Category: illustration

Balance

Balance between client work and personal work is so very important when you’re freelance.  I lost sight of that and really loaded on the client work for the past few years. (it doesn’t help that we have a bunch of debt now from getting ripped off by a contractor.) So much so that I might get one personal piece done a year, and personal work is important for passive income (Prints for shows, artwork for online merchandise, etc).
It came to a breaking point here recently with the last two sketch card sets I’ve done.  My rejections have always been kinda low, the last few sets I’ve seen more than half of my cards getting rejected, and I’ve seen what’s been showing up on ebay and it just doesn’t make any sense.  I’ve seen high schools students do better work that what’s being approved.  And this last set (Lost in Space), 34 of my 50 cards were rejected, can you pay your bills with 160.00 for a two week job?  I didn’t think so.   That’s why I’m done with Sketch Cards, the approvals just aren’t there, and they are taking time away from other work I should be doing. I really thought that sketch cards would/could be a stepping stone for my illustration career, but it’s definitely a dead end for me.

So once I get my commissions list cleared, I’m going back to the daily grind – full time at first then maybe to part time.  This will free me up to focus on some personal work and getting my professional portfolio where it needs to be so I can start seeking book illustration work. There are too many personal projects I’ve been trying to get started, but there is always a deadline hanging over my head.  Like that alien day drawing I did 2 years ago, I still haven’t painted it, or that coloring book I’ve been trying to illustrate – I can’t even find time to start it.  Just so much I want to do.

I’ll still be taking personal commissions because I love doing work for other people, but I won’t be actively seeking any contract jobs till I’m ready.

Onward & upward, right?

Here is my latest drawing (that I can share)

Week in Review…

Just incase you’ve missed it on [ Instagram ]
These are what I’m currently working on:

The Troll King (it’s no secret that I loathe this man).

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Mar 16, 2016 at 2:32pm PDT

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Budda Cthulhu – I start painting Monday/Tuesday. I still have a few details to work out.  As I’ve indicated before, this year will be Illustrations for shirts & other merch in my online stores…

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Mar 19, 2016 at 6:47am PDT

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SketchFest is live this weekend so I’ve been working on a few prompts. At the moment I have no plans to turn these concept drawings into full paintings.

Stag of the Moon: I know it’s not a ‘stag’ but, this is where the prompt led me.

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Mar 19, 2016 at 12:14pm PDT

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Lady of Spring:

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Mar 20, 2016 at 7:48am PDT

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I have one more prompt to work on, I’m not sure I’ll get it done in time (only a few hours left to SketchFest72). Today I’d like to try and hammer out one or two sketch cards or 4×6’s to list on feebay tomorrow AM. Unsure yet.

If you really want to keep up to date on what I’m working on make sure you follow me on Instagram (or Twitter, all of my IG posts flow to twitter).

Tribute to AA Milne and EH Shepard – Winnie the Pooh

So, I run a private group on facebook dedicated to daily sketching/drawing. Every month I put out a calendar of prompts and you draw which ever prompt inspires you the most. The point is to just draw every day, skill level doesn’t matter.

Well… January 18th was A.A. Milne’s Birthday also known as Winnie the Pooh Day, that day the prompt was to Draw a winter activity to include Pooh & gang.

I grew up watching winnie the pooh, back in the early 70’s I had a pooh-bear, so early Winnie the Pooh holds a special place in my heart. As an adult I admire EH Shepard’s original illustrations of Pooh & gang, which is more or less what I based this drawing on.

Needless to say, I was very inspired. And yet again, I feel as though this is a direction I need to explore more of.

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Feb 13, 2016 at 7:19pm PST

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Here are some detailed shots as I completed them:
Pooh:

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Feb 9, 2016 at 7:20pm PST

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Eeyore:

A photo posted by Connie (@connie_faye) on Feb 10, 2016 at 11:55am PST

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I’m hoping to get the illustration finished in the next few days.

Goodbye 2015 Hello 2016!

I’m not going to post any resolutions (they’re pointless anyway), what I am going to do is list somethings I’d like to get done this year.
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Illustrate some sort coloring book, I’m thinking Cats, Dragons, Mythical Creatures (Western or Greek/Roman), or Mad Max themed.

I will be doing more cat illustrations this coming year. Based on the style of my FuzzyButt Christmas Card this year.

I will be doing more illustrations like my Three Wee Witches. Little animals doing human things…

Definitely need to explore this Post Apocalyptic idea I’ve had rumbling around in my head since Fury Road.

Need to get back into doing my own illustrations for my online stores (Society 6, Zazzle, etc).

Lots of Art & Illustration planned for 2016!

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Winter Warlock

You know what really sucks?  Doing a drawing to make a video only to find out that something glitched out and the 30+ minutes you spent drawing and inking an image didn’t get recorded.

I mean – I hit record, the program indicated that it was recording, I could see everything on my monitor and it looked good. The drawing only took me a half hour even with the inking. I stayed in frame, I showed close ups and everything. When I was done I hit ‘stop’ it acted like it was saving. So I take some pictures with my camera to make custom thumbnails in photoshop. I open sony vegas, and… nothing.   So below is the awesome thumbnail and below that is a shot of my drawing and the reference I used.

I may just go ahead and redraw it and color it this time, I really like how the drawing turned out.  Been trying to get used to my [ brush pen ] and working from a reference on my tablet.  Hopefully I’ll have another video in a week or so. =)

Don’t forget to follow me on [ instagram ] for (mostly) daily art updates.

In search of something more…

Finished my elf. 5×7 Marker/Colored Pencil/Acrylic. My camera shows more yellow (if there’s a lot of blue) I still need to reinstall my scanner drivers so I can get a proper image of it.

http://instagram.com/p/tsrMLINAgQ/embed/

Even though I’m happy with how this turned out, it still doesn’t satisfy my muse. Back to the sketchbook for more drawing.