Artist as Author: Parsons Symposium

I think I'm going to try to check this out this weekend. I caught a bit of the last Parsons symposium and there were some good speakers. Others were a bit dry (such is the risk at any conference-type thing).

I applaud Parsons (particularly Steven Guarnaccia and Nora Krug) for trying to speak about bigger topics concerning illustration. Many of these panels, talks, etc., are about self-promotion, getting started in the industry, demos, etc. Information people want to hear, for sure, but in my mind, less inspirational.

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The Artist as Author — a symposium on self-illustrated texts in history and contemporary practice.

Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 3 – 8:30pm
The New School, Wollman Hall, 5th Floor, 66 West 12th Street, NYC
Free and open to the public

Patrica Mainardi (CUNY Graduate Center) on Popular Prints and Comics.
Emily Lauer, (MA MPhil CUNY) on William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair illustrations
David Kurnick (Rutgers University) on The Theatrical Impulse and the Illustrated Novel.
Ben Katchor (Parsons The New School) on Picture-recitation.
Jerry Moriarty (School of Visual Arts) presents his latest project: Whatsa Paintoonist?

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Too-Busy Bees

I'm on the NYTimes Op-Ed page today, illustrating an article (by a University of Calgary professor no less!) about an alternate take on colony collapse.

This one was a nailbiter. Thanks AD Aviva Michaelov.

O Spots

These were super super tiny spots (maybe an inch by an inch?) that are in this month's O Magazine. It was for a package about marriages.

A-B-C

(Click to Enlarge.)

A common foible of learning to work in ink is accepting the fact that ink is not pencil. Most of us learn how to draw ("properly") with pencils, so it's the implement that we are most comfortable. Ink is obviously much less forgiving.

I held individual meetings with my 2nd year Cartooning students today and recommended to all of them to keep an Ink Only sketchbook over the summer. No pencil or preparatory drawings allowed. Experimenting with the media in a very pure form will help you learn what is and what is not possible. It's a matter of adaptation and working with the media's strengths. Very zen.

(I actually stole this idea from Sam, who kept an Ink Only sketchbook in the summer between 3rd and 4th year. He improved dramatically. )

This drawing is from a similar sketchbook I'm keeping now, experimenting with washes and painting.

Sad Day

This is an image about a father's illness that is in the current issue of Men's Health Magazine. (AD Vikki Nestico.)

Unfortunately it coincides with some sad news about the passing of ACAD teacher Eugene Ouchi. I never had Eugene as a teacher, but I know some of you probably did. I remember him as a very kind fellow. You can see his work here.

Not Re-Inventing the Wheel

These pictures are from a killed job.

Sometimes I have to laugh at how seriously people take illustration ("people", of course, being illustrators themselves). Of course, there's a degree of conceptual thinking, intellectualization, etc., but I have found that a large chunk of the jobs one encounters involves creating pleasant, positive images.



I don't mind doing this sort of thing from time-to-time. It makes me feel like an old-timey illustrator and there's a certain challenge to bringing a little finesse to such content. Drawn.ca recently posted about a cookbook illustrated by Charley Harper that speaks to this.

New Yorker Never Ran

Here's a New Yorker illustration for a Yvonne Rainer dance review that never ran.

Also, some sketches.

Thoughts on Context, in which The Author rambles on Sloth, Musical Instruments, and Public Television

Gourd Drum (Ipu Hula or Ipu Heke), 19th century, Hawai'i

I've been feeling shitty about not going to museums lately. I mean, why exactly does one put up with the crappy things about the City if not to take occasionally take advantage of the wonderful things?

And I missed the MoMA Bauhaus show. Boo.

Anyway. I was thinking I might go somewhere tomorrow. This Met exhibit of Oceanic instruments looks pretty cool. They're something so beautiful about an object for which you intuitively know its use. Sam and I were talking about this the other day when we observed that he immensely, surprisingly, enjoys kitchen supply stores despite the fact he doesn't cook.

For many of the instruments, you can listen to curators speak about cultural uses and hear audio of them being played. The site is simplistic, but it offered a glimmer of how museums could harness interactivity to reach many more people and, more importantly, deliver a more thorough understanding of the subjects at hand.

Context is important.

I'm currently working my way through a PBS documentary series called Art: 21, about fine art in the 21st century. 3 or 4 contemporary artists are profiled per episode, and the experience is so RICH. You're brought into someone's studio, peeking in on them working, speaking to their family, oftentimes their subjects, hearing memories of their childhood. So much more compelling and accessible to hear it from the artists' mouth versus reading a curatorial text. You realize how much of creativity is simply exploring things that perplex you or that you're curious about. Didactics come later. Or, perhaps, full meanings are discovered through the process of creation.

On illustration. Illustration has always been a late adopter, often reinterpreting or refashioning artistic "styles" several decades after they were conceived by the art world, and applying them to commercial purposes. It's kind of a nostalgic form. No judgment on that (that should go without saying!). And yes, it does go the other way sometimes too (see: pop art). But! I think there's a valuable lesson illustrators, particularly students of illustration, can learn from Fine Art… that work should come from a place of exploration and introspection. To copy a "style" is simply a superficial appropriation of someone else's context. Someone else's life experience, interests, travels, tics. It's just surface. There's nothing underneath.

Flute (Pūtōrino), ca. 1800–1820

Aotearoa (New Zealand), Bay of Plenty region, Māori people

Salinger

I think I did this last year or 2 years ago. It was a crazy-rush piece (start to finish in a few hours), so it's not the best thing in the world. But I was thinking about how I feel a TINY bit more connected to notable deaths if I've drawn the person. You end up meditating on that person for a while.

Sometimes that person is JD Salinger. Other times, it is Mariah Carey.

Sick Dog

Boston Globe Op-Ed. AD Elaina Natario.

Society of Illustrators Silver Medal

Wowee, what a way to kick off the year. Yesterday I received a Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators for my Newsprint piece.

I feel bad because I never can manage to come up with anything beyond “… thanks!” when accepting things like this. Everyone else just seems so witty and funny and charming. So let me say it here: nothing means more than being recognized by your peers. Rewarding this particular piece, which originated in my personal sketchbooks, is a huge confidence boost. It can be a struggle to retain a sense of creativity and personal vision as a commercial illustrator. I always tell students it’s their JOB to make assignments interesting and engaging for themselves. Because believe me, it doesn’t get any easier when you graduate!

Speaking of students, I was thrilled to see a former student of mine, Lulu Wolf, was also included in the show. Check out Lulu’s lovely work here.

The show for Uncommissioned and Sequential works is on view at the Society of Illustrators in NYC, Jan 3 – 26.

It's 2010.

Hi! I hope you had a good holiday. I hope you HAD a holiday. Or at least a few days off from wherever you toil.

What will 2010 bring? 2009 was a little scary, to be honest. Worked dried up for most of the illustrators that I know. I especially noticed a lag in the summer. It seems to have bounced back, but who can tell? Illustration DID die over 60 years ago, so.

-I have a small book coming out this year. It's true! Indoor Voice will be published by Drawn and Quarterly (dates forthcoming). I consider it a bit of a blog extension or companion to Gilded Lilies (2006). A compilation of things. You will hear more about it later! And yes, I am working on getting a longer, narrative work going. Fingers crossed.

-Skim goes on. Foreign translations are forthcoming in Portuguese and Dutch. Nutso...

-Speaking of! Right-wingers officially hate Skim! Read about it here!

-I'm teaching the 2nd semester of the Drawing for Cartoonists class at SVA. I will be switching to the Illustration department in the Fall.

-I am speaking with Gabrielle Bell and Jessica Abel later this month at the Brooklyn Public Library. Just a tiny thing on Brooklyn comickers. Deets: Jan 28, 7pm, Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Dweck Centre (lower level).

-Half World, the totally awesome book by Hiromi Goto, will be released April 1 in the US (Viking/Penguin). I did the illustrations for it. The book is already available in Canada.

That's all I can think of now. Bye!

Goodbye!

I’m heading back to the Arctic Tundra (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) for a bit of skiing and Vietnamese food. I’ll be back on Jan 3.

(Until then, I can’t take any jobs. Let’s work together next year!)

Readers, please have a safe and happy holiday.

Byebye!

National Geographic Animals

This project was definitely one of my highlights of the year. It was completed back in September, but the issue is just out now (Jan2010).

The series was about Asian Wildlife trafficking. You can read the article (and view some very disturbing photographs) here.

Animals, along with Dance, are probably my favourite things to draw. I was very excited when the AD, David Whitmore, suggested a simpler, painterly approach similar to the guy in this post. Thanks, Blog!















This wash technique is a very different one from my typical method... more of a one-shot deal with very minimal digital manipulation. (I still sent pencil sketches, albeit very rough ones.) Some of animals were done a dozen times before I got a few that worked. I would send the AD several final versions to choose from. Here is a picture of (mostly) discards.



It was an exercise in a new way of thinking and a good lesson for me as I try to streamline my illustration work. I have discovered through teaching that the most important thing you develop in school is not technique but PROCESS: a way of working that allows you to operate within the confines of Art Direction but still leaves you psychologically free to create work that is fresh and stimulating.

Independent UK

I did a few things for this next weekend's [of the 20th] Independent newspaper in the UK. I think it may be out on Sunday? I think it's part of the magazine? I'm not sure the details, but if you're over there, I'll assume you know what I'm talking about.

There are more, but I like this one best. The illustrations accompany a Christmasy story by Louis de Bernieres.

(AD: Ben Brannan)

Speaking of Christmas, I was dropping some stuff off at the Society of Illustrators today and decided to drop in at Bloomie's since I'm looking for boots. I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say the shoe department was COMPLETE carnage and the first thing I thought of was "I wonder if this is what Baghdad looked like after they overthrew Saddam Hussein." There is nothing like witnessing shopping-induced mayhem to make you feel ashamed to be a human being.

So many dead-eyed husbands.

Anyway. Apologies for the lack of sketchbooking lately. It's always really crazy before the holidays.

Feminist Choice

(click to enlarge)

Here's a recent illustration for Smith Alumnae Quarterly. I like the colours in this one. They're a bit of deviation from my usual palettes which are more restricted and complementary.

The article is about feminism giving women the freedom to define themselves as they wish.

I watched A League of Their Own when I made this picture. So good! Avoid the clap.

AD Ronn Campisi.

David Sedaris' "The Loggerhead"

I recently had the honour of illustrating a David Sedaris piece for the New Yorker. Talk about pressure! The story is not online, so you'll have to buy the magazine itself. The art ran a bit smaller than originally planned but hopefully it holds up. Thank you so much to Chris Curry for the opportunity. Here are some sketches:

Heart Running

Here's an illustration for Runner's World Germany. It's about running with a heart condition. Usually I don't use such a "deep space" in illustrations, but this was kinda fun. A little atmospheric interference* goes a long way.

*for students: the basic principle, as it pertains to art and drawing, is that things get more "low-value" as they get farther away. This is due to moisture, pollution, and other particles floating in the air between your eye and whatever you're looking at. That's why someone standing 10 feet away will appear crisper and more high value, than, say, the Empire State Building a mile away in the distance. In reality, the image above maybe isn't the best example, since it's kind of about fog and whatnot. The example of the Empire State Building is better.

Pencil Factory Promo

We've started to brand The Pencil Factory. What is The Pencil Factory? It's a big old building here in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (a genuine pencil factory) where lots of people have their studios, including Sam Weber, Josh Cochran, Christopher Silas Neal, and others. I am only an honorary member (I work out of home), but I occasionally bake cupcakes and bring them to the studio, therefore I COUNT.

Anyway, we made a little promo of newsprint posters (that's mine, above). Go here to see who's involved and to get some handy ideas on what to do with your poster after you're finished enjoying it.

I have 12 copies of the poster package to give away. Email me with the subject line "PRINT IS NOT DEAD!" and I'll send you one... FREE! All the posters are gone. Thanks for playing! I think there will be a chance to buy them in the future. I'll keep you posted.





P.S. Thanks to Josh Cochran and Jennifer Daniel for putting the paper together.

Passing the Ball

For Plansponsor.

You may recall, this was in the Gallery of Rejected Sketches. Thanks to SooJin Buzelli, AD, it's an orphan no more!

Sam helped colour this one.

Best Illustrated Books: The Plaque

I was charged with making the award plaques for this year's NYTimes Best Illustrated Books list (see post below). Here's the illustration I did. I was pretty nervous to see the plaques handed out to the winners. Here are people who KNOW illustration and –yipes– will probably be putting the thing on their wall to look at, you know, forever.

Best Illustrated Books 2009

(Taeeun Yoo, from Only a Witch Can Fly)

I had the pleasure of judging this year's New York Times Best Illustrated Books, along with writer Adam Gopnik (!) and librarian Lisa Von Drasek. The process basically involved being sequestered in a room for 8 hours (with a lovely 3-course lunch in between), hashing through many hundreds, if not thousands, of children's books.

Here are the books we chose. Here is Adam Gopnik talking about the process.

It was an extremely interesting day. Obviously, my exposure to children's books is almost solely from an illustrator's perspective. I learned so much from Adam and Lisa in terms of the "other side" of reading/evaluating an illustrated book.

Lisa, in particular, should conduct some sort of seminar for people who want to write or illustrate children's books. Things like "read-aloud-ability", continuity, rhythm, surprise, appropriateness of voice... all elements to consider very carefully when creating books children actually want to read.

Thank-you to Julie Just for asking me to participate.

Halvah

I don't want to alarm any of you, but I am now a New York Times Published Author.

Okay, not really. But I did contribute a little blurb to go with a drawing about bake sales, which have apparently been outlawed in NYC schools. Mine is about halvah, a middle eastern sesame treat not popular amongst the residents of Calgary, Alberta in the late 1980s.



The drawing appears in this weekend's Sunday Times. AD Kim Bost!