Ever wanted an awesome custom avatar for your Facebook, Twitter or Google+ account? Well now’s your chance! I’m now offering custom illustrated avatars for you to use on the web!
The other day I had a seemingly very talented art & design student stop by my office for an interview. Very nice kid whom I’m sure will eventually make a very nice living in the world of web and graphic design. The one thing that made me crazy about the interview was her unpreparedness. Now, before you all blast me for attacking an inexperienced student, let me just say that this post is not meant to be an attack. I’m writing this post in hopes that some bright eyed art & design student might stumble across it and learn something about the interview process. The fact of the matter is that most art schools don’t even bother to teach students how to conduct themselves in a professional environment, so that’s what I’m here to do. Keep in mind that these are just my personal opinions. Please use your own best judgment when following advice from strangers on the interwebs. Read the rest of this entry »
As many of you are aware, Facebook is currently under fire for their haphazard approach to privacy. While I don’t disagree with that (as of this writing, Facebook privacy is a cluster), I still believe strongly that social networking is important for artists to market, promote, and communicate with their audience. For this article, I will attempt to explain a common sense approach to social networking for both business and pleasure, while still maintaining your own privacy, and the privacy of your users.
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On Friday, May 21, 2010 I received two awards for my work. The first was a third place award for my animation titled “Ladybug”, which stars a sad liitle guy and a ladybug(Watch the animation below), and the second was a first place award for my digital art piece titled “Don’t Tell Mommy” (click the thumbnail to the left to view).
So I’ve lived with the “magical” iPad for about a week or so now, and I have to say I like it a lot…for what it is. As I stated in my previous post on the topic, the iPad is predominantly for consuming media, not creating it. However, after looking into it a little more closely, I’ve discovered that maybe the iPad is a bit more useful than I thought.
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Apple’s iPad is a fun new toy for sure. Magical? Well I wouldn’t go that far(sorry Steve Jobs), but it does have a great interface. The screen resolution is amazing. Images are crisp, and the colors are fantastic. The keyboard is a little funny, but I’m typing this article on an iPad right now, so I can tell you it works fine. Expect lots of fingerprints, but I haven’t found them to be too distracting, yet.
What I find most interesting about the iPad isn’t the cool factor of being an Apple-ite(read fanboy), but the actual interface of the touchscreen computer, and the opportunity for interactive illustration in an industry that has been hurt by the demise of print. Is the iPad a device that we artists can use to create art? Frankly, no. The iPad is a new way to deliver your creations to an audience. It is very much a product meant for media consumption, and not for creation. But, as proven by the simply awesome Marvel Comics app, consumption on the iPad is great! Again, the screen resolution is fantastic, and the art looks even better than it does on the newsstand. The iPad offers us artists one more advantage that we didn’t have before, and that’s the chance to let the user actually interact with the art itself.
Happy New Year! I am finally finished with a much needed redesign of my site. Take a look around and let me know what you think. I hope to have much more newness coming this year. I am hereby declaring 2010 the year of ME! So beware!
Thanks to all who continue to show support. You guys rule.
C
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