Want to Be Better?

Being better isn't about trying harder. It's about thinking differently. It's about thinking better.

Change the way you think.

Sketch of the Week

Kanye West, ladies and gentlemen.

Blending Tool in Illustrator

Go watch this:

Blending Gradients in Illustrator
http://layersmagazine.com/blending-gradients-in-illustrator.html

Illustrator Pixel Preview

A while back I  learned about a preview mode in Illustrator called "Pixel Preview." I wasn't sure why anyone would use it until recently.

The Pixel Preview is good for viewing Bitmaps.

Bitmaps looks strange in Illustrator if you're using the regular viewing mode, but I recently discovered if you change the view mode to "Pixel Preview" you can see how the bitmap will look when printed.

By the way, in case you aren't familiar with bitmaps, I'm talking about the kind of file you would get if you went into Photoshop under "Image," then "Adjustments" and converted your image to Bitmap mode. Bitmaps are one color images with transparent backgrounds. Screen printers use them a lot.

A bitmap normally looks like this in Illustrator:

They look rough. If I'm setting up a proof for someone to see how their graphic is going to look on a T-Shirt I can't use this. After trying some roundabout methods of getting good images for proofs when using Bitmaps I discovered the "Pixel Preview."

This is how the same graphic looks in Pixel Preview Mode:

This more accurately represents how the image would look printed on a T-Shirt. You can change the view mode in Illustrator by going to "View" and "Pixel preview":

Just change your view mode to Pixel Preview before saving the file and you'll easily have a more accurate proof.

This mode is also useful for Bitmap distress patterns.

Random Drawing

Sketch of the Week

Woody Harrelson

Put Away Your Weapons

Artists are very familiar with criticism.

Art students are criticized by their peers and teachers.

Works of art are criticized every time they go out into the world.

Artists criticize everything they see.

Criticism is a huge part of the artistic experience, and that seems like such a shame to me.

I know, I know...criticism is supposed to help us get better.

But is that why we criticize? Do you really criticize things because you're interested in helping other people improve?

We deal with feelings of jealous, incompetence and pride. I haven't performed a scientific study of the motivations behind criticism, but I suspect most of it comes from less than noble emotions.

I'm not really talking about formal critique. I'm thinking of the thoughts you have in your head. I'm talking about the attitude with which you and a friend trash someone's work. I'm talking about the spirit of ruin--the desire to tear down what others have made.

We have a spirit of unhealthy competition instead of a spirit of cooperation.

Why aren't we trying to help each other out? Why don't we want to help others be better? Why do we want to trash something that someone else has created.

I learned a long time ago that it's so much easier to criticize than to create.

Creation is such a gift. Are we harmed when someone makes something? Then why do we hate on others' creations as though they shouldn't even have been made? I hear that attitude all the time, especially about music and movies. Some people think that just because a person's work gets "worse" that they should stop working.

How bizarre...to actually wish that someone would stop creating because you don't like their output.

Creation is messy, and we have a lot less control over the process than we like to admit.

I'm on a quest to become immune to criticism. Not that I don't learn from it, but that I'm not emotionally harmed by it.

At the same time, I wish we artists would embrace creation for its own sake. We don't have to pretend that everything people make is good. That's delusional and unhelpful. But we can applaud the desire to create and encourage it. How do you think people learn to make awesome stuff? By making a looooot of bad stuff.

Making stuff is good.

Painting Exercise

I made a doodle the other day and decided to paint on it.

Tips for Drawing Buildings

I was recently asked to draw a courthouse that was given as a retirement gift to someone. I'm asked to draw buildings from time to time, so I was inspired to share some of my best advice on getting them to look good.

Learn the Basic Rules of Perspective

There are books full of perspective tricks and information that will allow you to do things like draw a flagpole 90 ft away and 60 ft high accurately. You don't necessarily need to know that kind of thing.

What you do need to know is how to draw in 1 and 2 point perspective. Learn about vanishing points and horizon lines. If you understand the way perspective works you will be able to keep the various elements of your drawing in perspective with one another.

Cheat

If you're asked to copy a photograph there is a great trick that will save you a ton of time.

Print the photo you're working from on a piece of paper (probably 8.5"x11"). If you're drawing on a larger piece of paper than 8.5"x11" do this: If you have Photoshop or something similar, set the photo size to the same dimensions as your drawing paper. Crop the image and set it up just as you plan to draw it. Then, reduce the canvas size to your print size.

Take your printed image and rub pencil all over the back. I like to use a fat piece of graphite (something I would load into a clutch). Once the graphite is all over the back you can lay your photo directly in the center of your drawing paper and tape it down. Draw over the image with a pencil. The graphite on the back of the photo will be transferred to your paper. You can do this to create a guideline to work from. I would suggest copying the lines as accurately as possible to save yourself some grief later on.

Remember to Interpret

It's easy to get caught up with the ruler and bust out straight line after straight line, forgetting that art is best when we inject a little personality. Don't forget to add some style.

No Right Angle Cross-Hatching
If you're shading with hatched lines make them cross at diagonals, not at right angles. If you don't believe me, try it.

Make Lines Straight, Not Perfect
Walls are straight on average, but if you get close you can see the imperfections...the notches and bumps. Do that.

Dramatize With Lighting
Use strong lighting to create a sense of drama and interest in a static object.

And that's all you get. Oh yeah, buy a triangle straight edge.

One Level of Thinking Higher

We each operate on a certain level of thought.

We've grown comfortable with the amount of thinking we bring to situations and activities like fixing the television, getting someone to like you, helping your best friend with a problem and making art.

The revelation is that thought is like a staircase. You can't jump from the bottom of the stairs to the top, but you can easily go up one step.

To go up one step is to think about a problem more clearly and with more intelligence...to approach a problem in a newer, more effective way.

We can apply that principle to anything in life...including art.

Sketch of the Week

I've still got to fix the flatness. The lines in the face stand out too much. I suspect that good lines don't draw attention to themselves; they simply create form.

By they way...this is Tony Shalhoub, if you didn't guess :)

Can You See What's Cool?

I'm afflicted, and the affliction is baffling to me.

I just don't have an eye for what looks cool. Hopefully this is something I can learn.

Let me give you an example. I've been working on a video game...trying to make sprites and backgrounds that are stylistically compelling. I've been calibrating myself by looking at other games with compelling art styles; older games, mostly, because I'm making a 2D side-scroller.

So I peek at Sonic the Hedgehog, Ninja Gaiden, Mario Bros., Double Dragon, Kirby, old arcade games etc...and I keep noticing that the individual sprites are often underwhelming or ugly. Look at those trees in Sonic. Look at those backgrounds in Ninja Gaiden.

Look at the weird animations in Strider:

The animation is so strange. The art is weird. But it has style. It's interesting. The overall effect is wonderful. It's the mystery of the Gestalt.

"Gestalt" is a German word we Americans have cribbed. It refers to "wholeness."

I'm thinking that perhaps I'm not able to see the Gestalt by looking at the pieces, and I feel let down because that would be a wonderful ability! To have that kind of vision...

Some lucky few are born with that ability. Others of us have to learn it through practice and experience.

It's not about technical ability. It's about knowing what works.

Sketch of the Week

Again.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke-

Some Advice from a Screen Printer

Oh, the horror!

I am a Graphic Designer at a screen printing company. Every day I get artwork from people that is hard to use and hard to print. In an effort to help my screen printing brothers and sisters...some advice for those who make t-shirt graphics and those who order t-shirts:

1) Vector artwork is good. Everything else is bad 98% of the time.


Here is an extremely brief and important introduction to screen printing graphics. If you don't understand vector art please read.

Vector artwork can be made bigger or smaller and the quality will never change. If you have a vector image it will end with .EPS, .AI or .PDF.

.JPG's, .PNG's and .GIF's are not vector. If I make them bigger they will look worse. They are jagged. I can't print them. Don't send them to me.

Why does this matter? Because I can't print the individual colors of a .JPG, .PNG, or .GIF.


I print 3 types of files...Vector, Bitmaps and Grayscale.

Bitmaps and Grayscale images aren't vector. That means I can only use them if you want to print in ONE COLOR.

If a student drew a nice picture and you want to put it on a shirt, feel free to send me a high quality .JPEG if you want it printed in ONE COLOR. That is the only time I want a .JPEG.

The difference between Bitmaps and Grayscale images? Bitmaps are 1 color only. Grayscale can use tints and  shades of the same color. I can print a Norman Rockwell painting on a shirt in Grayscale in one color.

2) Expand all text when sending vector art.


When I say "font" I'm talking about text. Times New Roman is a font. Comic Sans is a font. If you send me a vector file and you used a font that I don't have installed on my computer, my computer will substitute a different font. The result is a messed up graphic.

If you select your text and go to "Object" at the top of the screen and "Expand" the text is changed into shapes. That means I don't need your font anymore.

Expand your text when sending work to a screen printer.

3) Don't Use Clipping Masks.


I hate them. It's hard to change the artwork when someone has used a clipping mask. Use Pathfinder options to get rid of everything you don't need instead of using a clipping mask.

4) Don't send me .JPG, PNG., or .GIF logos.


We've already talked about vector art, but logos are special.

I often make shirts with big lists of sponsors on the back. Probably half of the logos I'm sent are .JPEGS.

Don't send me .JPG's. I can't print those. You need to call the companies who are sponsoring your event and talk to a marketer or a graphic designer. Ask them to send vector artwork.

If you don't send me vector artwork I'm going to have to remake the logo myself and I'm going to charge you more money.

Do not send logos to me unless they are .AI, .EPS or .PDF files.


5) Black and white are not interchangeable.


Changing text color is usually no big. Changing the color of a graphic can be a very big deal.

Let's say you work at a farm and you're having a shirt printed with a man riding a tractor. It looks great. You decide you want to order some black shirts, so you'll just use black ink on white shirts and white ink on black shirts.

Bad idea.

If an image was made with dark inks then print it with dark inks. Changing a black image to white makes it look strange.

Until I think of more items, we'll call this a day. Happy screen printing!

Sketch of the Week

Here's Junior Gong - AKA Damian Marley.

I'm currently working on getting rid of the leftover flatness in my work. It's screaming at me in this drawing.

Universal Truth - We are all Dorks

This post isn't about art.

I was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago during Dragon Con. For those that don't know, "Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!" I got that straight from the website.

All of this sci-fi, pop culture convening translates into lots of people in costumes walking around the streets of Atlanta.

You probably feel comfortable calling someone who dresses up as Captain Kirk a dork. I understand and so does the person who's dressing up.

Fast forward a week...I'm flipping stations while driving to the store and stumble across a country song. The chorus goes something like, "She cain't even bayeeet a hoook!" It was dorky. But to country music fans it's great.

We're all dorks about something. We accept our own brand of dorkiness and make fun of every one else's.

Let's return to our Country Fried Good-Ole boys. It's Friday night and they decide to go to a bar, so they put on their country western costume...boots, big belt buckle with an eagle or a Rebel Flag and a cowboy hat. This is perfectly acceptable to Good Ole' Boys and it's dorky.

I was at Arby's the other day. I saw a guy in his rapper uniform wearing a hat with the tag still attached. Rap fans think rap swag looks great. It's dorky.

Punks wear safety pins, mohawks and combat boots.
Football fans paint themselves and go crazy at games.
Gamers play for hours a day.

Etc., etc., etc.

Everyone has their own ideas about what kinds of Dorkiness are acceptable and cool.

Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't knock other people because they're dorks for something we aren't?

Just For Fun

This is just a fun little drawing. It's related to a project that I'm not ready to reveal just yet.

Salt-n-Pepa Were Right - Just Push It

I talked about impatience last week.

I'm going to talk about impatience this week, too.

When you're working on a drawing, there comes a moment when the inner self says, "That's good enough. Just move on." And you know that voice is wrong.

You can listen to the voice, or you can soldier on.

You know that you should redraw that hand. The folds of the pants need to be a little more defined. That shading is sloppy...

For years I've listened to that inner voice of impatience when it told me to move on when it was too soon.

Don't listen to that voice. Listen to Salt-N-Pepa and Push It.

When you want to stop but you know it's not time...Push It.

When you know you need to redraw something but don't feel like it...Push It.

When the drawing doesn't feel right and you're tempted to settle for "okay"...Push It.

For now just push a little bit. One extra detail...5 more minutes shading...

You just might be amazed with the results.

Face painting for Non-Face painters

A buddy of mine called recently:

"Hey man, would you mind doing a little face painting at a charity event?"

I've drawn a lot of caricatures at charity events, but face painting...not so much.

So I said, "yes."

Well, I learned a few things about painting kids faces. I thought my fellow artists might like to know what to expect if they ever find themselves in the same situation.

FACE PAINTING IS VERY POPULAR
That is, free face painting is very popular. I showed up at 3:30 and left at 9:30. And I was painting faces the entire time. I was actually the last person at a booth to leave.

THE QUALITY OF FACEPAINTS VARY WILDLY
The event host supplied everything I used to paint faces. He left Tempera paint and some paint that was made specifically for face painting. The Tempera paint was super thin. The face paint was thicker, but it wasn't great. Both kinds had to be globbed on to be visible. The result was that making a clean cartoon on a kid became very difficult. Plus, the paint didn't dry especially quickly, so I was painting wet on wet, which, when you have to glob on the paint, is difficult.

PAINT SIMPLE DESIGNS
I quickly learned that you can't get too crazy with the designs. The paint just won't work for that unless you're willing to take a LOT of time...and the kids are waiting!

The most popular designs I was asked to paint were:
Butterflies (by far the most popular), flowers (also very popular), the University of Georgia "G,"  monkeys, cats, tigers, horses, hearts, peace signs, pirates, skulls, rainbows, and dogs.

Here are the templates I developed as I worked.

I developed designs that used big, simple shapes...preferably circular. If I sat down and worked on it I could develop more interesting patterns. The flowers were especially irksome because I don't really know the details of a flower's appearance. I would suggest developing a good butterfly and flower pattern before you go.

Face painting can be tedious and aggravating, but if you have some simple, fun designs you'll have a much better time.

There you go. I've given you a little information that will better prepare you for the onslaught of youth that awaits. Have fun!

The Vocabulary of Improvement

If you can describe a problem you can fix it.

Unfortunately, we're often bothered by aspects of our work we don't name.

The name of a problem contains its own solution, so I want to share with you some words you can use to diagnose problems with your art.

TEN.SION  [ten-shuh]
noun
a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness

Whenever 2 or more elements of your piece are too close, or their angles aren't complimentary, we can say there is tension. You'll feel troubled by the relationship between the objects. When you feel tension, rearrange the objects until they are more harmonious.

BUS.Y [biz-ee]
adjective
full of or characterized by activity

Busy work has a lot of stuff in it--so much that you'll have trouble figuring out what's going on. Get rid of unnecessary elements and reorganize your piece if it's too busy. The solution for business is clarity.

WARM [wawrm]
adjective
 suggestive of warmth; inclining toward red or orange rather than toward green or blue.
COOL [kool]
adjective
suggestive of coolness; inclining toward green or blue rather than toward red or orange.

Warm colors and cool colors communicate differently. A painting made with blues and whites feels different than a painting full of reds and yellows. When painting skin, the areas that are the fleshiest and fattest are redder and the areas where the bones are closest to the surface are whiter.

CON.TRAST [kon-trast]
noun
opposition or juxtaposition of different forms, lines, or colors in a work of art to intensify each element's properties and produce a more dynamic expressiveness.

Contrast is big and small, light and dark, square and round, busy and sparse, sharp and fuzzy... If your image seems boring it may lack contrast. Include the darkest darks and the whitest whites. Make some elements large and other small.

TEX.TURE [teks-cher]
noun
the imitation of the tactile quality of represented object.

Many images lack texture. Skin has pores, clothing is made of fibers and metal is shiny. Texture is good. Use it.

Words like these can be used to diagnose and fix issues with your artwork. When something bugs you give it a name. "There is tension here." "There is too much middle grey in this piece. I need more contrast." "This section has too many lines-it's busy."

We'll pick this theme up again.

Maybe You Should Slow Down

I'm impatient. It's something I get from my dad.

The problem with being impatient is that you:

1) Work too quickly
2) or Stop working too soon

I'm learning from my artist buddies that I need to slow down when I make art.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that some people redraw their rough drafts 20 times before they're happy. Some people repaint areas several times when the composition doesn't feel quite right. Some people make studies of their subjects with 5 different color schemes.

I found out that I didn't really understand persistence.

If you're not happy with your work, perhaps you should slow down your process. Take extra time to fix problems. Revise, rework and remake. Stay on a task until you're satisfied.

This does not mean to rapidly fire through the same drawing 5 times in a row.

Introduce thoughtfulness into your process. Think about what you're doing and how to do it better.

Become curious. Art is supposed to be a fun, rewarding journey.

From the Drawing Board

Here's a Photoshopped caricature of Jayma Mays from Glee.

Good Advice From Copyblogger

I was looking around on Copyblogger and stumbled across an absolute gem:

You can’t drive a car in first gear and reverse at the same time. Likewise, you shouldn’t try to use different types of thinking simultaneously. You’ll strip your mental gears. 

Creating means generating new ideas, visualizing, looking ahead, considering the possibilities. Evaluating means analyzing and judging, picking apart ideas and sorting them into piles of good and bad, useful and useless. 

Most people evaluate too soon and too often, and therefore create less. (emphasis mine) In order to create more and better ideas, you must separate creation from evaluation, coming up with lots of ideas first, then judging their worth later.

Copyblogger is chock full of good information if you're into marketing and blogging:
http://www.copyblogger.com/

How Long Does it Take to Become a Good Artist?

I've been told my entire life that comparing myself to others is a waste of time, and so have you.

At some level you see the truth. You have a certain set of genes. You were raised in a certain place by a particular family. Did you choose your neighbors? Or your appearance? Or the place of your birth? Of course not.

In my fits of pique I whine that I'm not a prodigy or a genius. A genius would have picked up this art business waaay faster. He would be out there making cool stuff instead of strapped to a drawing table making crap.

All this makes me wonder, "How long is it supposed to take to become a great artist?"

Yes, there are prodigies. But prodigies don't spring from the womb with their skills in place. Rather, prodigies exhibit an obsessiveness with their particular art that compels them to work work work work work. If you were obsessed with your art as much as Picasso with his, or Mozart with his, you would find yourself massively skilled in a relatively short amount of time.

Malcolm Gladwell suggests, based on a study by Anders Ericsson, that becoming great takes about 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, which is equivalent to 20 hours a week for 10 years.

That's a lot of work.

Regardless of whether you need 10,000 hours of practice, the point is that becoming great takes a lot of effort over a long period of time. If you're obsessed you'll practice more often and learn faster, and vice versa.

The takeaway is this:

Becoming a great artist takes as long as it takes. Getting angry about the process only slows it down.

There isn't an easy path, only the grind.  You might as well learn to love it.

1 Great Tip for Becoming a Better Artist

Here is a great habit you should consider picking up if you want to become a professional artist.

Work on projects.

Here's the explanation:

You can spend a lot of time sketching from nature and drawings nudes.  You can draw a thousand little heads on notebook paper.  You can work on your shading and line weight, etc.

Unfortunately, however, good draftsmanship is trumped by good design sense.

You're not going to learn design by sketching and making incomplete drawings.  You learn design by finishing.

This is why working on projects is so important.

You can make up your own if you like.  Maybe you've had this idea for a graphic novel kicking around in your head.  Draw it!  Are you in a band?  Make stickers, fliers, and CD covers.  Make a coffee cup painting for a local coffee shop...free of charge!

Having a project to work on teaches you how to solve relevant problems.  It builds the skills you need to be successful in the marketplace.  You learn how to make compelling work.  You learn how to use space effectively.  You learn how to make your drawings serve your purpose.

Don't just doodle.  Work on projects.

Hemingway on Style

Steven Pressfield has posted George Plimpton’s famous interview of Ernest Hemingway.
Something that Hemingway said really struck a chord with me:

INTERVIEWER

Could you say how much thought-out effort went into the evolvement of your distinctive style?

HEMINGWAY

That is a long-term tiring question and if you spent a couple of days answering it you would be so self-conscious that you could not write. I might say that what amateurs call a style is usually only the unavoidable awkwardnesses in first trying to make something that has not heretofore been made. Almost no new classics resemble other previous classics. At first people can see only the awkwardness. Then they are not so perceptible. When they show so very awkwardly people think these awkwardnesses are the style and many copy them. This is regrettable.

I was reminded of a quote.  I don't remember the source, but it was basically that a person's style is the sum of their deficiencies.

Style should be a choice, not an excuse for bad craft.

Go read the rest of the interview.

How to Stop Being a Frustrated Creative

If you're like me, you have a desire to create things.

If you're like me, you also have a particular nagging problem:

When I'm creating something, I get aggravated because I'm not getting the result I want, and I'm not talking about feeling frustration at the end of a project.  I get frustrated in the middle of the project!


I've always looked to the end of things too quickly.  My 12th grade Calculus teacher told me I messed up math problems because my mind got ahead of itself.

But watching a friend of mine on the computer a month ago helped me realize what I've been doing wrong.

He was designing T-shirts on the computer.  I got to see his process.  He would quickly start with an idea instead of taking a long time to think about what to do.  He would just get started.  Then, once he had a rough draft down, he would correct issues he didn't like one at a time.

That was the clincher for me.

I've always thought about designs in total, and I would try to manipulate too many variables at once.

Instead, my friend would find one thing that irked him and fix that.  Then he would fix something else.  Then something else.  Before too long, he ended up with something he liked.

This change in thinking represents the difference between enjoying the work process and trying to get to the finish line as fast as you can.  Ironically, in trying to finish your work too quickly you slow yourself down with frustration and mistakes.  When you enjoy the process and fix your problems one at a time, your work is completed faster.

This mindset can be applied to anything.  You could be writing a song.  Instead of getting frustrated because the song sucks, fix the problems with it one at a time.  This melody isn't catchy enough...this turnaround is boring...this chorus is too long...etc., etc.  Before too long, you've got a much better song.  More happily, you have a much better completed song.

Don't think about how much you dislike something you've made.  Just fix what you don't like about it one little issue at a time.

Changing Stroke Settings in Illustrator

I'm gonna show you something else nifty in Illustrator.

You can change the way letters and objects are stroked.  You'll find those settings here:

You'll notice those 6 little boxes next to the stroke weight drop box.

A stroked pen path will show us the effects of the top three options.  The first box is the default setting.  The line terminates in a "Butt Cap" that ends in a flat line at the last point:

The second option rounds off the end of the line and is appropriately called "Round Cap":

The third option is flat like the "Butt Cap," but the end juts out from the end of the last point.  This options is called "Projecting Cap."

The bottom three options are best illustrated with stroked text.  The default option is called a "Miter Join."

The second option is called "Round Join."  The effect is that all the corners become rounded:

The third option is called a "Bevel Join."  The effect is that the corners terminate as angles:

There are many applications for these stroke options.  I mostly use different settings to fix text that is exhibiting a weird stroke.  For example, suppose you need a huge stroke on some text, but the lines end up looking like this:

A good way to fix this is to change the stroke settings to "Round Join."  This is what you end up with:

You could place this behind unstroked text to create a nice stroke effect that doesn't eat into the letters.

Enjoy :)

Know Your "Place"

There is a handy-dandy little function in Adobe Illustrator called "Place."

You can find it here:

If you haven't tried it, allow me to introduce you.

Suppose you want to bring an image into Illustrator, but you anticipate that the picture may change.  For example, I was recently working on a piece of concept art for a contest.  I scanned the drawing and fixed it up a little in Photoshop, but I wanted to add some text.  I like Illustrator for text, so I saved the drawing as a .PSD (Photoshop Document).

I placed the .PSD in the Illustrator file and added text.  After adding the text, I decided to alter the drawing.  I made changes to the .PSD and saved.  Once the .PSD is changed and saved, Illustrator recongnizes that the original placed file has changed and automatically updates the image.

This function is fantastic for certain types of work.

And now you know how to use it.  Enjoy!

BTW, here is the concept art i was working on:

5 Super Useful Shortcuts for Illustrator Users

I'm a Graphic Designer, which means I use Illustrator a lot.

In an attempt to help my fellow budding Graphic Designers, here is a short list of 5 super useful shortcuts.

1)  Do you click on the General Selection Tool when you want to deselect something?  Why bother?  Hit Alt-Ctrl-A instead and you will magically deselect everything.

2)  Maybe you need to select the stroke on an entire line of expanded text.  You could click on every stroke, or you could move up to your toolbar and hit Select > Same.  You can choose to select all objects with the same fill, stroke, stroke weight, etc.  Super time saver.  Seriously.

3)  Relating to the Select > Same function is the Hide command.  Suppose you want to select all objects that are filled with red, except for one lowly graphic outside the art board.  Select the offender and mash Ctrl-3.  Voila, the object disappears.  When you're ready for it to reappear, just push Alt-Ctrl-3.

4)  Perhaps you have some text you want to edit on top of a shape.  If you try to drag the selection tool you will select the background shape and the text.  Solution?  Select the shape and push Ctrl-2.  Your selection will lock, which means it can't be selected until it's unlocked.  You unlock it by smacking Alt-Ctrl-2.

5)  If you want to copy a shape, rather than selecting copy and paste, just hold Alt while you drag the object.

There you go.  5 useful shortcuts.  Enjoy!

2 Kinds of Creatives

There are 2 kinds of creative folk.

Number 1 is the Happy Creative.  This is the person who creates from a place of curiosity and fun.  He enjoys making things.  He's happy with what he makes.  He likes to try out techniques and solve problems.  Creating things makes him happy.

Number 2 is the Frustrated Creative.  He is motivated by a need for accomplishment and haunted by feelings of incompetence.  He's dissatisfied with most things he makes.  He's compelled to get better because he can't stand being bad at something.  Creation for this kind is frustrating.

Both kinds of Creatives feel compelled to make stuff.  The difference is that one enjoys the process and the other is frustrated by it.

I'm a creative of the second kind.  I feel compelled to make things.  I like to make things.  But, making things is extremely frustrating to me because I can't stand my own incompetence.

I've decided that I'd like to be more like the first kind than the second.

Cross your fingers for me.

Random Inking Tip

I picked up this little nugget the other day.

Hold your drawing at an angle when you're inking, either by using a drawing table or inclining your drawing board.  You'll see your drawing more accurately when you ink at an angle.

Bristol Board is Evil

Well, okay.  Bristol Board is actually wonderful.

The problem, however, is that I made a couple of a pencil drawings on 96 lb Textured Bristol Board.  The results were not optimal.

See for yourself:

The drawing came out fuzzy.  The details were lost.  And I was using a .5 mm mechanical pencil.

I'm now on a quest for better paper.

Wish me luck.

From the Drawing Board

Here's an image from my upcoming caricature book, which is almost finished and should be out within a week or 2.

Sneak preview!

From the Drawing Board

More concept art...why not?

From the Drawing Board

Here is some concept art for a game I'm working on.  Gangster enemies.  Holla.

The Truth About Success

I've read a lot of material about succeeding and following your dreams.  While there is a lot to be learned about both from reading, ultimately I've learned...

...there is no clear path for success.

There are too many variables in a person's success to replicate another person's formula.  A person's journey in life is affected by natural gifts, upbringing, circumstances, personality, friends, temperament, the times in which you live, etc. ,etc. etc.  A lot of these things can't be chosen.  You get what you get.

The mediocre can rise to the top and the prodigious can self-destruct.

I know we've been taught from a young age that we can do anything we set our mind to, but we can't.  That's just a fact.

I couldn't be a jockey.  I'm 6' 3".

What we really need to learn is something I picked up from Robert Greene.

The ability to see life and ourselves exactly as they are...that is a truly great skill.

We're often so blinded by our desires and frustrations that we don't clearly see things as they are.  We spin our wheels trying to do something we're better off not doing.

That doesn't mean you'll have instant success in the areas you excel.  It means you have the will to persevere because you know you have the ability to succeed.  You know you have the tools and the ability to learn what you need.

I would never try to discourage someone from following their dreams, but I would urge you to clearly and realistically assess yourself and what you can do.

Do you ever play video games?

In a lot of games you have the ability to upgrade your character's abilities.  You can make them stronger, faster, etc.  If you're a warrior you need strength and fortitude.  If you're a magician you need intellect and willpower.  You wouldn't choose a thief and boost his strength more than his other traits.  That's not what he needs.

I have this natural desire to be good at everything, so I often try to improve things I would be better served ignoring.  My advice would be to improve what you're good at and forget what you're not.  Life is too short to try and be good at everything.

The truth about success is that you can succeed.  Your path will be your own.  You'll have to take stock of what you have to offer, what you can learn and do, and use that knowledge to make your own way.  Don't compare yourself when there is no true comparison that can be made between two people.

From the Drawing Board

Here's something I made in Photoshop.

From Zero to Hero in 60 Seconds

Success and failure are often a hair's width apart.

A few days ago I was working on a drawing.  I don't even remember what it was, but I recall that my first attempt was horrendous.  I mean, it was so bad that I was ready to quit drawing, sell all of my possessions, and live in a cave.  It was the kind of bad that makes you think you'd lost all the skill you had while you were asleep.

I fumed for a few minutes, but was quickly itching to give this drawing another try.

My second attempt was excellent.  It was more excellent than usual.  I was shocked-shocked that 2 subsequent attempts at the same drawing could be so widely separated in quality.

And I realized that in art, your greatest successes sometimes come after abject failures.


Making a bad drawing doesn't mean you're a cruddy artist.  It means you made a bad drawing.

Bad drawings are just a series of poor choices-of line, shape, composition, etc.  We often make poor choices because we don't have clear information about how something actually looks.  Sometimes we don't know the best way to represent something with the medium we're using.  Sometimes we labor over something that should be drawn quickly, and vice versa.

What we often lack is not ability or skill, but information.

So when a drawing is bad, we can simply ask ourselves:

-Am I clear about the way this object or body part is shaped/put together?
-Is there another way to draw the same object?
-Is the composition boring?
-Am I using enough contrast?
-Is my hand moving the way it should?*

*A note about this question.  I feel like I need to move my hand in a certain way when I'm drawing a comic page, and another when I'm drawing a slick cartoon.  Different hand movements equal different lines.  I can draw wildly different images depending on how much freedom I give my hand to move the way it wants.  My hand movements change the appearance of the lines, and therefore the tone of the entire drawing.

Keep drawing.  You never know when a masterpiece is going to show up.

From the Drawing Board

Does he need an introduction?

From the Drawing Board

I'm putting together some illustrations in this style:

From the Drawing Board

I thought you might like to enjoy a little painting project I've been working on.  I still have a lot to learn, but I'm happy with the results so far.

3 Excellent Blogs for your Consideration

There is so much to learn from other people.

Think about this:  You are who you are.  You've got a brain that is good at a few things.  You have a temperament and a personality that guide your thinking.

You're stuck in a You Box.

And that's fine.  However, I came to the conclusion long ago that there are deficiencies in my life I won't solve on my own.

Why take more time learning than you have to?  Why look for solutions only in yourself when there are so many others who have conquered your problems?

Hence, I read books, blogs, and articles constantly.

In the spirit of learning, here are 3 of my Favorite Blogs:

Seth Godin's Blog
Seth is a particularly insightful marketer and idea man.  Read his blog.  Read his books.

Gaping Void
Hugh Macleod is a cartoonist / marketer / writer.  He's also wicked smart.  If profanity really bugs you, go anyway.

Raptitude
David sees life in ways that you and I don't.  You'll feel more insightful and creative after reading his blog.

Now, go checkemout.

Tools of the Trade - French Curves

A useful set of tools for the artist-especially one who uses ink-are French Curves.  As you can see, French Curves are templates used to draw ellipses and smoothly curving lines.  They are useful for drawing things like cars:

I highly suggest you pick up a set, which you can probably find at a local art supply store.

Value Blindness

Have any of you had the experience I just had?

I just finished a sketch of a book illustration.  My client loved it...and I was a shocked at the approbation.  I spent some time on the image.  I tried to do a good job.  But, I'm rarely pleased with what I make.

I held up the drawing and thought to myself, "I don't understand why he likes this so much."

And I realized...I've reached the point where I can't see the value in my own work.  I am blind.

I've had this thought before, but it struck me today.

Perspective is funny.  We buy into delusions because we don't see situations as they are.  Every experience we have is colored...is skewed.

When we look at our own artwork, our opinions are warped because of our insecurities.

Some of us underestimate our ability.  We think our work is terrible and don't understand why anyone would like it.

Others of us overestimate our ability.  We're convinced that we are far better than we actually are.

I'm actually glad that I skew towards undervaluing my work.  The result is that I can under-promise and over-deliver.  Those who boast of skills they don't have tend to underwhelm.  I would rather let others brag on me than to brag on myself.

My goal is to look at my work, and everything in life, with an objective lens.  I want to see things as they are, not as I want or fear them to be.  What a rare skill.

Stuck in a Rut - What I've Learned From Frustration

You live in a bubble.

You grow up and learn how to do things.  Expectations and experiences mold you.  The same thoughts travel the same paths in your brain, carving deep ruts they can't easily escape.

Artistically, you live in a bubble.

You solve problems in the same way.  You approach your projects with the system you've designed...a system that is proven to work for you.

The funny thing is, other people may have worked out better solutions to your problems.

I was thinking about this today as I was scratching out a drawing on a piece of paper.  I wasn't pleased with the results, and I didn't know what to do to get the results I wanted.  In a tiny fit of frustration, I found some artwork that is similar to what I had in mind, then imitated the pen strokes.  It helped a lot.

I doubt I would ever have thought to solve my artistic problems in the same way that artist did.

Now I know that I can look for solutions to my artistic problems outside of myself.

This is the definition of "influences."  Who did you look to when you were trying to solve that artistic problem and didn't know how?  Who showed you a different way of doing things?

The beautiful thing is that I'm not teaching you to rip off another artist.  I'm teaching you to expose yourself to new artistic solutions.  Expose yourself to techniques and ways of seeing the world you would never try on your own.  Expose yourself to lots of things, and, equally important, try those things out for yourself.

You can read all you want.  You can look at stuff all you want, but you don't really learn unless you try things out for yourself.

Copy techniques and compositions.  Throw different perspectives into your pot and see what kind of artistic gumbo you come up with. 

To become the best artist possible, you have to get outside yourself.

None of us succeed in a vaccuum, which is a hard to for someone like me to accept.

Animation Test

I'm working on a short animated piece right now.  I thought you might be interested in seeing an animation test.  You have to click on the image to see the animation.

There is a lot of work that goes into animation.  I have to figure out the art style, character designs, and sets.  The style of animation has to be determined.  Music, vocal recordings, etc., etc.

I introduced a glitch into the animation above because we're going for a crude aesthetic.  I think it works.  I may change my mind tomorrow.  Who knows?

More updates to follow.

1 Ridiculously Easy Photoshop Trick

Here is a handy little trick that can breath new life into your digital work.

I drew some zombies, inked over them, and scanned them into the computer:

Next, I applied a little color.  I used a basic, round brush set to "0" hardness and ~15% flow.  I went with a blue theme.

Next, I snooped around online and found a blood spatter texture.  FYI, if you decide to use photographs and textures in your work, be sure you have permission.  That means either you need to take the photo yourself, or you need to find a photo that is licensed for others' use.  Remember, also, that some photos and textures are licensed for personal use, but not commercial.  If you're going to sell your work, be sure you have permission to use the photo for commercial images.

I found a good blood spatter.

This is the same blood spatter applied 2 times.  Put these spatters in a layer above the colors, but below the line art.  I also used the Magic Wand to select all the white and delete it from the blood spatter image.  If you de-select the "contiguous" option at the top after you choose the Magic Wand, you won't have to click on every little white area.  One click in any white area will select every white area on the layer.  You're now going to change the blending mode to "Overlay."  You can find the blending mode option here:

I made the color layers invisible in that image above so you can more easily see what is being done.  Once you complete all the above steps, you'll end up with something like this:

As you can see, adding blood spatter with the overlay mode makes a huge difference.  Feel free to add textures of any kind to your digital artwork for some great effects.  For example, an image of textured paper can be lain on top of your digital painting.  Or an image of paint strokes.  Experiment with different textures and blending modes.  Have fun!

The Great Aggravation, or, Why Life Isn't Fair

Maybe now isn't the best time to write.  I'm seriously aggravated.

And, I'm listening to music.  Rap, even.  Is it wise to listen to heavily lyrical music while writing?  No.

Do you ever spend a lot of time on a project, you like the results, then you hate the same image 2 hours later?

That just happened to me.

The annoying thing is that simplicity and complexity have nothing to do with the attractiveness of art.   Art is compelling or not regardless of its sophistication.  There is often no discernible difference in artistic quality between good looking art and mediocre art.  It's just that one person's collection of lines is more fun to look at than another's.

So, the only way to make compelling art is to keep drawing bad images over and over and over and over...  The worst kind of trial-and-error.

And some kid comes along who makes all the right kinds of lines.  Not because he's practiced more than you, but because he has a particular way of thinking, moving his hand, and thinking about things that cause him to lay down attractive lines.  He's lucky.

End of rant.

Guess some of us have to learn the hard way.

We Hate Art - We Love Art

Artists are creators.

We make things.  We take pride in our ability to have an idea, and bring that idea into existence in the form of a painting, drawing, website, article, or whatever.  Theoretically, creation and creativity are fun and exciting.  Realistically, creation is frustrating; at least, it is for someone like me.

Maybe you're like me.

Idea generation is a skill.  I'm improving, but, for a long time, I haven't been the sort of fellow that comes up with ideas while I'm living.  So, when I need to generate ideas, for a commissioned work or a personal project, I sometimes have a very difficult time deciding what to do.  I second guess myself.  When I decide on an idea and bring it into the world, I'll get frustrated with my execution.  I often miss fundamental errors until I'm finished with the work.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?

For me, then, the entire process is fraught with frustration and failure.

I've discovered that the reason for my frustration is that I have a 2-bit approach to my work.  I either like it, or I hate it.  Success or failure.  Good or bad.

Instead, we can develop, as I've mentioned before, a healthier attitude of curiosity towards our work.  We learn from both success and failure, and always enjoy the process.  It's a process that's focused on discovery.

Why do we love Art?


Because we have the opportunity to contribute.  It feels good to bring beauty into the world; to spread ideas; to be appreciated and respected.

Why do we hate Art?


Because to create is to be criticized, misunderstood, or ignored.  To make art sometimes means to try your best, and to find out that your best isn't good enough.  It may be someday, but not today.

Hugh Macleod has the best advice about making art:  Ignore Everybody.  Do your own thing in your own way.  He draws cartoons on the back of business cards.  He did that for 10 years, just for fun.  Now, he's selling prints and spreading ideas.  Did he ever think that drawing on business cards would become such an important part of his life?  I doubt it.

We can choose to love art instead of hating the process.  We can learn to contribute to the world in our own ways, without listening to the legions of people who don't really know what they're talking about.

We can enjoy the process.  This is your life.  You might as well like it.