James Gurney is the author/illustrator of the Dinotopia series. He draws and paints like a son of a gun. His rough sketches make my finished pieces look like dog barf. Plus, I met him at a book signing last year and he’s really nice. His blog is a phenomenal reference for all things illustrated. You should probably be reading it right now instead of this.
Irene Galo, an art director at Tor Books, has posted a good, common sense primer on putting together a portfolio. It covers tips on content, knowing your audience, your competition, and even minding your manners. Excellent advice, and a definite bookmark for all illustrators.
Recently, I was talking to my illustration students about what it was like back in the dark ages, before Photoshop and Illustrator ruled our world. One of my students asked how they managed to do the all the stuff they did before they had computers. I could think of no better example than this video, a making-of featurette on the “new” HBO TV intro from 1983.
If you ever read MAD magazine as a kid, you know Al Jaffee. He creates the amazing fold-ins on the inside of the back cover, the pictures (and captions) that magically transform once the image is folded in thirds. If you’ve never experienced the fun of one of Mr. Jaffee’s fold-ins in person, now you’re in luck.
For all the readers out there who either 1) are working in the field as writers or illustrators, or 2) aspire to do so some day, here are a few helpful links aimed at the professional side of things.
17 Tips for Freelancers:
http://megillustrations.typepad.com/…
Chris Garret: “My Top 5 Biggest Freelancing Mistakes”:
http://freelancefolder.com/my-top-5…
How to disarm 10 difficult client observations/requests:
The Academy of Art University has posted an online class on drawing the human head. It covers different expressions, proportions, shading, etc. in a straightforward, easy-to-follow way. There’s even a nice interactive section at the end where you can dial up different expressions on the model and fade back and forth between the sketches and the actual photo.
