Some digital practice

Here's my latest digital sketch, something to keep my skills fresh while I await my next project. It was just a few years ago, by the way, when all I needed to update regularly was my online portfolio and this blog. Now there's CGTalk, CGHub, LinkedIn, Behance, Deviantart and others I can't recall right now--so many that I find myself tackling them all at once every five, six months or so. So, apologies for that. 

Also, apologies for the lack of any written content. I used to write here all the time. It was like online therapy, stuff I'd discuss with friends over coffee, and for the last few years I've been way too busy to devote much thought into any post. Now, if I write anything at all, it's on Facebook.

Well, I listened to this great lecture last night on how to make more than a subsistence living as an artist, especially as a freelancer, and I came away feeling angry and frustrated with myself.

Take the job because you need to pay rent, you have to eat---even though you know this client is underpaying you. They are outright taking advantage of you. And they don't care. In fact they act as if they are doing you a favor.

Or refuse the job, work on your own stuff, update your portfolio, keep searching for work, hope you sell some originals. And if all else fails ask your elderly mother for help.

That is a maddening conundrum to find yourself in month after month. After a while you begin to wonder, why bother? Why?

Don't get me wrong. I have worked for some wonderful clients who have not only paid me well but I have enjoyed working for. But I have basically had the philosophy of take whatever comes my way no matter what they offer.

And that has led to a lot of frustration and self kicking. And brought me to where I am now, two years after taking one of the biggest gambles of my life, that of uprooting myself to a new country where I didn't even speak the language, where (in my darkest moments) I feel like I have nothing to show for my gamble.

On the other hand, I can also say this is day one, this is my starting point. And I have one kick ass portfolio, a lot of great people in my life, and I am worth the money. 

Local dudes hanging out

One of my latest sketches -

Saw these guys while taking a break in downtown Microcentro cafe called Picnic. I loved the way the figures overlapped. And I loved that one guy who looks like he's an extra from some 70's television cop drama. 

DemiChat and the Kent Street Mystery is now available!

Yay! My second children's book is now out and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and soon on Apple Ipad.

Demichat, the main character, is a Parisian cat living in London with her humans, the Jaspers, and she dreams of having a life full of mystery and adventure, just like her idol, Sherlock Holmes. She gets that chance when Lord Flannery, a retired police beagle, come to join the Jasper household.

You can find out more about Demichat and her amazing creator, Toni Brisland, here - http://www.demichat.com/home

I worked on this project during my first South American winter, short, freezing cold days in the middle of July---weird!!!! And besides the cold, I must admit, I had to battle a lot of self doubt, and all those lovely things that can get in the way, but I got through them. And the end result is a project I'm really proud of. Here are some of my favorite illustrations from the book -

Personal work

I sketched this image around 2, maybe 3 years ago and, of course, I always meant to finish it but work and other things kept getting in the way. But, here it is! Done! It's part of a series of images I did to accompany a short story I wrote. 

One thing about finishing a painting, especially one without a deadline, is knowing when to stop. I could have gone on and on adding roof tiles, more people on the sidewalk, more texture, and on and on. But, time to move on to other things...

Latest BA Sketch

I've been doing a lot of digital painting lately so I thought I'd go back to traditional with my latest BA sketch. Wish I'd used blue instead of red for the underdrawing but all in all I'm happy with it. This is a facade of gorgeous house somewhere in Microcentro, by the way.

El Ateneo Grand Spledid

Last Friday, after running an errand downtown, I treated myself to an afternoon in one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, since it's been a whie since I even set foot in there. I had a really yummy frappucino (though not as good as $bux's) and spent the afternoon sketching. Sigh…all those books and only a small section of them in English.

Friday Night Drawing Workshop!!!

I finally found a drawing workshop here in BA that didn't cost a crazy twenty something US dollars to go to. This one, in Villa Urquiza, cost about $25 AR (about $4 US) had live jazz, a bar, and two ethnic models which, if you've been in Buenos Aires for a while, you'd know is a really good and much needed thing. Only catch was, the flyer said it started at 21:00 which, in practice translated to about 23:00. So I was still drawing at about 2am! Then, of course, walking back home at around 3am, the streets of Palermo Hollywood seemed as crowded as they would have been in the daytime, minus the young kids. Awesome. Hope they have one every Friday!!!