Photoshop Tip Tutorial

I'm working on a project right now that I thought would make a great little tutorial for working with spot images. What used to take me forever working traditionally is now a snap - and if you're using photoshop this might give you a few more ways to think about your edges and feathering those highlights. As I make new discoveries or figure out new ways to use photoshop I'll add a video tutorial. And as always - if you feel that this video doesn't give you all the answers I still have my full tutorials available at folioacademy.com. You can also subscribe to my youtube channel to check out my library of videos here.

Grab your favorite beverage and watch as I fumble for the controls but finally set her down nice and easy.

Artist For Life

I'm in my mid forties now and I've realized - I'm an artist for life. I've met a lot of artists - some successful and some working on becoming successful and a few who have given up. I would like to talk to those of you who might be thinking of giving up or working on your back up plan.

First, I believe that we're all artists. Even someone who is mostly left brained has had to create a solution to a problem using duct tape and for that moment he/she was an artist. Second, for those of us who are mostly right brained - using our creativity feels natural and is expressed on a daily basis in one form or another. How we approach a simple interaction with a stranger is a chance to either use art or shut down and go into robot mode. Of course we all do that from time to time - like in elevators - it's ok - sometimes you just can't think of anything to say right? 

So if using your art is natural to you - you can't really turn it off. You can choose to do different things with it - different occupations - different projects etc. But some occupational choices will leave you fulfilled at the end of the day while others will leave you frustrated and discouraged. I don't mean tired and annoyed like many school teachers. At the end of the day a school teacher still has a lot of autonomy and can exercise a great deal of creativity in the classroom with each student interaction. I'm talking about taking on a job or project where using your art is unwanted, unappreciated, and unnecessary.

Let me tell you about the time I almost became a prison guard. Yes you read that right. Six years ago we were living in California and had just learned that my wife had contracted an auto-immune disease. She was a special ed teacher at the time and we realized she was going to have to quit her job due to this illness. I was worried that we would lose our medical insurance and knew that I wouldn't be able to purchase any for her. We both went into panic mode and over the next few months I found myself looking into occupations that would provide coverage.

I'm really only "qualified" to do a few things on this planet - one of which is painting pictures. Trash pick up is another but they don't provide medical insurance so I skipped over that one. Soon my search revealed that working for the state of California not only provided a decent salary and hefty benefits but was also relatively easy to land. A few classes and training and they would practically take anyone willing to lock themselves up with murderers and pedophiles. I was frustrated, scared, disappointed and broken as I filled out the proper paper work and checked myself into the preliminary classes to become a California Corrections Officer.

I felt like I was turning my back on my creative side. In prison creativity can get you killed. My next door neighbor was a corrections officer and we spent a lot of time talking about how different I would need to become in order to survive as a C.O. He basically said I would have to become a robot in order to avoid getting noticed. Inmates will try to get to know you so they can manipulate you, extort you, threaten you, and exploit you. He said, "I'm a totally different person inside the prison - you wouldn't even recognize me".

I got letter from the state telling me that my application was complete and that I was to report to the academy in one month for final training and then I would receive my assignment. My wife and I struggled with the decision. She didn't want me in there any more than I did. In the end we decided that the price was too great and we moved to Utah to be closer to family and figure out our next steps. In the end I can tell you we made the right decision - for many reasons.

The truth is that I probably would have "washed out" in that occupation. The whole goal was to last 25 years for a full retirement but in reality many can't take it and as one ex- C.O. told me, "I would rather wash dishes for the rest of my life than go back in there one more day"...It's as if you're just one of the inmates in many respects...you'll see horrible things...they're a bunch of animals" -this after he had recently quit. For the record there are some people who not only do that job well - they love it. I don't think I would have been one of them.

So back to art. I've come to realize that I'm an artist - period. No matter what - I'm going to be making art and trying to figure out a way to monetize it. I love it! I will never retire from it because it's what I love to do. I think you'll find that most successful artists have a desire to create and while not all of what they produce is commercially successful they never stop. There's always the next project - the next canvas - the next film, album, photo, or book...they're artist's for life.

My Advice For Beginning Illustrators

"I've decided to throw my hat in the ring and become an illustrator - what should I do?"

I get asked this question all the time and the following are the answers I give. Whether you're just out of school or changing careers you probably have a lot of emotions bouncing around in your head. Hopefully this will give you a few ideas to approach your new career.

1) Make great art! This is my number one and it always will be! Know this: art directors, editors, and art buyers are ALWAYS looking for new fresh quality work. This business isn't like the acting world - only in super rare cases is getting that "big break" going to make your career. It's like this: do great work and you will probably start getting good gigs. This sounds overly simple but I'm constantly surprised when I see artists spending lots of time and money marketing work that doesn't stand on it's own.

It's like trying to ride a bike with a flat tire - sure you can make it move but you'll never gain momentum or coast. I'm not saying don't try. Get on that bike and pedal like a mad man but don't be satisfied with flat tires! Constantly evaluate your work against your heroes. Ask yourself hard questions: Why do I like their work better than mine? What are they doing that I'm not? What are my weaknesses and how can I turn them into strengths. Where am I cutting corners? How long are they spending on a piece of art? (don't know? - find out)

I did this. I asked these hard questions when I almost got kicked out of my college illustration program. I asked these questions in my first years of working as an illustrator. I still ask these questions because I'm still on a quest! I don't want to settle for what I'm currently capable of. You have to get pissed off at your current portfolio if you want it to get better in the future! (can you tell I'm passionate about this :)

2) Show your work. If you're making great art you need to understand that there are clients that will hire you if they know you exist. Marketing unfortunately has gotten much harder but also cheaper. Art directors used to look in a few places to find illustrators so life used to be much simpler. Now there are a zillion places you can pay to display your work. I'm noticing that many illustrators aren't finding great success with paid sites, source books, etc. The most important piece of marketing you can do is start blogging - adding regular new work and communicating using your humanity. If you're making great art others will link to you and share your work. Art directors are looking for and hire quite a few illustrators from blog hopping - I know this because I take the time to ask them.

The old stand by - post cards are still a great use of time and money as well. If you're sending out really good work - your cards will no doubt land on a few desks at the right time and you'll start to see them pay off. Again - what you put on that card matters more than who it's going to - more than a clever phrase - more than credentials - and more than the grades you got or are trying to get.

3) Create your own properties. As the publishing world is downsizing from the economy and the proliferation of electronic books - they're creating fewer books and subsequently hiring fewer illustrators. This is both good and bad for illustrators. On one hand it's harder to get commissions - on the other you can now create your own stories and publish them for little to no cost in the form of ebooks and apps. Now you don't have to wait by the phone hoping it will ring with that big job or book deal. Get busy writing and join or form a critique group with like minded people so you can get good honest feedback.

Make relevant apps or ebooks for your audience. It sounds overly simple but simply put - they have to be great. Average, predictable, mediocre aren't words you want used to describe your creations. You have to be honest with your work and only produce properties that you yourself would buy. But don't be paralyzed thinking that you don't have the right or that you're not good enough. You'll learn more by doing than by standing on the sidelines. Get in there and fail. Fail often but learn lessons each time you fail - you're walking aren't you? how did you learn to do that?

4) Go to conferences. It's time consuming and expensive but attending conferences like SCBWI and other writing & illustrating conferences around the country will expose you to people who have the same struggles you do. People who are having successes and are eager to share them - art directors, editors, and art buyers sharing their opinions, preferences, methods, and desires. There is a culture in the publishing industry that you need to tap into to start to understand where you can fit in. You should be getting your advice from many different sources so you can be better equipped to formulate your own opinions.

People who attend conferences get published and hired more often than those that don't.

5) Socialize. You need to be connecting with people using social media. Assignments and opportunities can come from many different directions and connecting through the internet can open you up for many new opportunities. Pick a few social sites and start developing relationships but be careful not to let it take over your time. You can connect with the world now - why wouldn't you take advantage of that?

And if you do decide to create your own projects you'll have a group of people who you've been connecting with that might buy your new_________...and if it's good - they'll talk it up. The days of "buy my product" are dying if not dead - it's the connections you make that will introduce your new_________to the world.

6) Don't always do it the right way. Be careful of looking for the right way to launch or maintain your career. We're in a creative industry so don't clam up and get mechanical about your marketing. It's time to separate yourself from your counterparts. Use your brain and don't be afraid to innovate new ways of getting your art out there. If you were to poll 10 of your favorite illustrators chances are they would all paint a different picture of their success story so don't get caught up in following the map - venture off the trail - you might be talking about your trip at a future conference!

7) Give. Number 7 wasn't in my original post but I'm going to add it now. Help others with their art. Ironically you'll learn and grow faster if you force yourself to put into words the processes you're using to teach someone else. It doesn't matter if you're an expert or not - just help someone that needs it. When you reverse engineer your process you'll hear yourself say things you didn't even know you knew. It will also force you to seek out principles from respected sources so you don't feel like an idiot when teaching. You'll make discoveries that you were never taught in school and you'll also feel great helping others but that's not the important thing...or is it?

I Live To Create

As many of you know I'm working on a few iPad apps at the moment and starting two more book projects and in the middle of a very frustrating freelance assignment. Yesterday I found myself sketching on my iPad while watching Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe with the fam (hilarious). Sometimes my doodles are just doodles but now and then one really starts to take shape.


So when I finished this sketch on my iPad ("Brushes" program $8.99 - I use my finger - no stylus) I had to finish it in photoshop. When I say, "had to" I really mean had to. I don't want to go wacko on you guys but I really feel this inner dependence on creation...almost like I can't breath if I'm not creating something regularly.


It has actually been this way since I was a kid. I couldn't work on a piece all day - or multiple days like I can now - in fact in college I think the longest I ever worked on one image was about 2 hours.


Finishing a piece like this makes me right with the world.


This is where I used one of my digital photos for the background layer - I'm having fun experimenting with this technique. It's a huge time saver and with the blur filters in photoshop you can really do a lot to hide the fact that it's a photo.


This is where I realized that my little mouse would never fit through the door. Sometimes when I get working along I lose objectivity and this is a good example. I had to come to terms with the fact that if I wanted it to look right I would have to spend an extra hour or so fixing my mistake. So, I had to cut out little mouse and move her forward in front of her vegetable basket. In the past I would have settled. In the future I'm sure I'll be able to spot the places where I settled in this image.


So, if you're not creating the kind of art that really makes you happy - know that 1. You can - and 2. You owe it to yourself to figure out your path.

What Kind Of Illustrator Are You?

I've been wanting to make this post for a long time and it's taken a long time to formulate my opinions on this subject. If you're an illustrator perhaps you really haven't thought too much about who you are. One thing's for sure - you need to know who you are to be able to exploit your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

1. The Gunslinger. Like Clint Eastwood wielding his Smith & Wesson the gunslinger illustrator wields his paintbrush, stylus, or drawing instruments with great skill. Great craftsmanship, design, and rendering skills are his/her trademark and the reason clients want him/her in their posse. This illustrator is typically brought in when the job has been defined and visual communication is needed. The skill level of the gunslinger can vary greatly. Most illustrators fall into this category. Examples: David Catrow, Dan Santat, Kadir Nelson, and Paul o. Zelinsky.


2. The Story Teller. This is a writer turned illustrator - a dangerous combination. Not willing to allow someone else to visualize his/her dream - the Story Teller has developed the art of picture making second -to pair with his/her master story telling skill. Often primitive, the art communicates quickly and effectively while craftsmanship and rendering are less important. Examples, Mo Willems, Laura Vaccara Seeger and Gerald hawksley


3 The Renaissance Man. The rare combination of story teller and gunslinger - this complete package can tell a mean story and back it up with very skilled illustrations. The renaissance man (or woman) dares you to find a weakness in his/her game. The R-Man is often a strong contender for the coveted Caldecott award. Examples: Lane Smith, Chris Van Allsburg, and Peter Brown.


4. The Gambler. With no real polish to either the story telling or visual communication skills - the gambler hopes to get lucky. While some gamblers are working hard to earn a higher rank others are content to roll the dice. Sometimes gamblers get lucky and win a contract - sometimes they wait and wait wondering when their luck will change.

I won't give any examples of gamblers because it would be too controversial and potentially hurtful. If primitive unrefined art is your thing and you're good at communicating with it I would suggest that you incorporate storytelling with it. It's a much harder sell to editors and art directors to catch your vision if you send them a portfolio of basic art. You're much more likely to sell rudimentary drawings with a great story.

If you've mastered good design, drawing, and rendering skills and are having a tough time finding contract work it might be due to the rough economy. It also could be that your style isn't exactly what editors are looking for. With so many changes in the world of digital publishing you may find it more attractive to partner with an author or write your own stories and go directly to market with digital ebooks or apps.

Knowing who you are and what you can become is crucial to making a good living as an illustrator.

Who's Got Your Back?

Malcolm Gladwell talks about the importance of opportunity in the success of the successful in "Outliers". I totally buy into this idea. Example: you grew up on a farm - you have more opportunity of becoming a farmer than someone who grew up in the city. A tall kid growing up in a "basketball family" - probably has more chance of making the NBA than most and so on...

So I had to take a look at my own life to figure out what opportunities I had. The list is too long to mention here but at the top would be my parents. My mom and dad were always very encouraging when it came to my art. You might be thinking, "yeah, what's the big deal?" but I've realized that many kids don't have this kind of support when they want to tackle a non-mainstream career.

But my mom went way beyond support. She was truly excited whenever I showed her what I was working on. She NEVER gave me a critique. She was much smarter than I ever gave her credit - she knew I just wanted acceptance and she was more than willing to pour that all over me. We lost her last year but I can still hear her words of encouragement and see her smile as her genuine enthusiasm shined through. I owe her more than I ever told her - I wish I could now.

My wife Lori also get's a huge piece of the credit pie. What a wife. She's put up with the ups and downs of my non traditional career and learned to ride it with me. Without her support I wouldn't be an illustrator. My kids also give me a lot of love and words of encouragement even though they usually revert back to being boys.

I also have many wonderful friends who also provide me with the support and encouragement I need to feel confident about trying new ventures. Like the I HATE READING! app project. It's a scary thing venturing down a road you've never been on before. The voices of doubt are constantly throwing negative questions in your path to trip you and turn you away from the very thing you set out to do.

So - in order to be successful you need to surround yourself with "can do" types that give you encouragement without tearing you down. The world will do it's best to do that for you. What you need is a posse of people who unconditionally love you and get the fact that you're in it to win it. Self doubt is relentless and needs no sleep but you'll be fine if you have a group that has your back.

Progress: here are some sketches and finished work on the I HATE READING! app.

I HATE READING - Kickstarter project!

I just launched a new Kickstarter project called - "I HATE READING!" A humorous story of natural consequences, I HATE READING! teaches kids that reading is fun.

I've been working on this story on and off for many months but it wasn't working for the longest time. One day it just sort of clicked when I let the story play out the way it wanted to be told.

I'm going to be releasing it as an iOs app first (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) but if my kickstarter brings in enough money I'll be making a printed book as well. I'm having so much fun exploring the differences between print and digital development. I really like the idea of being able to tell the same story in both mediums but being able to go further with animation, sound, and the spoken word is just freakin cool!

For those of you who don't know what Kickstarter is allow me to do my best. Kickstarter wasn't the first "crowd funding" website but it is the only one (to my knowlege) that specializes in design, art, and publishing type projects. The idea is pretty simple. Instead of pitching an idea to a business or a business entity like a publisher - crowd funded sites allow you to pitch your idea to the public - online. The "pitcher" announces what he/she plans to produce and then through a series of rewards - invites "backers" to pledge money towards the products the "pitcher" is offering.

In my case I'm going to make an iOs app first (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) and a printed book second. In addition I'm offering small incentives like prints and drawings AND, other goodies to be announced along the way. And I'll let you guys know that I'm planning on giving away all of the additions to backers who pledge at the $65 mark for free. This is information that won't be found on Kickstarter right away.

This is an exciting way for me to fund my dream project which is what I HATE READING really is. It's my story because as many of you already know from reading this blog - I really suffered in school. I hated reading and school in general. If I were a kid now I would have no doubt been diagnosed with A.D.D and medicated. How many kids are suffering now because they're not being rewarded for the creativity they have waiting to be acknowledged?

If you have a minute you can check out my Kickstarter project here: click.

I Miss Snow

Is there anything wrong with that? I realize that loving snow is probably politically incorrect...and I understand that by declaring my love for the cold I'm probably alienating myself from some of you. Just know that I won't judge you for hating the very thing that gets me going! I love the quite, the beauty it gives the landscape, the sound it makes under my feet as I hike, and the playground it provides.

I painted the penguin in Photoshop last night as I looked at the photos of melting snow I took yesterday. Only high level snow left for this year and it's getting harder to get to. I guess I'll have to wait for next year - score one for the snow haters -  but your days are numbered!

Below are a few of the photos I took this year on my daily hikes...

Too Much Frosting?

I've come to realize a few things about my illustration journey. Telling a visual story is number one and I've been way too busy working on number two- making it pretty. Don't get me wrong I love what I've been doing but what I'm talking about is having the sensibility to pull back sometimes and subjectively make logical decisions.

It began when I started seeing books from Mo Willems and how much attention they were getting 4-5 years ago. I have to be honest. I was trained in a more traditional illustration program so to put it bluntly I wasn't a fan- in fact I felt it didn't deserve all the hubbub. How could such simple primitive art be of equal or apparently greater value than mine? This is hard to admit because it more than suggests arrogance towards my art. I'm pointing the finger of shame at myself here.

Over time I've realized that I've had it totally backwards. It started by watching kids respond to books like: Don't let the pigeon drive the bus (which I had wrongly judged by the cover.) Kids love it! -but I was looking at the simple line work and primitive drawing with a critical eye. How could anyone fall for it? -but they were in droves! What I was missing is how well it communicates and draws kids in to Mo's magical world and now I realize - THIS IS OUR JOB!

The movie transformers also really helped change my mind. Sitting through 45 minutes of CGI had my skin crawling- it was over frosted! -too much of a good thing. Was I guilty of the same sin? And digesting Caldecott honor book "First The Egg" by Laura Vaccaro Seeger was enlightening. I had been basing my value judgements of children's books on small pieces of art taken out of context.  Now I've realized that the book IS the art and to take it apart and judge it is akin to rating a movie from a 5 minute section.

What really solidified my new found religion was getting a critique from David Small- Caldecott medal winner for "So You Want To Be President?" I asked his opinion and he kindly gave it. He said, "beautiful work but you don't give your reader any break from your full blown color!"..."it's like your trying to kill em with color!" Wow- how did he get it so right? I didn't want to kill em with color- I wanted to annihilate em with color!!! I used to think that if I crafted each image in my book better than the last- the viewer would love it too. Unconsciously I was creating my 45 min. of boring CGI. Frosting is great when applied judiciously...too much and you just want to scrape it off.

Now I look to illustrate the story first...if it calls for lots of color I'll use it but I'll also look to hold back at critical times so that the "frosting" tastes that much better!

Do You Respect the Art of the Artist?

I suspect that most of us would never think of telling a neurosurgeon how and where to cut on a loved one. Instead we'd probably pray for and respect the expertise, professionalism, and yes, art of the physician. We want that same kind of respect with our own work. If your work is professional shouldn't you get that kind of respect? But how often do we boss the hair stylist? How overly involved do we get with cake decorators and interior designers? Do we respect the home plans that were designed by the architect? or do we ask the builder to take out this wall or change the size of that window? And what about the wedding photographer? Do we respect his/her ability to do what we saw in his/her portfolio? I guess what I'm saying is do we ask artists to do what they're good at or do we try to force them to do something they aren't comfortable with?

When I was illustrating for magazines and advertisements I was constantly amazed that there was often little or no respect given to my ability to create what the art director saw in my portfolio! I was so bothered by this lack of respect that I decided to try not to perpetuate this injustice. I found myself often telling the hairstylist, "Do what you think would look good on my head" (not that there was much hope anyway :) At nice restaurants I would ask the server to bring me what the chef was good at. Other times I've actually asked the chef to surprise me with what he/she would cook for him/herself.

 I guess I was rambling on in class one day about my thoughts on this subject and one of my very committed students took it to heart. Lee VanNoy Call who's work appears above and her husband Tyler found themselves at a Macaroni Grill one night. They asked to speak to the chef. A very worried looking culinary artist showed up and asked what they needed? Tyler spoke up and said, "I would like you to create whatever you like for me because I respect you as an artist and I'm confident that while I might not love what you come up with I'm sure it will be an enjoyable culinary journey apart from the normal path I usually take." (Or something pretty close)

The chef was dumbfounded. He couldn't speak. Finally he had to ask Tyler to repeat his request - after all he had grown accustomed to being treated like a drone, an order taker, a worker bee - certainly not as an artist and especially not like a surgeon. We profess to love art but how often do we allow artists to express their creativity? It's funny but when members of my family want to try my boxed leftovers from a restaurant they never ask what ingredients are in it - but when I cook for the family they always want to eliminate the very ingredients that were in my boxed leftovers. Have we become control freaks when it comes to art?

So the chef was overly careful to ask, "Are you sure you just want me to come up with something?" -and he did it repeatedly. Tyler met his concerns with multiple reassuring words - yes - yes and YES. So the dumbfounded chef retired to the kitchen. When their orders were brought they got a VIP treatment. (this, from a restaurant chain) The chef proceeded to explain what he had made. What ingredients were used. How they were used. Why they were chosen and so on. He was proud of what he had created and he wanted to share it. During the meal he re-appeared to find out if they were enjoying their meals - they were! It was a wonderful meal as they reported to me.

When they were finished he told them dessert was on the house - another off menu creation he made just for them! It too was amazing and a testament to the desire that artists have to give gifts to aficionados. The artist was surprised that his art was appreciated. The art appreciators were surprised at the overwhelming desire to please them by the artist. Why were two artists so surprised by something that should be very common?

If you give respect for artist's art - you might get respect for your art.  

Lee does some really cool DawgArt besides her illustration work - she was also accepted into the Society of Illustrators student show with the piece above!

SCBWI Chicago Conference Photos

I met so many wonderful and talented people at the conference - it was a real treat to be able to get to know them. I was inspired by their portfolios and enthusiasm for the craft of children's book making...a shout out to Tara Gartin for traveling 6 hours to get there - talk about commitment!

Martha Rago - associate creative director at Harper Collins was very gracious and open with sharing her knowledge of the business. She's the perfect spokes person for her company and the industry of children's books. I was honored to be able to get to know her and understand her thoughts combining art and words for children.

Janet and Terry organized a "first look" for illustrators. Each illustrator could submit one illustration before the conference to be critiqued by Martha and I in separate rooms. This was a great format in that neither of us had seen the art until is was flashed on the screen. We then had about 3 minutes to critique it. Nerve racking for me because I realized the impact this can have in someone's life and I wanted to make sure I didn't say anything that would be misunderstood or just plain wrong or unnecessary.

Janet McDonnell and Terry Murphy worked extremely hard at organizing and pulling off this event. My hat's off to them for their hard work - a dinner well deserved - OPAH!!!!

I got to go to Albert Whitman's offices and visit my editor and say high to the gang. When the secretary was in the bathroom I started answering the phones and pushing my books...that didn't last too long :)

They have funny cat's in Chicago - this one didn't like it when I grabbed his tail out side my hotel.

Chicago SCBWI

A quick shout out to Terri Murphy and Janet McDonnell who have taken time out of their busy schedules to organize the SCBWI ILLINOIS ILLUSTRATORS’ CONFERENCE this coming Saturday May 5th. They've risked a lot to invite me to speak along side Martha Rago - Harper Collins art director. I've been planning my grand entrance - it's down to a cartwheel (which I've never successfully pulled off) or a belly slide (which could go bad in so many ways). I remember advice way back when from someone - can't remember who: "Don't be forgettable" So I'll do my best to leave some kind of impression...even if it's only a stain on the floor :)

If you're in the area I'd love to meet you! Conference information here. 

This image above was done purely for the love of the game - I don't know what it means - I don't know this cow personally - don't even know if she knows there's a bird on her back - can't tell if the bird is friend or foe.  

"Like me!"...whether you want to or not!

In the past few years the word "Like" has taken on a whole new meaning. Instead of being more of a feeling it's become a way of giving a nod to someone or something on Facebook. And "Like Me" has become a call to action from a friend, relative, or even someone you barely know- an assignment. "You don't really know me but it would help me if you would login to your Facebook account, search for my cause, project, or company, and then click the "like" button." Does this annoy you? because it's often annoying to me...not because it's all that difficult but because I don't want my friends to buy your product if I don't really believe in it or like it.

Don't get me wrong - I click the "Like" button all the time- but it's unsolicited - which means I really cared about your idea, product, or art enough to risk telling my friends. I'm gearing up to launch a new iPad app for kids in the next month or so. Believe me - the thought of asking everyone I can reach for help is tempting but is it the right move?

I get it- the more likes you have the more successful you might become and all of us want success- but we won't be if our products aren't good enough to gain "likes" the natural way...the way "like" used to be...like when you asked your friend if they liked their burger?..."no, it was too cheesy!" I mean c'mon- you don't tell a joke and then ask, "Was that funny?" You simply don't have enough Facebook, Twitter, (insert other social media site here) fans/friends/whatever to get the kind of momentum you need to be successful by soliciting artificial love. So the artificial likes are just that - fake - and if the product isn't that good none of those "likes" will amount to anything.

As an entrepreneur I think asking a virtual stranger to "Like" your product actually weakens your brand. Actions speak louder than words so to me asking someone to give a recommendation with no regard for their true feelings says, "My product is too weak to become successful on its own so I'm going to need you to help me trick other strangers into thinking that people think my product is "the BOMB" when in reality I don't even believe in it myself.

On the other hand I'm a realist. I know that without a few early "Likes" many of your Facebook friends will never get the chance to see what you've been working on. Your worried that your Facebook post will get buried by other posts that are getting "Likes" right? This is where I think it's good to use a few of your close friends and family. These people get you and care enough to go out of their way to give your project a little push. They aren't hoping you'll fail and they'll be there for your next project. More importantly they'll be there to cheer you up if it doesn't do too well.

YouTube is the best example that ideas and products can spread like the bubonic plague. If you post a video that people find amazingly: hilarious, useful, disturbing, informative, emotional, etc. They'll do all the "Liking" for you...so much that you won't be able to control it. So be bold, original, and creative. Believe in yourself and leave the "liking" to the people that actually dig your stuff.

Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers

I've had the privlege of teaching in the past for WIFYR back in 2009 and 2010 and let me just say that this is one of the best conferences for writing and illustrating in the country! People fly in from all over to attend and space is still available. In past years the conference has sold out so it's not too late! I've talked with quite a few editors about this conference and many applaud it as one of the best in terms of quality of teaching as well as atmosphere. Their dedication to bringing you relevant and current information is really the key to their success.

There is a direct correlation to those who attend children's book conferences and those who get published. You simply can't do it on your own. You need to immerse yourself in the culture and expose yourself to the methods being taught by professionals. Think of it as a crash course in exactly what you need - not something you're likely to find at your local college. If you can swing it this is well worth your time! Here's the link - click.

iPad doodling - Photoshop finish

I've been working on this little iPad sketch on and off for the past few weeks. Whenever I'm in a meeting or a doctor's appointment I relax while sketching - amazing at how the time passes when your working on something you like. I've always wanted to own a cabin on a lake - perhaps it will happen for me some day.


I wasn't happy with the mountain I drew in the background so I replaced it in photoshop with a photo.


I emailed my sketch to my desktop and added color in Photoshop. I love the work I get to do for clients as well as the little bits of time I'm able to grab for personal work.

Check out my "negative" ebook reviews :)

In the following video I read my negative ebook reviews from the Barnes & Noble website just for kicks and giggles. You can actually learn a lot from your reviews and it really has helped me form my opinions for moving forward. As I work on my future app/ ebook projects I will be trying to avoid the problems that I had on these first three books. Monkey & Croc was my first attempt and gets the most negative reviews - mostly for bad formatting. The second most negative review I get is that my ebooks lack interactivity - another feature I will be adding in my apps. I've decided to work on projects geared for the iPad simply because that device works so well and is very popular. I feel I have the best chance for success by going in this direction.

“What's the Going Rate?”...Really?

I constantly hear fellow illustrators, photographers, and graphic designers ask each other, “what's the going rate?" – a book cover– magazine spread– picture book- it seems that many artists want to know what you were paid so they can ask for the same amount. I think this is the wrong question. I think making art is very different than making a massed produced product such as a can of coke. A can of coke has a fixed cost and a fixed amount of time to produce. Your art varies in complexity and the time it takes to produce AND - it's very different than mine. Your art might take you longer to produce than mine. The project I'm being asked to illustrate might be more complex than yours. The conceptual energy you spend might be more taxing on you than me. My method might be more expensive to execute than yours and so on.

Individually we value our time differently. Your cost of living might be higher than mine. My work load may be greater than yours. The quality of your illustration might be higher than mine. My ambitions might be lower than yours. Your reputation might be better than mine. With all of these variables why would we seek for sameness? Why should we seek to price our work in lockstep. Why are we afraid to ask for what we want?

I think we should be asking different questions: How much time will this assignment take me? Can I complete this project given my current work load? Do I want to do this assignment? Do I believe in the message of this assignment? Will I enjoy working on this project? Am I capable of successfully completing this project? What is the opportunity cost of taking this assignment? How bad do I need money right now? Given all of these factors my motivation for a particular assignment is going to be different than yours. My need to land the project isn't going to be the same as yours. These factors can change from month to month as my workload fluctuates project to project. So a one size fits all price makes as much sense as expecting to buy Apple stock for the same price it was 15 years ago.

My formula for pricing assignments goes like this: 1) Will I have fun illustrating this project? If so I'll probably be willing to accept less but I'll need more money if it's going to be drudgery. 2) Will I have to work extremely long hours to complete the assignment or do I have plenty of time? My demands will vary accordingly. 3) How bad do I need the money right now? If my income has been high than my need to take the assignment is lower and I'll probably ask for more money.

After I consider all of these factors I try to figure out what my bottom line dollar amount is. Example: A client asks me to to illustrate a brochure for a national toy company and wants me to submit my bid. Work has been slow so I really want to take the assignment even though it doesn't look like much fun. I figure that given the work load I want to do it for no less than $2000 – lower than that and I'll be happy to lose it. If I can visualize being happy doing it for $1600 than that has to be my new bottom line and so on. So if $1600 is my bottom line then I can feel comfortable asking for $2500 - $3000. If the client agrees to $2700 I'll feel pretty good knowing I would have done it for less. If the client comes back saying they can't pay a penny more than $1300 I won't stress about turning it down because I've already had this crucial conversation with myself.

On the other hand let's say I'm asked to do the same assignment but I've been very busy with good paying work and I currently have a lot of assignments. Taking this new project will have me working weekends and very long days. Now when I go through my check list my bottom line is much higher. This is why you and I can NOT possibly expect to work for “the going rate”! In this case my bottom line might have increased to $4000 or even higher. I probably won't get the job when I am firm at this higher rate but if I do I'm still happy- if not – no sweat. The most important thing is avoiding regret. There's really nothing worse than landing the project and then wishing you had turned it down. You have to know what your bottom line is before you can expect to negotiate successfully.

Lets stop treating our work like common mass produced products and start treating it like art.

Meet My Doggie!!!

If you're one of my facebook friends you know how much I love my dog pooch. I've been trying to think of ways to include her on the blog and it hit me last night. So I dug up a photo we took this past winter and tried to think how I could combine illustration with her picture. Of course it had to be a penguin - my favorite bird! I think every dog wants to be ridden by a penguin. Photo shop is just so fun to play with and so all I did was import the photo to my iPad - do a little doodle on an overlay layer in "brushes" and then painted it in photoshop. This might be a fun way to illustrate an ebook or app about her in the future....you never know right?

Painting Demo

This was an acrylic painting demo I did for my media tech class at UVU a few weeks ago. I still love to paint traditionally even though I don't do it for my freelance or personal project work any more. I don't think it's a any big secret that I have an extreme love affair with photoshop however working in acrylics is my first love - and I'll never forget her. The method I used on this piece is the same one that was taught to me by Rob Colvin 20 plus years ago in school. I painted this on a piece of 12x18 masonite - gessoed with lines from brush - pencil sketch - acrylic washes for under painting in burnt sienna - add value with ivory black and burnt sienna and then a series of acrylic paint layers that gradually get dryer and dryer as I work the lightest lights last. I actually even made a video tutorial of this process and you can check it out right here: http://folioacademy.com/samplec.html

I Got To Speak At Ringling !

Wow! What a week! I was asked to speak and jury the student show at Ringling College of Design by Octavio Perez (Illustration Faculty) -an amazing artist. It was a very flattering experience and rewarding to be able to visit an institution committed to excellence in teaching students good design and art fundamentals.


They have a really nice campus in a resort area - I don't know how they manage to get their work done with so many distractions available.


I spoke about the necessity to become indispensable and to open their minds to new possibilities in the creation of their own digital properties.


A group of illustrators hung around after to chat - one of them had me sign 1313 Dead End Drive - the Hasbro board game I illustrated years ago - first time I ever signed it!


They told me there were over 2000 entries in the student show - crazy! My job was to whittle it down to about 60-80 pieces - not an easy task - there were so many really good pieces.


Here are a few of the pieces that made the cut.


Bonus! My sister has a house in Sarasota and I met up with her and her husband for some wonderful dinners and even had a chance to hit the #1 beach in the US - Siesta Key!


And this is what I flew home to yesterday!