Illustration Friday - SKINNY

Miki didn't like her legs. They were long and skinny and because of that, everyone called her Spider.

The Illustration Friday.com prompt for today is "Skinny". I drew this in about 10 minutes with Copic Marker and colored pencil. Sorry, no non-dominant hand sketch today. Maybe next week!

Darth Vader Halloween Paper Lantern

If you want a fun and easy Star Wars Halloween craft project, try making a Darth Vader Paper Lantern! Items you'll need:
• Tape or Glue
• Bristol Paper
• Tracing Paper
• Pencils
• Black Sharpie
• Acrylic Paint
• Brushes



Step 1: Draw a silhouette shape of Vaders helmet. Just one side is all you need because you'll be folding the lantern in half.


Step 2: Cut out the shape with scissors or an exacto knife. Ask your parents for help!


Step 3: This is what your cut out will look like. Use black acrylic paint to paint it black.


Step 4: Place the tracing paper underneath the helmet and using pencil, draw a scary Vader face.


Step 5: Here are the three elements I made. I painted the helmet with black acrylic. Bristol paper is nice and heavy and will take the paint well. It's also sturdy enough to stand up, but not too thick that you can't easily cut through it. That's why I recommend it. I used a Sharpie to color the face. I suggest you color over it several times since one layer will look streaky when the light is behind it. Several layers of color will make it more opaque.


Step 6: Tape the scary face that you drew on tracing paper to the back of the helmet. I decided to paint some orange pumpkins to make it look festive. But you can add any other designs you want!



Step 7:Now just light the candle and have some Halloween fun with Darth Vader!


IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTION!!! Please ONLY use a candle votive inside a glass jar so that glass prevents the candle from getting too close to the paper! Vader would be most displeased if you didn't!

Thank you to Karabeth Hanna for the idea! She made a lovely Victorian lantern which you can see here.

Want To Sell Your Art Online? So Many Options!

I've been selling my original art and prints online for about five years, maybe a bit longer. In that time, I've tried a LOT of different art and social networking sites. Here's a quick run-down on what I've tried, what's worked, what hasn't.

My Space -Yes, I gave it a go on MySpace for a few years. I closed my account earlier this year because it wasn't worth the time. It seems like MySpace is appropriately titled because it's definitely a 'me first' site. I found that users are super quick to make announcements about themselves but don't take time to comment on your posts, blogs, or pictures, etc... Unlike Twitter where that attitude will get you un-followed, it seems to be the norm there. Which is fine, just not very helpful in terms of selling your own art. Now there's also a site called My Art Space, and maybe artists are having better luck in that community. I haven't tried it and don't plan to.

Artwanted - This was one of the first art communities I ever signed up with years ago. It wasn't very user-friendly when I used back then. But it looks like the site has undergone a lot of improvements recently. It's a gigantic community and you can keep yourself pre-occupied there all day. There's monthly themed art contests which can be fun if you have the time or interest. They also have a print on demand service. As well, you can offer the sale of your originals in your gallery. Users can rate your art and comment on it, which can be a bit useless since everyone seems to opt for the "Great work!" method of commenting. Nice if you need a boost, but not very helpful for honing your skills. Overall not a bad site though. I never quite warmed up to Artwanted.com though but I may give it another shot in the future.

Deviant Art- If you want to get lost in a maze of seemingly zillions of artists posting anything and everything from quick doodles to poetry to photography to fine art and EVERYTHING in between, go to DA. Amateurs and professionals alike use this site, and I would say the majority of users are students. DA as it is known has a print-on-demand service. You can upload your images, then click on whether you want to offer them as a print or not. If so, you decide the prices, but since Deviant Art provides the prints, there's a huge mark up of course. There's a forum with job listings but I noticed that most clients tend to lowball artists there. DA works nicely when you take the time to network with other artists and collectors/fans, but it does take a LOT of time. After having a premium account with them for a couple years, I decided to close up shop. I found it annoying in general, and somewhat unprofessional. I know some artists who sell a lot of work there though and who are doing quite well developing a following there. It just takes time and effort to develop your fanbase or if you have an existing fanbase, you can try to connect them to you there.

ETSY - It took me a long time to warm up to Etsy because it's considered a site for crafters. Nothing wrong with that, I'm just not a crafter necessarily. I finally decided to upload some original and prints over the summer and get my account up and running. It's not a print on demand service. You have to provide the stuff you sell, whether its greeting cards or post cards or fine art prints. There's a lot of interaction between sellers there and everyone is very friendly and supportive. It's definitely got a community feel. I even sold a few prints which was great. But then I realized I was losing buyers because to you have to create an account there to purchase, and some people just don't want to bother. I can't say I blame them. Overall I recommend Etsy as a great place to direct buyers to your art. It's great if you already have a following and can convince them to create an account. It's easy to upload images, and there's lots of freedom to brand your store however you like. Again though, it just takes a lot of time.

Artfire- Artfire is brand new, and I immediately signed up for one reason: buyers do NOT have to create an account to purchase. They just use the shopping card to buy your stuff, and they're outta there. Honestly, I'm in love with Artfire! You can start with a free account to try it out if you don't want to jump into the premium ($12 monthly). You can brand your store any way you like. It has quick and easy image uploading and item description areas. The design of the web site has an intuitive feel, and it just grabbed me visually. It's not a print on demand site, so you just like Etsy, you provide the stuff you're selling. I suspect I will be sticking with Artfire for a long time. And did I mention users don't have to create an account to purchase?:) THANK YOU, ARTFIRE!!! THANK YOU!

I also came across a great article this morning on Twitter via @creativeams about some other new art social networking sites not mentioned here. I'm going to check them out and see which ones I like, then maybe do a follow up post about that.

More Art Social Networking Sites- Click Here

If you've tried any of the sites I mentioned, or any of the sites in the aforementioned article, please share your opinions and comments! Now, go sell your stuff!

-Cyn

Halloween Art

I drew this back in August, in anticipation of using this artwork for Halloween cards. Time got away from me and I never created the cards. I hope to remedy that with some holiday cards. In the meantime, enjoy "Cloudy With No Chance of Candy". The original artwork is available for purchase in my Artfire.com Store.

Illustration Friday - FAST (Non Dominant Hand Sketch!)

The pesky Halloween kitty was fast, but Lou the mouse was faster.

It's Friday so that means it's Illustration Friday! Today's prompt is "Fast". And just like the last two prompts, I drew this with my left hand. I might as well do a full color painting left-handed as that seems to be where things are headed at the moment! Perhaps a whole series of left-handed illustrations. For now, this is just my simple blue sharpie doodle. I enjoy the spontaneity, the freedom, and the end result of these lefty IF sketches! Hope you do too!

Don't forget to post your sketch at www.illustrationfriday.com.

Boo!

CONTEST- Tell Me What Makes You Giggle and Win!

UPDATE! 10/29
WINNER ANNOUNCED!
Thank you to everyone who left a comment! Our winner (by random draw) is Bobbi Ireland! Bobbi, please email me with your shipping address, and I'll send a sketchbook to you! I will be having more give-aways like this in the future, so please be sure to stop by again!

Happy Halloween!
Cyn:)
cyn@cynnarcisi.com


If you ask me, we all need a little more silliness in our lives! Wouldn't you agree? All this talk about pig colds, and economic this and that, and depressing stories of families selling out their kids on reality shows can really make us do all kinds of unhealthy things like...

...lock oneself in the basement storage unit and refuse to come out til the next full moon.
...eat 12,431 bags of Oreo mini's in one sitting.
...cry til there's enough tears to drown a possum in a ten gallon hat.
...forget to feed the cats.
...sit in the corner and stare out the window as if there's no hope left in the world.

Well, I won't give in! I just won't! My husband and I are eternally silly, thankfully! Need proof? Just look at this picture of us from our recent trip to Yellowstone.

We look for reasons to be silly and giggle, or out and out belly laugh, wherever we are, even if it means embarrassing ourselves publicly from time to time, which we've been known to do (if you saw our Michael Jackson tribute dance last summer, you'll know what I'm talking about).

So I want to make YOU giggle too by giving you an opportunity to win my 2009 Sketch Book appropriately titled "This SketchBook Will Make You Giggle". It's 16 pages of artsy fartsy goodness featuring silly things I've drawn all year. The cover was taken from a recent lllustration Friday prompt, Flying, which I drew left handed (and btw, I'm NOT left-handed). And I'll hand color the cover too (as shown in the picture, for example). There's a purty color spread and it's bound with some yummy gold stringie stuff that I found in my craft drawer. Now hold onto your hats cuz here's the cool part. I will include an original hand drawn sketch inside personalized to you! And I promise, it'll make you giggle:)


What do YOU have to do? Just leave a comment and tell me what makes you giggle like there's no tomorrow! What makes you laugh til your sides ache, til your heart goes pitter pat? I think I just borrowed from a Felix the Cat theme song (no copyright infringement intended;) Leave your comment, I'll make you giggle. It's THAT easy! I'll pick a winner on October 29th. Get silly!

Women Who Rock! Jessica Hickman and Soni Alcorn-Hender

This month for my Women Who Rock series, I wanted to introduce you to two women who I've known a few years through my work in the field of sketch cards. For those who may not know what a sketch card is, I'll explain. Sketch cards are a collectible trading card drawn by artists. Here's the twist- they're not reprinted. When an artist illustrates a sketch card (either in pencil, or paint, or marker -anything but digital), they draw directly onto a blank card. Artists sign contracts to draw anywhere from 50-200 (sometimes more) cards which they then return to the manufacturer (such as Topps). The one-of-a-kind cards are inserted into beautifully packaged collectible cases of cards known as hobby boxes, giving the collector the chance to find (or 'pull') a rare work of art. Sketch cards are associated with licensed properties in film and television as well as comic books. The talented artists I'm talking with today have illustrated cards for properties such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Heroes (to name a few). Their creativity is relentless and they have a dedication to their craft (extending well beyond sketch cards) which will inspire you! In a nutshell, these women rock!

Jessica Hickman

Hi Jess, thank you for chatting with me. Let me start with this basics that folks often want to know. Did you go to art school ?

I attended Arizona State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drawing. I really wanted to take some graphic design courses but at the time I was there ASU was strictly a Fine Arts school. Since then they’ve added some digital graphic classes and computer animation.



Do you work in traditional or digital media or both?
I mainly work in traditional media (pencil, pen and marker) and occasionally work in Photoshop.

How long have you been working in the trading card industry?
Oh gosh, 4 years I think?

How has it helped you as an artist and/or businessperson?
I have definitely had to re-think composition when it comes to working on such a small surface. And I never really worked with markers before sketch cards. Now I use them all the time and I think my sense of color and marker technique has really improved because of it.

What would you say are the challenging aspects about being a freelance illustrator?
I would say just getting your work out there. Finding networking sites and posting your artwork to show and receive critiques are the best ways to get noticed (and to keep your artwork ‘fresh’). I exclusively deal with the internet though. I’m sure other artists have put ads in magazines and newspapers, but I have never done that so I’m not sure how beneficial it would be for me.

What would you say is the most rewarding aspect about being a freelance illustrator?
Meeting people who actually know and enjoy your artwork. I’m always surprised to meet people who know who I am and like the work I produce.

What advice would you give girls who wish to be freelance illustrators, either in terms of business skills or art skills?
Draw ALL THE TIME. I cannot stress this enough. Buy a sketchbook and carry it with you all the time. Draw at the zoo, airport, mall, family functions, etc. You might not think your work is improving, but it really is. Especially when you finish your sketchbook and go back to page 1. You can really see your progress.

In your opinion, what quality is needed to be a successful in this business?
You HAVE to know how to draw. If you work mainly in digital media and don’t think you need a traditional background, your work is not going to be as sought after as those artists that have studied drawing (2D and the human form). It will come through in your work. Learning to draw is the best way to make your work more popular with potential employers.

Where can we see your art?
http://Jessicahickman.com
Facebook
Jessasketch.deviantart.com


Soni Alcorn-Hender

Where did you go to art school?
I did an art foundation course in Portsmouth, then a degree in Illustration at Glasgow School of Art.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of being a freelance illustrator?
Self-discipline! You need to learn to manage everything including time, finances, energy and inspiration, for those inevitable periods when you lack one (or more) of the four but still need to meet a deadline anyway.

What are the rewards of being a freelance illustrator?
When people offer you work (and payment) for drawing what you already love! It doesn't happen immediately, you have to associate yourself with the subject first; but the best way is just to draw and explore what you're passionate about and get it out there, get it seen.



Do you work in traditional or digital media or both?
Ooh very traditional. I even have dip-pens and a Victorian ink well which I play with on occasion. Digital art can produce a near-photo-like realism but I think handmade artworks have more life to them.

What advice would you give girls who wish to be freelance illustrators, either in terms of business skills or art skills?
I'd say both art and business skills are essential, including how to market your own work and communicate with potential bosses and clients. In terms of art I think there's actually a lot of room for women artists, and for them to bring their own styles and sensibilities to this genre without having to draw like the male artists or create what they think male fans expect. Diversity is definitely appreciated!

How long have you been working in the trading card industry?
About two and a half years.

How has working in this industry benefited you as an artist and/or businessperson?
It's given me lots of deadlines, which may feel painful at the time but are always great for improving your technical skill and confidence. It's also given me some great contacts, not just people to work for, but other artists in a similar position to be inspired by.

What would you say is a quality needed in a person to be a successful in this business?
Persistance is important, it can take a long time for things to start moving and during that time you need to keep working and trying to get noticed.

Where can we people check out your art?
My gallery website: www.bohemianweasel.com
and Twitter: @BohemianWeasel

Thank you for chatting with me Soni!

I hope you take a moment to visit both Jess' and Soni's web sites to view their art and learn more about these two women who rock! If you'd like to meet other artists who work in the sketch card/trading card industry, please visit Sketch Card Art blog . Jess herself conducts interviews with top artists and new artists alike!

If you'd like to see trading card sets from Topps, including upcoming releases, please visit www.topps.com.

Star Wars:Clone Wars Wide Screen Sketch Cards

Topps enticed me with an opportunity to do more sketch cards for the Star Wars property. This time it was for the Clone Wars Season 1 Widescreen set. These cards were a bit different in that the size of the cards are relative to widescreen, so they're a bit bigger than the traditional trading card size (which is 2.5"x3.5"). The requirement for the cards is that they simply be a sketch. Whatever we use for the sketches is fine with Topps. I usually use ink, but I went with pencil this time and drew 150 cards total. These cards are not reprinted. They are original works of art that get inserted into hobby boxes. In a rare move, Topps also decided to insert the sketch cards into retail packs which will be found in Wal Mart, Target, etc... very soon!

These cards are a few of my favorite:)

Illustration Friday - FROZEN

Everyone was frozen in fear at the thought of what was behind the door.

After having so much left-handed fun with last weeks IF challenge, I decided to give it another go. This was slightly more painful than the last with all the "straight" lines and teeny detail! I might make it easier on myself next time and use a pencil. But then again, there's something about the blue sharpie that calls my name for these. I noticed again how the mind chatter dwindled significantly as I was concentrating on every line and every mark. I think this must be what it might've been like when I picked up a crayon as a wee one and tried drawing the first few times. I really enjoy the non-dominant hand experiments. I think I may do yet another next week.

What do you think? Have you tried one with your non-dominant hand yet?

The Gratitude Attitude

What is the number one thing most of us are lacking in our lives? The answer is simple. Gratitude. We push it aside and tell ourselves we'll write in our gratitude journal tomorrow. Or we say thank you robotically in response to people we encounter in public, like when someone holds open a door. Sometimes we forget to say thank you all together for the smallest gestures from others. Pretty common. Sometimes we need reminding, a gentle nudge to say thanks. And not just for the Toyota in the driveway, or the new Mac we just purchased, or the roof over our heads. We have to remember the little things that we overlook every day. For example, this morning I went to the cafe down the street for my morning coffee. An electronic voice rose above the chattering taking place among the morning patrons. It caught my ear and when I looked, I saw an older fellow chatting away with a friend as he was pressing a box to his throat. And I realized, I've never been thankful for having a voice, for good working vocal chords, even if they don't work so well when I try to sing (can't have it all, I guess!). I've never really felt grateful for being able to do something as seemingly simple as speak, when there are those who can't.

I think most of us simply don't realize the value and the life changing qualities of gratitude. Gratitude replaces the sense of lack and brings a whole lot of joy into the daily grind, because the daily grind stops feeling like a grind when there's gratitude. Gratitude is cyclic in that way.

With regards to my art, I often feel a very strong sense of gratitude towards being able to make a living at it, for my talent in general. But that's the operative phrase - "in general". If I look around my studio now, I can see countless smaller things that I take for granted. So I'll start a list, and if you want to add to it with your own list of thanks for the things you might be overlooking, please join me in the comment box! Let's get the gratitude ball rolling!

I'm grateful for:
The Blick Art store just four blocks away. A hop, skip and a jump even on the chilliest, snowiest winter days. I never have to get in a car and drive there, or hop a bus, or take a cab. Just throw on some shoes and head over! Thank you for being there, Blick!

My unending stash of colored pencils. I have income to buy them, plenty of them. They're always waiting to be used, and I often do. But sometimes I neglect them."Use us or we walk", they should be chanting in a colored pencil picket line. Thank you for being there either way, Sepia, Indigo, Pale Blue, and everyone else, and waiting patiently for me!

My stack of papers. Water color, bristol vellum, bristol smooth, printing paper, sketchbooks, construction paper. Without you, paper, I'm nothing! Thank you:)

My desk itself! I sometimes get mad at you because you're not big enough. I remember a time when I was drawing on the floor of my studio apartment! Thank you for being here now, drawing desk!

My eyes. I have two of them and they work very well even after all these years (I've never needed glasses, no small feat considering I've been glued to a 'puter for the past 15 or so years). In fact, I'm beginning to see better than ever before. I like the color. They're hazel. Thank you eyes, for giving me sight. I couldn't draw without you.

My hands. Ok, I find them to be funny looking sometimes, a little rough, not the dainty perfect hands my Mom has which I didn't inherit. But I have them...two of them. There are those who don't. Making art would be quite nearly impossible or at the very least, incredibly challenging without them. Thank you hands!

My ability to read. That's probably something that gets taken for granted more so than anything else. At the least, it's high on the list, if I had to hazard a guess. Many people in the world remain illiterate, and for various reasons, are deprived of the gift of learning to read and write. I cannot thank my grade school teachers enough for sitting in a classroom patiently, day after day, getting me to sound it out, to understand the shapes, the sounds, and the meanings. Then they watched and waited while awkward scribbles transformed into letters into words into sentences. Then there was all the fine tuning, the spelling, the sentence structuring. I can write picture books now because of them. That is no small miracle! Thank you Ms. Dyja, Ms. Colletti, Mrs. Knowles, Ms. Jack, from the bottom of my heart!


So as I said, please share some things you're grateful for in the comment box! Let's inspire gratitude in one another! Thank you!!!!!

Illustration Friday - FLYING

Today is Friday, so that means...drum roll....another Illustration Friday.com challenge. Today the theme is "Flying". I decided to try something quick and expressive and silly because time is short today (and also, I'm tired). Armed with just a blue sharpie and piece of printer paper, I went at it. And might I add, there's a unique twist to this one- I drew it with my non-dominant hand, my left! It was as if the usual left brain chatter switched off and I was flying through the air with the greatest of ease, drawing without thinking, without inner commentary, just doing what feels natural and instinctive, just like this cat flying through the air chasing after that pesky fly! Perhaps I'll try another IF challenge with my left hand. I quite enjoyed it!

The Evolution of My Book Dummy Part I

What would you say is the most challenging aspect about writing and illustrating your own story? Well, some might say writing is the hardest part. Others might say illustrating is the hardest part. I'm about to prove that the most complex, the most challenging part (for me anyway) is actually a combination of the two. That is, putting together the necessary book dummy. No picture book got to where it is (that is, on a shelf), without some form of a book dummy that came before it. And there's about a billion ways to make one. I'm going to share my process of making a dummy. I'm going to keep the story and title a bit vague for now, for fear of having it considered published by posting it on my blog (though I'm sure it's safe at these beginning stages, right? Anyone?).


So basically, this is how I'm starting, with a simple layout of 32 pages, the typical page count for any picture book. As long as it's divisible by 8, you're good. But generally, 28 or 32 pages is the norm. As you can see, this is just a general map to organize where I want a spreads vs. single page illustrations. I'm setting the pace of the book. And what I'm showing here may or may not change. It's just a first step in organizing onto paper what is floating around in my brain! A plan of action if you will! And we all know how plans change. A couple things to note: my story begins on page 5. Some stories begin on page 3 or 4, but mine will start on 5.

My next step will be to draw larger thumbnails and start fitting in the text and some very loose sketches. I'm going to get a HUGE sheet of paper, probably 18x24, redraw the pages, and loosely (VERY loosely) start sketching in the illustrations. I'll post a picture of that when it's done!


In the meantime, I started developing my main character who I'll call Jack. I've assigned some physical traits to him, which may or may not change. I will next complete a character sheet, to develop what he looks like from various angles. Also will post that! He may change a bit in appearance first - I'm still deciding what I want him to look like. And I think I have a great exercise that may help me develop his physical appearance. If you've never done this, it's a great exercise. I learned it in a picture book illustration with Laura Montenegro last spring. It's called "A Letter To the World", and it's written in first person by your character. It begins "Dear World..." and you just sit back and let your character say what he needs to say.

So to wrap things up, my next steps will be:
1. Larger thumbnails with pictures
2. A character sheet
3. Jack's letter to the world

I hope you find my process helpful and perhaps amusing! If you would like to download the book dummy file for your own reference, please do so:) If you'd like to share your process of making a book dummy, or if you have yours on line somewhere, please share it with me. I'll include a link for you of course!

Happy Creating!

The Journey Begins!

Somehow, quite miraculously, between last night and today, I completed this painting. Actually, how it happened is not so miraculous given my intention was to put my nose to the grind stone and finish this quickly, without sacrificing quality. I know from experience that painting in this way, in a very focused, intense way, not only feels incredible, but it also produces the best results. I got in the zone, I guess you could say. My art table was buzzing with energy! And as it still buzzes with energy, I'm going to wrap up this post, and get on to the next painting!

I'm On A Roll!

Summer is over, sadly. The Cubs have played their last home game, we didn't get the Olympics, and the weather is doing it's fallish thang here in Chi-town, which leaves me somewhat restless but less tempted to go out and wander around the lakefront to talk to seagulls and dream about owning a sailboat one day. I actually like it when the seasons change, thought it still throws me for a loop even after all these years. Anyway, I'm on to my next piece, my first official sketch for Fall 2009. Here's a revised-three-times sketch. I wanted to do something in a horizontal format since my last few illustrations were all vertical. My focus is on telling a story, though I haven't written a story for this character. Yet? There may be a grand tale waiting to be unleashed. I like that word, unleashed. I discovered in a picture book class last spring that I write best when I draw first. About a thousand tangents in this post. Enjoy!