Cake Wrecks is a blog celebrating the worst, most inept, and the most unappetizing in the world of cake decoration. Here you’ll find day-glo coloring, plastic ornamentation, and all manner of creative misspelling applied to ceremonial desserts. Occasionally, the site even features an example of a decorator who really got it right. (Is Oprah here an example of the former or the latter? That’s up to you.)
Ms. Maestre sculpts incredible pieces made from sharpened pencils. They look like something you might find at the bottom of the sea, if the sea were made of sharpened pencils.
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.
Here’s a great essay by Kurt Vonnegut on writing with style. He breaks it down into seven simple steps. My favorite is number seven: “Pity the readers”. Lord, how I pity my readers.
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.
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