school but your work still isn't quite where you want it to be? Ira Glass has a message for you.

Also, keep in touch with your friends from school. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. Don't be afraid to solicit criticism. Listen to people when they give you criticism, but use your own judgement in deciding how to utilize it. Contact the people you admire and ask questions. Momentum begets momentum, so try to keep that ball rolling.

This all probably sounds a bit corny, but from my experience I think it's true. Anyhow, good luck to you all and keep on keepin' on!

A Clever Idea

2011-04-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

via Drawing Words & Writing Pictures

Kayla's CLAW

2011-04-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Remember the scholarship funds being offered by the Cartoonists League of Absurd Washingtonians?

Well, guess who's going to be photographed with an absurdly large check?

Congratulations to our own Kayla Cline!

CLAW
Kayla's blog
Kayla's comic

Comics Plotting Tools

2011-04-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice overview of how a writer breaks down a comic: Comix Tribe's Comic Plotting Tools.

This isn't too dissimilar from what I do, except, as writer/artist, I think it's important to be drawing from the earliest stages. So, f'rinstance, I use index cards, too, but they're for thumbnails more than sentences. Comics are a visual medium, and if you're a visual person, you develop them visually, right?

Travis Louie

2011-04-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

Travis Louie paints Victorians and their special friends for the exhibition, "The Creature Show."

Pretty nice acrylic technique, eh what?

Economics of Webcomics

2011-04-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here's some interesting information breaking down the expenses and profits of one webcomic, Dororthy Gambrell's Cat and Girl, over a 12-month period.

Cat and Girl's Charts of Money

via Dylan Horrocks

Post-Illustration Brode Gallery Pickup

2011-04-01T19:16:00.001-07:00

For those who forgot, there is still a pile of Illustrations to be picked up in the Illustration room on top of the flat files from the Brode Gallery exhibit. Don't forget to grab your stuff!

Advice worth heeding

2011-03-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

HOW TO STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST (AND 9 OTHER THINGS NOBODY TOLD ME)

Via Drawn

Stacey Rozich

2011-03-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, this nice.

Stacey Rozich's Portfolio

The Other Mononoke

2011-03-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here's some lovely production art, presented as a picture book, from an early project by Hayao Miyazaki. Look at the deftness and character of his loose line and the simple splashes of watercolor. Nice stuff.

The Ghibli Blog

Jack Myers

2011-03-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Jack Myers
MCA alumni, 1993 Illustration
lecture on Tuesday, March 29, 7 pm in Callicott

Bio
Jack completed his degree at the Memphis College of Art, where an exchange with the San Francisco Art Institute convinced Jack to ultimately move west. In 1996, he became Senior Designer at the Bay Area firm DesignSite, where he mainly focused on print design and illustration...landing a spot in Print Magazine's Design Annual. With the advent of digital video, his work soon evolved to animation and motion graphics. In 2000 he moved to New York where he completed Food, an award-winning animated film shown on PBS and at festivals worldwide. In 2001, Jack and his partner Matthew Robbins launched Artfool, a multidisciplinary design studio that went on to become one of New York's finest event design companies, later chosen as one of Modern Bride's 25 Trendsetters of the Year and frequently featured on Martha Stewart. Jack has had the privilege to work with some of the best animation studios and directors in New York, and his work has been seen most everywhere there is a television, with spots for MTV, VH1, ABC, NBC, HBO, Showtime, the Style Network and the Discovery Channel, as well as having work featured in The New York Times, Print Magazine, Wired and Newsweek.

Art podcasts

2011-03-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few illustration/comics/animation related podcasts I like to listen to. Chock full o' advice, tips, inspiration and entertainment, this kind of stuff can be good for keeping you company as you toil away on your next masterpiece.
(can also be downloaded and subscribed to via iTunes)

Escape from Illustration Island

Big Illustration Party Time

Chris Oatley's Artcast

Man Vs. Art

Visual Artist Podcast Network

Gesture drawing tool

2011-03-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

So, you want to work on your figure drawing skills but are tired of drawing people sitting in cafes, and don't have an understanding roommate/significant other who will take up odd poses half-naked while you draw. Try out this Gesture Drawing Tool. You can select the timing of the poses (30 seconds- 10 minutes), the gender of the models, and whether they are clothed or nude. Of course nothing can replace drawing from life, but this could be very useful for brief daily practice or warming up before getting to work.

Hey! Kids! Comics!

2011-03-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Comics 4 is a class about serialized storytelling and digital distribution (in other words, webcomics).

It takes years for a webcomic to mature, and these strips have only had a few weeks to get their feet under them. But we're on a semester-cycle, here, and it's past mid-terms; time to throw them to the wolves of public scrutiny!

Please check them out and give plenty of feedback! These poor cartoonists have only had me nattering at them so far, and I'm sure they'd appreciate hearing some other voices.

Rory-Ann Austin
Done With Kissing

Alex Barton
Duncan’s Moving Parts

Elliot Boyette
Boondog

Kayla Cline
Slag Valley

Lauren Rae Holterman
Serpent Feathers

Matt Ryan
The Ballad of Hank Fox

Devin Taylor
Rosa Vs. Retirement

Comics Scholarship Funds!

2011-03-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

The deadline is TOMORROW, but, hey, you're on Spring Break. No excuses!

The Cartoonists League of Absurd Washingtonians has as part of its objectives the awarding of a scholarship to a student interested in learning the mystical art of sequential illustration. This scholarship will be at least a lowly $100, but might reach loftier sums of $200 or maybe even higher. Funds for the scholarship are gathered in the year prior, and all funds gathered are bestowed on the talented applicant the CLAW chooses. Update: The funds raised for the 2011 Scholarship have reached over $900. And it is potentially available to the student who best fills out this application. You must also be currently enrolled in an institution or have confirmation of enrollment.

CLAW Scholarship

It's not going to pay your tuition, but it'd buy a mighty nice light table, or something.

James Jean Paintingx2

2011-03-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

(via Marie Provence)

Relevant to Illustrated Story Students

2011-03-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things artist, Coelasquid, put up this great article about general drawing advice...but particularly relevant is the comparison of her redrawing one of her strips with just the two characters talking side by side (see above) in comparison to the dynamic scenes that she actually depicts in her webcomic.

Business of Art Lecture

2011-03-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

This Thursday, March 10 from 6-7 PM, artist Amy Whitaker will be hosting a free lecture series on the Business of Art. Amy is the author of Museum Legs: Fatigue and Hope in the Face of Art, and since 2004, she has taught economic and financial theory to artists in a course she designed called Business School for Artists. Come join Amy, UrbanArt and Crosstown Arts this Thursday, March 10 from 6-7 PM for a FREE lecture that you won't want to miss.

The Beggarstaff Brothers

2011-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice link on the wonderful work of the Beggarstaff Brothers on David Apatoff's Illustration Art blog.

Drawing Comment—TONIGHT!

2011-02-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

Memphis College of Art hosts Drawing Comment: Illustration & Social Commentary
Feb. 19 through March 27, 2010 in the Main Gallery, Rust Hall in Overton Park.

Steve Brodner, Anita Kunz and Luba Lukova, the three illustrators included in the exhibition, will participate in a panel discussion moderated by MCA's Joel Priddy Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in Callicott Auditorium.

Opening reception for the exhibition is Friday, Feb. 25 from 5-7 pm.

Steve Brodner
Anita Kunz
Luba Lukova

Please come! Ask questions!

Gerhard

2011-02-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

This is for serious inknerds only, but Holy Moly, it's an inknerd's bonanza!

Gerhard worked for years drawing backgrounds for Dave Sim's Cerebus. I think I can say without fear of contradiction that they are the most amazing backgrounds in Comics History. Absolutely jaw-dropping stuff.

Now, he opens up with a in-depth interview over on the Comics Journal. Lots of specific discussion of drafting and inking techniques, plus an eye-witnesses account of Cerebus' plunge from brilliance to infamy.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

The Daily News

2011-02-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a brief write up from the Memphis Daily News:

MCA Students Win Broadside Competition

The work of two seniors from the Memphis College of Art has been selected as the winning entry in the National Portfolio Day Association juried competition.

The entry, an informational broadside, will be produced in Memphis and distributed in late summer to over 60,000 high schools and junior colleges throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The entry was created by MCA students Marie Provence, a senior illustration major from Lawrenceville, Ga., and
Samantha Taggart, a senior graphic design major from Moss Point, Miss.

MCA submitted two entries, placing first and second.

In addition to the winning selection by Provence and Taggart, second place went to students
Gina Davis, a senior graphic design major from Memphis, and Justin Wheeler, BFA 2010 in illustration, from Shreveport, La.

Associate Professor David Charles Chioffi directed the project in conjunction with Associate Professor Joel Priddy.

This will mark the fourth time MCA has produced the national broadside in six years of competition. Additionally, MCA is the only college to host three National Portfolio Days annually.

– Aisling Maki

Memphis Flyer article

2011-02-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the Publisher's Weekly piece, the Memphis Flyer now has a nice, full-page article on our Comics program. We're two articles-worth of famous!

The website skips the attribution, so let me mention here that the image illustrating the piece is from Kayla Cline's Slag Valley, which is being created for the Comics 4 class.

The Memphis Flyer

Emily Carroll

2011-02-15T12:16:00.001-08:00

Emily Carroll posted a new comic, and it's gorgeous and great.

Adventure Time!

2011-02-14T13:22:00.001-08:00

Adventure Time fans should check out all this neat stuff Executive Producer Fred Seibert posted on his flickr...it has a lot of concept art and super neat set ups for the initial viewing of the show. Lots of neat display ideas...and well, it's Adventure Time!

Cartooning Facial Expressions

2011-02-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, you have to get past the fact that it's a comic about anthropomorphic cats acting all dramatic and flirty. Tracy J. Butler has some solid comics chops, and this is a great set of notes on cartooning facial expressions. In particular, it is a brilliant and necessary skewering of the lazy shortcuts we so easily fall into.

This is of particular relevance to the Comics 2 kids, but good for all of us.

Lackadaisy Expressions

Picture Book Report

2011-02-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm coming to the party late, what with the project having just wrapped up, but this is a fun blog to check out. Fifteen illustrators chose books they love, and made lovely pictures about them. Folks like Daniel Krall, Lucy Knisely, Meg Hunt, and Sam Bosma.

The above image is from Brave New World, illustrated by the superb Emily Carroll.

Picture Book Report

Mike Mignola on BLDGBLOG

2011-02-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Mike Mignola talks reference and research. Worth your time.

Publisher's Weekly

2011-02-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

MCA's Comics (née Sequential Narrative) concentration was mentioned in a Publisher's Weekly article about the state of comics programs on the college level.

The gist:

While there are only a few of these programs at present, their rapid growth matches the growth and development of the comics category and industry overall as the medium comes to be to be recognized as a legitimate creative discipline.

For further perusal:
Comics on Campus: New Programs Grow, Attract Diverse Students

Irene Gallo

2011-02-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Caroline Huss pointed out this link to an interview with Irene Gallo. I've posted about Ms. Gallo before, and, and as an art director deeply interested in fostering great illustration, she is worth paying attention to. Evidence to support this claim may be found at the following links:

Irene Gallo's blog
Illustration Master Class
Tor.com

Illustration Show in The Sleeze and Slime

2011-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

You've already seen it, I'm sure, but there's a nice show of work from the Illustration concentration hanging up in what is officially called "The Brode Gallery." I think it's a particularly strong showing, this year, although I may be feeling that way because, for the first time, so much of it is work I haven't already critiqued. It's a sign of how much the program has grown, and I'm delighted that it seems to be getting better as it gets bigger!

Good job, Illustrators! And good job, Illustration instructors!

Illustration Exhibit Deadline THIS WEEKEND

2011-02-02T11:42:00.001-08:00

Entries for the Brode Gallery Illustration/Design exhibit are due this weekend, so please get some entries into the box outside of DA3. We need stuff! Things you've done outside of class are A-OK as well!

SI Lectures

2011-02-01T07:18:00.001-08:00

Well, this is exciting. For about a year now, The Society of Illustrators has been cruelly teasing me with emails announcing amazing lectures they were hosting in New York. Each one sounded so good, that I was halfway to the airport when I remembered I had class in the morning. Lectures from luminaries like Milton Glazer, Jules Feiffer, Anita Kunz, and Sam Weber.

Thank goodness we live in the future, and distance is no barrier. All the lectures are now available to view via your handy information appliance.

3x3 International Student Show

2011-01-27T18:37:00.000-08:00

3x3 Magazine, which, you know, is pretty great, has a student show coming up.

Information here.

Please note that the web page lists all the dates as "2010," but otherwise all the information is current.

You can check out 3x3 Magazine at the MCA Library.

An Inspirational Note

2011-01-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

Emmy-award-winning and frequently shirtless cartoonist Dean Haspiel has posted the following call-to-arms:

Dear, Content Maker--

Being published by someone else does not legitimize your hard work. And, the financial advance hardly pays the rent. Think about that the next time you sign a contract for your original ideas. I trust a firm handshake over most of the jargon they write into those binding contracts, anyway.

Sadly, the death rattle of print is shivering its way towards the way we currently package and distribute our wares, and marketing is a publishing luxury of the past. The good news? There is a new dawn on the horizon where the author will become the provider, publisher and publicist. Don't let it daunt you. Continue to network, make strong allies, be aware, show up, and be gracious. The digital age was created by us, for us. If you can procrastinate one hour a day, you can certainly keep track of what's what. Train your eye and keep tabs and make something new.

Bottom line: keep making original content and stop giving it away to publishers. If you're going to give it away, then benefit from it. Meanwhile, hold on a little bit longer for the paradigm shift to settle in. Exclusive content, destination points, and perceived value is the name of the game. Meanwhile, watch how many publishers close shop in 2011 and know that we're on the cusp of a publishing revolution. Be armed with your stories and get ready. People love to read.

Respectfully,

Dean Haspiel

Something to think about.

JAW Cooper

2010-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Marie Provence had a nice interview with JAW Cooper for the Illustration 5 essay/presentation...If you haven't seen her work before, check it out!

On to the interview:

How do you feel that your personal history influences your work? Do you draw any inspiration from your travels, pets, music, etc

I might never have taken up drawing at all if it had not been for all the traveling that I did growing up. Jumping from country to country made it necessary to travel light and drawing is the perfect "on the go" activity. My mother is a biologist and illustrator and my father is a biologist and college professor so I'd say that they sparked my interest in both art and nature. I draw inspiration from a number of sources, the most significant of which are probably curio cabinets, fashion photography, and nipples. Who doesn't like nipples? Music is an important part of my process and I often create play-lists for specific projects to get me in the appropriate mood.

I love your beautiful sculptures, and I was particularly admiring the skill at which you were able to find a balance between realistic and fabricated qualities in your “Buddy” piece. I was wondering if you have ever studied taxidermy or surface design? How did you initially become interested in exploring three-dimensional art?

I've never studied taxidermy or surface design but I've always had a morbid fascination for it. I love to draw monsters and freaks and realizing one of my two dimensional designs in three dimensional reality was an extremely rewarding experience. I owe it all to an amazing class I had in college with the very talented Daniel Lim called “Experimental Illustration.” Daniel encouraged me to think big, literally and figuratively, and I ended up fabricating the first of my life-sized mutant bear rugs out of foam, faux fur, fabric, and taxidermy supplies which I named “Randal.” I sold Randal in a gallery show at La Luz de Jesus and made a second rug named “Buddy” which currently resides in my apartment... under my giant dog. I hope to make many more in the future!

Currently, who are the artists that you look to most for inspiration and what is it about these artists that you love? (Artists can be anyone, not just limited to illustrators)

Speaking generally I’d say that I have been influenced by the Japanese woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige, the oil paintings of Sargent and Leyendecker, and the zoological zeal of Haeckel and Audubon.

As an unknown, trying to establish a voice or direction for my art is a bit of a struggle. How did you come about your unique point of view in illustration? Did you stumble upon it, or was it something that came naturally to you from the beginning?

This is a difficult question that I seem to get a lot. Difficult, because it was never something I struggled with and I think that is because I was an avid keeper of sketchbooks. My junior and senior year of high school I completed one giant sketchbook a semester to accelerate my growth as an artist and to document my evolving interests and processes. My proficiency with drawing lept forward and in the process I naturally cultivated interests in the things that continue to influence my work today. The best advise I can give any artist struggling to find their voice is to keep a sketchbook and pack it full of sketches, lists, ideas, and images that inspire, and to write about it all in the margins so that you can trace your thought processes back in the future. You will naturally start to establish patterns and processes specific to your interests and way of working.

Can you share some of your promotional materials or techniques that you find work well when trying to reach a larger audience? Are you able to disclose some of your process in developing self-promotion ideas without giving away any secrets?

I promote primarily through my blog, though I do also have a facebook account, send out emails and mail promo cards. I’m working on a new set of promo cards right now, actually. In general I think it is important to have a strong web presence and to go out of your way to make connections with others in your field.

If you had one suggestion for an illustrator about to graduate from college, what would it be?

Look at as much illustration as possible, promote like crazy, make solid connections, and have fun creating work! After all, what’s the point of becoming an artist if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing?

Bonus fun question: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take three things with you, what would they be?

A sketchbook, some pencils, and a cow... I love milk.

Sequential Narrative Images Needed!

2010-12-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

Lauren Rae is updating the galleries on the MCA site and needs some Sequential Narrative examples! If you could send her a few pages from your comics, that'd be fabulous! Send them to holtermonster@gmail.com.

Caitlin Hackett Interview

2010-10-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

“I almost became an Illustration major, but one of the professors really didn’t like my work. A lot of the older professors have this strange idea that there’s a really big delination between drawing and illustration..it’s a break up I’ve never understood.” - Caitlin Hackett

Here's my phone interview with the artist, Caitlin Hackett If anyone else wants to share their Illustrator interviews, e-mail them to 23spades@gmail.com!

Do you do your Illustrations for a living?
“No, I actually work full time on top of my studio career. I don’t get enough time to work on my art as much as I’d like, it’s actually pretty crazy. I waitress full time…I also work for a video game company doing creature design so I work 80 hour weeks.”

How did you get the job at the video game company?
“I found it right as I was graduating Pratt..I saw an ad on craigslist. I never really thought of doing design because I was a fine arts major. I’ve been working there for a year and a half.”

How long have you been out of college doing this?
“I graduated Pratt in May 2009…like a year and a half now?”

How did you get yourself out there as an artist?
“A lot of it was luck with my senior show…a lot of people came who were friends of professors that were curators. It’s kind of a small world, especially in New York…a lot of the curators knew each other.”

Is there any story behind what got you started drawing the monsters you draw?
“A lot of my inspiration comes from endangered species…when I was growing up I planned being a wildlife biologist and I ended up being an artist. A lot of my concerns are based on environmental problems. It’ll kind of come just randomly…I’ll read an article about a certain animal and I’ll be like ‘I like that’. It may have started as a certain species but the drawings take a long time and they change. It’s definitely a long process…when I start it’s about a specific species, but you know how it goes…a piece when you work on it long enough…it definitely changes over time.”

Is there any other process you’re fond of besides large ballpoint pen drawings?
“I definitely pretty much use only ballpoint pen and wateroclor, I would like to get into oil paint …I’ve been interested in trying other methods with the paint.”

I read in your interview in Hi-Fructose that negative opinions from a teacher got you started on your large illustrations. Were there any other hi lighting experiences from your college career?
“Yeah, I had a couple really fantastic professors…an oil painter Chris Wright, I was in one of his classes before I switched from painting to drawing major. I never really preferred painting…as you can see from my art I love line. When he saw my personal sketchbook, he said ‘If that’s what you like what to do, that’s what you should really do’ and I think that’s one of the other turning points I really had. If I want to draw the things that I’ve always thought of, then why not?”

What are you up to right now?
“Well my apartment is my studio, I’m working on a bunch of small works for a show next month. It’s a group show, and all of them are under 11x12, which is hard for me because I like to go outside the bounds of the page. Endangered backyard birds that ended up as creepy mutations…they’ll all be up on my site soon. I’ve got to finish them today.”

Drawn Is Back Online!

2010-10-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, almost...but the blog and old archives are up, and there are apparently surprises awaiting everyone in the near future for the main site!

Sinbad 2010!

2010-10-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

I'm still waiting for Sinbad photos from October 21. Please send them to me at shane@theflyinglighthouse.com and I'll get them posted in a flickr set right away. While we wait I've taken the liberty to link to the Sinbad photos from 2009.

2010 24 Comics Challenge photos!!

2010-10-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

I'm never awesome at remembering to snap photos, but this year I managed to grab a few toward the end of the night. You can head over to my flickr page to see the set. If there be no objections I'll string together some of the video I shot and post it over the weekend. You've been warned!

Silhouettes

2010-10-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

Be aware of them.

Panel Grids and Page Composition

2010-10-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

An interesting post by Frank Santoro on panel grids in comics: Giving Up the Center.

I'm not sure I quite feel his urgency for claiming "the center," but I look forward to seeing where he goes with this in the following posts.

Harry Potter Sequential Art by Lucy Knisley

2010-10-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

In lieu of the new Harry Potter movie coming out/the HP craze in general, super awesome illustrator/puppeteer/comic artist Lucy Knisley has done a series of sequential images from each book and has posted previews on her blog.

UP! Fair

2010-10-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Just heard about UP! Fair, which is an event focusing on independently published writers and artists happening Nov. 19-20. It looks like it could be fun and informative, especially for you comics kids. So if you happen to feel like spending a weekend in Kentucky, check it out!

24 Hour Comic Day Results

2010-10-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Curt Franklin and Chris Haley of Let's Be Friends Again judged MCA's 24 Hour Comic Day today, and here are the results:

Matt Ryan won Best Overall Comic.

Whitney Hubbard (MCA Alumni) won Best Story.

Kayla Cline won Best Visual Storytelling.

Thanks again to Shane McDermott for making it possible and making sure everyone won a little something with the post-comic raffle.

Jen Wang Interview on...MTV?

2010-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Jen Wang, and I'm kinda in love with her art. I found out she did an interview for, of all things, MTV! Here it is, and the currently secret comics-based website MTV is concocting is located here. Apparently the director of True Life is now interviewing comic book artists in their studios? Kinda awesome.

Thrasher's Journey

2010-09-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Pal and former student, James Callahan, has a process piece up at Thrasher Magazine. Nothing new, informationwise, for grizzled illustration veterans such as ourselves, but it's lovely to see the various stages of James' work.

Thrasher's The Journey Drafts

James Callahan

Ming Doyle

2010-09-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

I love Ming Doyle. Hopefully you do too! There's a rad interview with her here discussing her process, comics, and culture. Check it out!

24 Hour Comic Day

2010-09-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

What is the 24 Hour Comic Challenge?
24 Hour Comic Day is a challenge to complete a 24 page comic in 24 hours.

24 Hour Comic Day will begin October 2nd, with registration in DA3 from 10am-12pm. It officially starts at 12pm, and students are allowed to work at the school until midnight that night, at which point they should plan to gather in groups elsewhere. Everyone is to reconvene at 12pm the next day, October 3rd, to display what you have finished and receive prizes for your hard work!

Also, free pizza and donuts for those who register and participate.

Judging begins at 12:30pm October 3rd and prizes are awarded at 2:30pm.

Contact Shane McDermott with any burning questions (smcdermott@mca.edu)

After you finish your comic, you can also submit it to the OFFICIAL 24 Hour Comics website! Official rules and details are located here

Lois van Baarle

2010-09-23T14:58:00.001-07:00

Alex and I have been discussing our mutual love of Illustrator/Animator Lois van Baarle lately. She's a Dutch animator who specializes in really, really cute drawings of Disney-esque ladies and has mind-blowing digital painting skills.

One thing you learn from looking at her art, however, is that no matter how skilled you can be technique-wise, if you don't work out your anatomy or the basics of your image, it can still fall apart slightly in the final. (A few of her images lack the attention in her hands than are shown in her faces, and tend to distract from the images as a whole.)

Moebius Strip

2010-09-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, this is neat.

See more wonderful things at Jim Woodring's blog.

Linzie Hunter

2010-09-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

First off, hey cool I'm Illustraton Rep! Second off, I wanted to show off this cool Illustrator I found. I might possibly do "Illustrator of the Week"(s) digitally. Or more than once a week, because I constantly find cool people that everyone should see. Lately, I've been really interested in limited linework in Illustration, and just that "cut paper" feel accomplished digitally, which Linzie Hunter does perfectly.

Also, relevant (sort of) to comics students, she does her own lettering. Extremely well.

Recruiter from Taylor Studios

2010-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

An exhibits company out of IL, Taylor Studios is coming to MCA this Wednesday at 3:45 to receive resumes and to review portfolios of sculptors and designers who would like to get into the exhibit design industry. We will be meeting in the sculpture studios. If you would like to apply, please RSVP - careers@mca.edu.

http://www.taylorstudios.com/about/jobs.html

summer internships also available

Exhibit Artist / Fabricator
Taylor Studios Inc. is accepting resumes for an Exhibit Artist/Fabricator with broad fabrication skills such as painting, model making, sculpting, carpentry, mold making, casting, metalsmithing; knowledge of production methods and reading design and construction drawings; some experience in three-dimensional production field. This is an entry level position, degree not required, hands-on experience preferred. Portfolio required. Please send application, portfolio, and/or cover letter and resume to the address below (no email submissions), no phone calls please. Taylor Studios is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Graphic Designer
Taylor Studios Inc. is accepting resumes for a full-time Graphic Designer. Duties include production of exhibit graphics, including graphic and text panels, labels, photo murals, banners, posters, environmental graphics, and directional signs. Projects may also include design for electronic media, including web-based and interactive programs. Knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign is a must. Knowledge of other design software is recommended. Candidate must be detail oriented and able to work quickly and meet deadlines. Bachelor's or Associates degree in Graphic Design or a related field is preferred. For consideration, send cover letter, resume and portfolio samples to the address below (no email submissions), no phone calls please. Please download an application (link at the bottom of the page) and submit with your resume. Taylor Studios is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Museum Exhibit Designer Taylor Studios Inc. is seeking resumes for a skilled Exhibit Designer with background in museum exhibit design and/or theatre design. Candidates should have experience in drafting and 3-D design. Duties include: leading project design teams, creating exhibit floor plans, museum exhibit designs, lighting design, budgeting design elements, presenting designs to clients, and collaborating with clients, other industry professionals, and A/V firms. Knowledge of 3-D software, Illustrator, and Photoshop is required. Knowledge of CAD, Sketch Up, and other design software is recommended. Some travel required in making client presentations. Candidate should have good presentation skills, and strong exhibit design skills. Some knowledge of graphic design & production is a plus but not required. Candidate must be detail oriented and able to work quickly. Bachelor’s degree in Design is required. No tradeshow design resumes please.

50 Great Illustration Blogs

2010-08-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

WebDesignDegree.com has compiled a handy list of great things to look at:

50 Great Illustration Blogs

Some lovely illustrations using photography

2010-08-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

I was updating links when I popped in over at the Society of News Design and found a couple of gems I thought I'd share. Both links can be found over at SND if you click the Illustration link on the left. The first post is about various newspapers (mostly the Washington Post) and their illustrative coverage of the Oscars. Scroll through the etire post because there is some gorgeous stuff there, most of which is done by Sean McCabe. The second post offers some smart example of using iStock photos and not losing your soul or your self respect. The commenters debate the validity of using iStock photos and even the very talented photographer/illustrator Andrea Levy chimes in. GO CHECK IT OUT!

And while you're at it check out the illustrations in the GOLD post as well. Haunting and lovely.

Cartoon Scholarship!!!!

2010-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Kids, there's a neat post over at Drawn! about the Jay Kennedy Scholarship in which you could be awarded $5000 just for being a student and drawing comics. Head over to www.cartoonistfoundation.org or click here for the link to all the information you need to apply. Don't dawdle! The deadline is December 15 and it will be here before you know it...and by before you know it I mean 111 days from now. I'm no rocket scientist, but I think that's only like a couple of weeks or something.

Superhero Cocoa

2010-08-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Geez, why would anyone want to be anything but an Illustration student? Check out the nerd-fun your peers have been up to this summer at The Superhero Costume Coalition.

Kayla Kline
Derrick Dent
Marie Provence

Free not Cheap?

2010-06-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

An Interesting Thought from Paul Scriven on freelance pricing.

I'm happy to do free work for projects I'm interested in or people I like a lot, but over the years, I've settled on a single hard-and-fast rule for doing free work: No revisions whatsoever. I'll do my best, and there's no hard feelings if it's not what you're looking for, but that's it.

This is especially important to make clear when working with friends. Seriously.

Spotlight on Shane

2010-06-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Admit it, we all need to know more about Shane McDermott.

This little interview is rife with revelations.

Really, Shane?

Feeling Ambitious?

2010-06-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Lürzer's Archive is accepting submissions to their annual 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 2011/12.

Selections are made by an international jury, although they also give prices for pages. I'm not sure what that's about. Do you think they make you pay for the privilege of being selected? I dunno. But I thought I'd bring it to your attention.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE is JULY 21, 2010.

CCS Summer Studio

2010-06-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Summer plans a bust? Check this out:

Now in its second year is Cartooning Studio, an intensive designed for adult students who want to workshop independent comic projects. Cartooning Studio students may also attend the Extended Studio Option, and add 3 days of workshopping to their CCS experience.

Faculty include:
Cartooning Studio - Steve Bissette, Jon Chad, Robyn Chapman, Alec Longstreth and Jason Lutes
Extended Studio Option - Jon Chad, Robyn Chapman and Alec Longstreth

The Center for Cartoon Studies.

Housecleaning

2010-05-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

Heads up: if you've left anything behind in DA3, clear it out immediately! The dumpster is coming.

Joy Ang's Process

2010-05-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a great process-post from Joy Ang, using good ol' pencils and Photoshop, to create the cover for The Anthology Project.

Conference for Illustration Students!

2010-05-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, Really! Cahrles Hively, publisher of 3x3 Magazine (who is sponsoring the conference), says:

One of the reasons I want to do this conference is that I don’t believe young illustrators get off on the right foot. No school has time to adequately prepare a student illustrator—or designer or fine artist for that matter—for the real world and as a result the illustration industry remains static. Fees haven’t changed in forty years. Illustration has lost much of the respect it once had among art directors, editors and advertisers. But I feel that can change if we provide young illustrators with a better set of tools and that’s why this conference is so important.

What I’ve discovered is that successful illustrators are all very astute business people as well as being talented illustrators. At our conference you’ll benefit from their trial and errors to help you avoid some of the pitfalls of starting your career as an illustrator. That’s good for your career. And ultimately that’s good for the industry.

So, register, already!

FREE STUFF! THAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY WANT!

2010-04-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

3x3, the Illustration Magazine, is giving away their back catalog of issues! I picked up ever issue offered, for just the $20 postage. What a deal!

If you haven't seen 3x3, the library has a subscription. It's a lovely magazine, and a great way to check out what's happening in the world of illustration.

Draw the Haggis-Beast!

2010-04-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

In case anyone, in the hectic last days of a waning semester, should happen to have a spare moment and need something to draw, this might be fun.

Covering Ender's Game

2010-04-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Irene Gallo has, over on Tor.com, posted about the considerations that went into producing a cover for the new eBook edition of Ender's Game. It's worth a read to gain insight into an art director's thought process.

Ender’s Game ebook cover by Sam Weber

Sam Weber's website

Bill Griffith's Top 40

2010-04-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy the Pinhead, has posted some fun and useful advice for cartoonists.

Rad How-To

2010-04-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Rad Sechrist, a storyboard artist with Dreamworks, has a really great blog where he posts these amazingly helpful little tutorial sheets. F'rinstance:

Making a pose better.

Balance.

A simple cartoon pelvis.

The indispensable Shape design never goes away.

And here's a great primer on his approach from The Art Center blog: What is drawing?

Painting Procedural

2010-04-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a dusty ol' series of posts detailing my approach to paint. I thought the Illustration 2 students might find this useful as they head into the home stretch with the Invisible City pieces.

This example is using watercolor and gouache, but there's not a thing in it you can't do with acrylic. Except re-wet your paint.

Card carrying card makers

2010-04-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hey all you Illustration 4 kids! Want to know more about making playing cards? Check out the links below for some neat-o information on rounded corners and actual playing card cardboard.

How to make your own playing cards

corner rounder or kardkutter

Blank air cushion playing card cardboard

Scanning and Coloring

2010-04-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

As promised in Illustrated Story 1, here's the tutorial on scanning and coloring line art I posted a few years ago.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

There are probably better ways to do every single step of this tutorial, but this is quick and works for me.

Movie Night

2010-03-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

I think we have the subject for our next Illustration Movie Night (no, it's not Kick-Ass).

August 13!

Less Talk, More Rock

2010-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a great online essay from The Superbrothers. It's about video games, but there's good meat here for any visual communicator.

Jules Feiffer on The Big Think

2010-03-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Jules Feiffer talks line over at the Big Think. Good stuff!

Cul de Sac, mapped

2010-03-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Some more Invisible Cities inspiration of a more whimsical sort from the always enjoyable blog of Richard Thompson.

Kong Wee Pang

2010-03-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Designer/Illustrator/Artists/MCA Alumna Kong Wee Pang is featured in this inspiring video from ArtsMemphisTV.

Brode Gallery Illustration Show Stuff

2010-03-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

If you submitted something to the Illustration show in the Brode Gallery last month, it's in the bottom drawer of the flatfile in the Illustration room.

THANK YOU to those who submitted! No one from the other departments submitted anything, so it ended up being an Illustration Dept. show instead of Illustration/Computer Arts/Design Depts. show.

BLDGBLOG

2010-03-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Bothering to scroll down a bit from the post just linked to, BLDGBLOG has revealed itself to be a great source of inspiration/blatant theft for the Invisible Cities project.

F'rinstance:

Paris, without Parisians.

Whatever this is.

Buildings on super-stilts!

Holy Wow! I could do this all day!

ONECITY

2010-03-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you're in Illustration 2 and starting to think about Invisible Cities, you might find some interesting resonance with Will Insley's ONECITY project.

Here's a post that gives a nice overview of the project.

Here's the New York Times review of the original show of these peices at the Guggenheim, which includes this fun, Calvino-esque passage:

It's clear... that the city's inhabitants are segregated into day people, wholesome types who study at home with their children by means of electronic devices, and night people. "Tattered ghosts in phosphorescent clothing," the night people sound a lot like the more Felliniesque denizens of the Lower East Side, being given to masks and elaborate makeup; they "mutter a lot" and "often carry around personal abstract structures" that they exchange "according to mysterious rituals." And while they have homes in the Over-building, they frequently sleep in the cubby holes of the Under-building, ignored by day people going about their business.

And here's a post with lots more images to look at.

via Boing Boing

Gateways to Geekery

2010-03-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

The A.V. Club presents a primer on the works on Winsor McKay, for those unsure where to dive in.

Female Illustrators in the mid-20th Century

2010-03-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

All of the (male) artists were pleasant, many were helpful, but none ever asked me to join them for lunch... because I was a woman. It wasn’t until twenty years later that I got a little angry about it… in retrospect.

- Barbara Bradley, speaking about her early days working in a New York City commercial art studio

Female Illustrators in the mid-20th Century

Clever Comics Page Layouts

2010-03-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

...from the Gee-you-already-knew-he-was-brilliant Craig Thompson. Check'em out!

This should be of special interest to Illustrated Story 1, as these strips are not totally unrelated to the next assignment.

90 Years

2010-03-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to master cartoonist, Ronald Searle! Do yourself a favor and check out his amazing work!

BRODE GALLERY SHOW

2010-02-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

The next Brode Gallery show is for Illustration, Graphic Design, & Computer Arts.

PLEASE submit SOMETHING, so that the Illo Dept. doesn't look like a bunch of slackers. It doesn't have to be framed or matter or mounted. It can be something from last semester, or something you did out of class completely. The bottom drawer of the flatfile in the Illustration Room is marked to receive submissions. If you have stuff that won't fit in the flatfile, leave it on top of the cutting table.

Please include a title, your name, your major, & your year in school.

The deadline is this MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010.

As of this post, I only have submissions from four people, and one of them isn't even an Illustration major! C'mon, people!

Our friend the time machine

2010-01-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

...and by "time machine" I mean the internet. Thank sweet justice for nice chaps like Leif Peng, an illustrator and commercial artist living and working in Canada. Leif has taken the time to scan hundreds of illustrations from the pages of 1940's and 50's magazines and posts them daily to his blog Today's Inspiration. You can and SHOULD check it out. His flickr account contains hundreds of illustrations arranged by subject, art studios and illustrators' names. If you're interested you can follow him on twitter or even sign up to receive one emailed scan every day! Woot, eh?!

You can also view Leif's original work at http://www.leifpeng.com/!

Illustrations by legendary Canadian Illustrator James Hill

Hey Kids! Comics! Also, money!

2010-01-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

The National Cartoonists Society has a scholarship for cartoonists!

MAD Magazine look at Chris Ware

2009-11-29T02:23:00.000-08:00

Found this parody of Chris Ware's work while looking through some of my old MAD Magazines. Click for a larger image--it's big enough to read!

Skull Stroll

2009-11-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs for illustration inspiration is Journey Around My Skull. Mostly composed of scans from one man's awe-inspiring book collection, it offers up, on a daily basis, surprising and wonderful influences from around the world.

F'rinstance:

I could just post stuff from this blog all day. Doesn't each one of these make you sick with jealousy that you didn't draw it? Doesn't it make you want to create stranger, fresher, more unexpected illustrations?

And, Hey! Who's this?

Why, it's MCA alumna Michelle Duckworth! Winner or Journey Around My Skull's Evil Orchid Bookplate Contest! Nice company you're keeping, there, Michelle. Congrats!

Update: No sooner than I post this, but Michelle gets featured a second time. Now you're just flaunting it, Michelle. Knock it off.

And see! oh, what a dreadful thing!

2009-11-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Children's Book suprstar Lane Smith has a fun little blog, Curious Pages, about children's books that should never find their way into the hands of children—and nearly all of which I think I read as a kid. I'm not sure if that makes my parents very cool or very negligent.

via The Beat!

Work in Progress

2009-11-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

You guys need to see this.

via my ol' pal Matt.

Something for the comics kids

2009-11-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

I was trolling ye old internet earlier for inspiration when I stumbled upon Dermot Walshe. I had never heard of him before so I did a little reading about him. He's been working as a story board and concept artist for television, film and video games for about twenty years now. You can check out an interview with him here and you can check out his lovely comic pages here.

Derrick Dent

2009-11-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

Speaking of MCA alumni, Derrick Dent has put up a nice post about his illustration process, including not one but two videos of him inking (Because four minutes and twenty seconds just doesn't capture the majesty).

Alex Harrison on Arts Memphis

2009-10-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

MCA Illustration Alumnus Alex Harrison talks about art, music, and life without TV while sporting a couple different hair styles.

Marjane Satrapi at the U of M

2009-10-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have mastered being in two places at once: On November 3, 6:45pm, The University of Memphis and Memphis Reads present Marjane Satrapi, creator of Persepolis. This is a very rare opportunity to Ms. Satrapi, as she doesn't come to the States that often. It is free and open to the public.

Bill Plympton at MCA

2009-10-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend next week's guest lecturer, Bill Plympton. Funny, perverse, and a rare instance of colored pencils turning into something nice to look at.

There is a screening of "Idiots and Angels" at Malco on the Square, Monday Nov 2 at 7.30 pm (free to students with MCA ID)
and the lecture in Callicott on Tuesday, Nov 3 at 7.00 pm.

Sinbad surprises/attacks several students!

2009-10-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang, Sinbad stopped by the illustration room last Wednesday to spend a few moments striking poses from some of his more memorable adventures. Such a nice guy! Anyway, you'll find a handful of those poses right here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44013048@N08/sets/72157622654481506/

Now, you have NO excuse not to have the most beautiful Sinbad illustration in the history of Sinbad illustrations!

500 Pencils Competition

2009-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

As seen in The Black & White, Socialdesigner.com is co-sponsoring a student competition to draw 4 scenes for a children's coloring book:

DESIGN BRIEF
Devise 4 scenes of an original story and illustrate them for a coloring book for children of ages 5-7.
We are looking for imaginative, positive stories and illustrations that translate into fun coloring-in pages for young kids.

Requirements:
You must be a student to enter (winner and honorable mention recipients will be required to provide proof of their student status).
Your narrative and drawings must be understandable to 5-7 year olds.
The 4 scenes must be consecutive scenes, but they do not need to tell an entire story from start to finish.
As with all coloring book illustrations, the drawings must be outlines.
Your story and drawings must be original.

Your entry must include:
• 4 illustrations that follow the requirements stated above.
• A brief description of the scenes and characters depicted.

PRIZE
$500 plus a set of 500 Colored Pencils to the winning design.
Judges may award up to 2 Honorable Mentions to receive a set of 500 Colored Pencils.

You know, I hate colored pencils. Just hate them. But even I would kinda like 500 of them. Imagine the colors!