Month: April 2009

Work at Home Blues

And so I enter the 4th or so week of working a day job as an illustrator who works at a home studio (if indeed a desk and drawers stuffed with art supplies constitute as a studio), and I’m beginning to learn the glories and downfalls of what that really means. It’s so wonderful to be at this point in my career finally, but I am finding myself growing a little odd from spending so much time alone.

I’ve started talking to paintings and humming musical renditions of Ultramarine and Alizaran Crimson. I’ve probably seen Jurassic Park six times, since that seems to be what’s showing in the background on tv whenever I work at the desk these days. Coming from previous professions that involved social interaction with students and co-workers, it’s been an interesting transition. Being able to concentrate on art has been lovely, but I find I miss the social interaction just a little.

Now I just have my dog and my paints.

Contrary to popular belief, working at home is not as simple as it seems. It is far too easy to get distracted by the shiny, shiny net and not get your work quota done for the day. Like most jobs, there are deadlines involved and if things go wrong and you’re late, it’s nobody’s fault but your own. There is no bureaucracy to blame for your own mistakes. If you’re a work-o-holic like me, you might end up working too late, like I commonly do, being the night owl that I am. I still haven’t quite found a way to balance a schedule with creating a social life. I must learn how to put the paintbrush down and to stop worrying about deadlines! For when the current deadline ends, there will (hopefully) always be yet another and another!

So I am curious, you artists, writers, or work-at-home masterminds who run your own businesses, how do you keep yourself motivated? How do you cut down on distraction? How do you balance having a social life with trying to meet quotas? How do you prevent yourself from going just a little batty from being alone?

Inquiring minds who are currently distracted by blog writing would like to know!

Ang’s Vault of Horrors: Gargoyles

…or more commonly called the pile of ages old artwork stuffed under my bed which I have never dared to share before! There was a time when I was obsessed with an old Disney cartoon series called Gargoyles. Throw faerie myths, Shakespeare, and King Arthur into a blender with modern mythologies and you have a combination for win in my book. I loved this series, and STILL love it. The animation still beats all the half-arsed cartoon series I see on tv today.

I was fascinated by the glowing eyes, proud demeanor, and aerial prowess of these gorgeous creatures and drew them ALL the time. To say that they influenced my early artistic development, both as an artist and a writer, would be an understatement.

Enjoy this peek into my early obsession with winged creatures. Many of these characters evolved from gargoyle wanna-be’s to the main characters of my obligatory never-ending fantasy epic (more on that later). Just about all of this work is from the 1990’s.

Just goes to show that we all start somewhere!

This was the very first image I did of the gargoyles sort featuring an ooold character named Nava. Done in cheap crappy marker and Precision pens! I miss those pens sometimes. Notice the crappy Photoshopped spliced photo background. I did that a lot in the old days till I learned better.

Here’s Nava and her boyfriend, Matayo. I had a thing for Spanish names and tragic couples back then. By this time, I’d finally discovered Prismacolor marker.

This one’s from middle school! Egads, the bad comic book anatomy.

This red gal here (Natalia), became my main obsession after awhile. She’s gained a few fingers since that last picture!

Natalia’s daughter, Helena. How we get blue from red is thanks to her very blue daddy. I recall drawing and coloring this particular pic entirely during a high school algebra class (and somehow still passing the class). Discovered Prismacolor Color Pencils around this point.

More evolution of Natalia and my anatomy skills. It seems I loved complicated tattoo and jewelry designs even back then. I still love her little wing arms in this one. Even they have blades!

Last one for now! This is Natalia’s red daughter, Coronada (wee more Spanish names!). She was the mean one who could use the little ribbons around her arms as weapons with moon blades on the ends. Still loving this design. I will have to do something new with it sometime!

And that’s all for this peek into my artwork chamber of horrors. Stay tuned for more as the excavation under my bed continues!

Do you all have any old work or ideas you’d like to share? I would love to see that I’m not the only one who made up strange tales of red and blue people when they were a kid.

The Need to Fly

Quickie Updates:

  • Just finished writing half of Chapter 1 of the semi-secret book project, now begins the illustrating!

  • Working on entering more shows this year, including Mobicon, Dragoncon, and San Diego Comic Con. Cross your fingers for passing dcon jury! I may have a table this year, if all goes to plan.

  • Dabbling with new tile pendants and jewelry designs (keep an eye on my jewelry sketchbook and Etsy Updates for more)

  • Working on a possible entry for the Good vs Evil contest

  • Trying to repress the project fairy so I can get work done!

    • More ramblings about angels in art…

    This weekend, I had the great pleasure of riding with Windfalcon to visit the birds of prey wildlife center at Georgia Southern University. Besides getting some wonderful reference shots of these graceful creatures, I found myself thinking on the meaning of wings. With angels on my mind lately for several projects I’m working on, I’ve been pondering the reason why so many artists and poets decided to meld these feathery appendages with the human form throughout the ages.

    What is it about the inclusion of wings that has marked these beings as divine? Perhaps the ability to fly , an unprecedented thing for early man, makes them boundless? Perhaps the untouchable beauty of watching a bird in flight inspired these artists to try and recapture that awe within the human figure? If ancient man was so fascinated by the impossible prospect of flight that they reflected this need upon angels, why, then, does modern man still find it so fascinating? We have long been capable of flight thanks to the Wright brothers, and yet, most angels are still drawn with wings.

    What might an angel look like in modern imagery if we try to reflect what we are incapable of achieving in the depiction of their form, just as ancient man did in adding wings? Instead of a fiery sword, would an archangel carry an AK-47? A dragonscale bulletproof bodysuit over a set of Roman plate mail? These days, instead of wings, most angels in modern movies and books seem to wear long black trench coats and sashay dramatically with long, gorgeous locks of hair. Even more, these seemingly pure creatures have become sensual and human in a way that has added an edgy fascination for many.

    Whatever the reason, I can personally see why early man might have chosen to give a human the grace of a bird, just from peeking into that world of birds of prey and watching these lightweight hunters float soundlessly on the air, or fly so fast they barely leave an imprint in my vision. Birds really are wondrous creatures…a pity we mainly ignore them because we’re simply too used to them being around us.

    I suppose we should thank/blame Windfalcon for this post. She bit me with her bird fever. If anyone’s interested, I’ll be posting up some of the reference footage I shot while at the raptor center at my YouTube page sometime soon once I get permission to do so.

    Until next post, enjoy this contemporary take on a classical archangel.

    Are You a Sellout?

    Every artist hears this at one point in their development. The worries of becoming what others call a ‘sell out’ enter into our artistic lives much like the recognition of what death is for children who are innocent of the pain of such knowledge.

    What is a sellout, exactly?

    According to some who are too free with the term, it can be the fan artist, the merchandising artist, the faerie artist. The term sellout is attached to many types, particularly certain genres like fantasy.

    sell·out (slout)n. – One who has betrayed one’s principles or an espoused cause.

    That is the dictionary definition of the slang, but I have heard this term thrown around for something as simple as drawing fan art, which is a gross misinterpretation. If you draw something like fan art, or any form of art, and enjoy it thoroughly, why should this be labeled negatively? Why should our enjoyment of art be ruined just because what we enjoy drawing happens to be popular?

    I have also heard this term thrown at artists who have reached a level of success where their art can be found in popular venues on a variety of products. Amy Brown and Thomas Kinkade are two of the more hotly debated artists considered ‘sellouts’ by many.

    Amy Brown is an artist most popularly known for the stripy socked variety of fairies which are featured on an endless amount of products, from journals to candles to stickers and beyond. The question of whether she is a sellout because she has found such a successful niche is not the important one. Rather, the question should be, does she love what she does? Even if she doesn’t, is it wrong for an artist to make money doing something in their field that’s at least more satisfying than mopping floors at the nearest grocery mart?

    Without knowing Brown personally, I cannot say whether she loves what she does or not. I will admit, I am not innocent in that I did, at one point, think of her as a sellout. I got called out on this once by my boyfriend who said “Well maybe she’s just trying to make a living? That’s harder than a lot of people realize. Maybe she hates her artwork just as much as some others do, but she’s just trying to get by. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

    No, I still do not like the gothy brand of stripy socked faeries, but coming of age as an artist trying to make it professionally has softened my heart to people I may have been too judgmental about when I had others paying my way and wasn’t trying to make a living off of my art. Who am I to tell others what to like? I’m entitled to my individual likes and dislikes as much as anyone else. Just as Amy Brown, or any artist, has a right to make a living.

    Who knows? One day people might look at my stuff and say my angel art is ‘selling out’. I know I’ve not escaped the gothy label myself. In which case, I’ll just shrug and keep drawing. Why stop doing what I enjoy doing? People are inclined to label you no matter who you are and all anyone can do is be a professional and keep going, keep seeking out inspiration, keep experimenting, especially if you feel their labels are true to any degree.

    Thomas Kinkade is another hotly debated figure. The afamed “Painter of Light” has a worldwide corporate reach for his depictions of brightly colored paintings of houses and landscapes. I have sat with many discussions with my mother, who is an avid fan of Kinkade’s, and pondered about what the appeal is. I have asked her if she thought he was a sellout for being as widespread as he is and for using studio assistants to paint in his work, and she shook her head, smiling. The enjoyment of his art had nothing to do with the process, according to my mother, who has collected miniature houses since I was young. Anybody who said differently was someone who was jealous of his success, in her eyes.

    And herein lies the difference between many of us. Most normal everyday folks are enamored by the seemingly mystical end-product of art. They recognize it for what it is to the naked eye and marvel at the artist’s skill, while others, particularly artists, get to the heart of the matter, which is the artist’s intentions behind creating the work. Does Kinkade paint houses now ONLY to sell or does he enjoy it as well? It’s impossible to tell just as it is for Brown without knowing him personally.

    Again, I still think all his houses look the same, but my mother is completely and totally in love with them, and I would never seek to deprive her of that. Kinkade is a genius in her eyes and just because I don’t like him doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy it.

    In the end, there is one thing I am certain of in this area of gray that is ‘selling out’. If you do not love what you do, it is going to show in your artwork. Art has a habit of losing that special something that we are all tuned into subconsciously when the artist becomes uninspired. Does this automatically mean you are a sellout if you keep going? Perhaps…but whose right is it to tell an artist, even an uninspired one, to stop creating and go do something else? We all go through these waxing and waning phases of inspiration and sometimes it takes a jolt of epiphany to get us back on track again.

    Now are you a sellout if you create artwork and slap it onto a thong, even though your art doesn’t really fit the products you’re putting it on? Yes, but if you can actually SELL that thong to someone who enjoys it, than more power to you! Generally, however, it’s much harder to sell a product you don’t believe in or that you are not inspired for. With the number of artists increasing every day, it is becoming harder and harder to stand out from the crowd, meaning the less inspiration you have, the less chance you’ll have to be noticed and to succeed.

    My advice is this: Throw the nay-sayers to the wind and do what you enjoy. Experiment! Have fun! Learn! Create! The next time you think about calling someone a sellout, bare this in mind:

    Are you only doing so because you’re jealous, deep down?
    Are you quite sure that they don’t love what they do?
    More importantly, is it so bad to make a living?

    Save yourself the drama and go do some art instead! Take a moment and judge yourself first before you go labeling others.

    What Moves You? Exploring Artistic Inspiration

    I remember a time when I was first learning about art that I found myself amazed at how the play of light, shadow, and emotion could be created from a simple stroke of the brush. In particular, I was drawn to the Renaissance masters and the religious art meant to teach an illiterate populace the lessons of the bible without ever having to read a word. The lesson was in the compassionate pose of the hands, the elegant sweep of hair, the blush of divine light. Artists made a living from telling epic stories meant to move the soul.

    Today, and many days previous, I find myself wondering how, as an artist, I can bring that same kind of emotion to my work. Like any mystery, it starts with the self and what affects you, personally. Have you ever found yourself staring at a piece of art? What causes you to stare at it longer than a simple glance? What grips your soul? What makes you think?

    For me, there are a few particular pieces that make me stare in awe and trigger an unnameable emotion. The first would be the painting Saint Eulalia by John William Waterhouse.


    Before I knew her story, I was fascinated by the delicacy of her skin and the gentle fall of snow. Not only was this piece visually stunning to me, but the contrast of such a violent act as the murder of a child with the soft fall of snow jarred me in some unidentifiable way. I went on to learn that Eulalia was a Christian child who taunted the Romans, and was later tortured with hooks and burnt at the stake, where she died of smoke inhalation. At the moment of death, a dove symbolizing the holy spirit flew from her mouth. A miraculous fall of white snow appeared to cover her naked form.

    The next piece is one of my all-time favorite works of art and also my favorite sculpture. I hope to one day make a pilgrimage to the Louvre to see it in person. If you don’t know it already, it is the Pieta by Michelangelo.


    Again, the subject of death, self sacrifice, and those who are left behind seems to be one that strikes me at the core. What greater pain could there be than for a mother to lose her child? And yet, there’s something endearing and brave in Mary’s gentle expression. Even in such a moment of pain, her serenity expresses nothing but pure love in the face of such sorrow.

    I could go on about Millias’ Ophelia and Waterhouse’s Lady of Shalott, but I want to hear from you. I seem to be firmly ensconced in works depicting the ecstasy and passion of martyrs. What this says about my work, I’m not quite sure yet, but it seems like I still have some exploration with subject matter to do beyond my current fair of ‘pretty things’.

    What paintings or works of art move you and why? How has this inspired your own work?

    Forsythia Walkthrough & Angelic Inspiration

    After so many serious business posts, I thought I might air out this journal with a glimpse into a walkthrough I’ve been working on lately to stretch my legs at writing instructional art direction. The first blossoms of Spring have sprung and everywhere the Forsythia have blossomed in bunches of yellow splendor. This awakening of color has inspired my latest little miniature piece, Forsythia.

    Why I chose to make such a detailed piece a mini, I’ll never know.

    I’ve found a good deal of inspiration as well in reading Angels: Celestial Spirits in Legend and Art by Jacqueline Carey which has brought my eye back to such old forgotten favorites as Botticelli and Weyden, among others. There are so many angels with bright multi-colored wings, gleaming peacock eyes, and other peculiar details that I never would have noticed if I hadn’t come back to these artists with a new perspective. The ol tried and true formula of the angel with white wings and a ring halo is definitely one I’m seeking to break.

    Without further ado, here’s an excerpt of the first few steps of my latest work. You can view the entire walkthrough as it happens here. I’m currently about to begin the watercoloring phase.

    Are my instructions easy to understand? Do you have any suggestions for how I might improve? Let me know! These tutorials are for you. I want to know what you want.