The Redraw Challenge: Part I

I am super excited about today and next week’s post because it is all about progress and rediscovery! If you’re truly passionate about anything, you’ll notice growth in your endeavors. Experience and patience develops all skills, hence the old axiom, “Practice makes perfect” or more to the point in today’s post, “Practice makes progress.” I can very clearly remember many specific moments all throughout my life where I would draw something that made me feel like I just leveled up. I don’t just mean I drew something a certain way and was proud; I remember where I was, what I was drawing, and very clearly understanding I had just crossed a new threshold. It’s always exciting but more than anything, it’s rewarding.

Now every time I’ve experienced leveling up (can you tell I’m also a gamer?!)—particularly when I was younger—I believed I had just hit the apex of my ability. In my mind, I had reached my full potential and I was elated. As time passed, I began to understand I was comprehending things I hadn’t fully previously and in looking back, those breakthrough drawings I felt were the best of the best I had ever done and would ever do, in reality kind of sucked… like a lot. What’s also become a revelation is how those specific illustrations—however good or bad they actually were or still are—only now mark any level progression to me. Those moments are very important because they push you to do better, even when you believe that’s your best. They don’t end an era of creating a certain way, they mark the start of learning new techniques and styles. And the absolute best part? They don’t stop when you’re young! You keep leveling up well into adulthood! There are few things in this world that can bring that kind of joy as you age, but furthering your talents is totally one of them! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, an old dog really can learn new tricks!

Now reevaluating those pinnacle moments is nothing new; redrawing old artworks can be seen all over social media and other artistic platforms, so I’m not doing anything groundbreaking here. However, today I’d like to look at a few instances where I hit some personal milestones only to go back and figure out what made them so special. This is part one of my Redraw Challenge!

Okay… let’s make this super awkward and embarrassing. As a cisgender male, I have been intrigued with drawing the female form since I was a child. One of my earliest leveling up experiences was drawing ladies as inspired by comics artist Mark Badger, specifically his work on Marvel Comics Excalibur. Even more specifically the mutant Meggan Puceanu. I got really into comics starting with Excalibur Volume 1, #37 and would redraw the panels from it. I stuck tight with Excalibur and gravitated towards Alan Davis’ work on it as well. My versions were much cartoon–ier but they helped me understand some basic structure and lead to an aforementioned level up. Side note: I am actively hoping for an Excalibur movie or Disney + series in the MCU. Come on Mr. Feige! Make it happen!

Excalibur #37: the first comic book I ever bought, Meggan (and other art) by Alan Davis. Meggan & Kurt Wagner (AKA Nightcrawler from the X–Men) had a very flirtatious relationship and I wanted them together more than her main squeeze Brian Braddock (AKA Captain Britain)

One of my biggest moments came when I started taking figure drawing (or life drawing) classes. Even at my first class, I began to understand what I needed to do, and a few months later it all clicked. I had one of the best sessions ever and I noted it was a level up experience and I was thrilled, even though I popped a tire on the drive home from the studio, I was still on cloud nine.

A flat tire right after one of the best classes I ever had. February 19, 2014

Before all that though, in 2006, I was hired to illustrate my first book. Man, what a thrill to be able to say you’re a published illustrator! I had just settled in on a technique to marry my traditional line art drawings with digital coloring and effects that eliminated most residual imperfections/digital debris after scanning. I was ready and I was excited. I worked very close with the author and editors and even the printer to make sure everything I did was exactly how we all envisioned it. I was very proud when it came out, but it didn’t take long at all before I leveled up further, and soon my pride of being associated with an ISBN number felt embarrassing.

Just a couple years later and my techniques had changed again. The figure drawing classes pushed my abilities further along, so my book now felt dated and subpar at best. Eight years and even more classes later, I decided to at least take a second shot at the cover. The cover was something I wasn’t happy with originally anyway, so it felt like a good exercise. Applying what I had learned as well as using new tools like Daz 3D to create a virtual model for reference, I upgraded my original art. Although only a brief yet serendipitous moment, at that time the author had been contemplating a second printing of the book, and my art director excitedly showed him my new and unsolicited art which he liked. The new cover never got the full green light and the book stayed out of print. I would imagine the idea to re–do all the interior illustrations came up as well and possibly added to the decision not to do a separate printing. Regardless, here we are another 8 years later and I’m still not only proud of my redrawn cover, but content with it as well.

A 3D poser model was my reference for the new pose

The original 2006 cover and my 2014 redesign

Not all redrawing is a calculated exercise. Many artists will sketch a rough draft with the intentions of completely redrawing it some other time. The sketch merely acts as a note or reminder to draw it properly later. Anyway, I had seen a picture of an Instagram model posing and taking a mirror selfie and really liked the pose. I did a quick sketch and saved the photo for reference so I could do a better render some other day which I totally did and—as I already mentioned the process—the second illustration came out much better. What I didn’t do however was finalize the drawing immediately after I did the second sketch. I left it alone for awhile and then picked it up again several weeks later. The problem was I used the original sketch! Even as I was inking and coloring, I was wondering why I thought this illustration was worth completing. It wasn’t until I finished it that I found my second attempt. I basically redrew this twice and for no good reason.

The original photo that inspired plus the first quick sketch, and the better second sketch, 2020

Finals up close. Even the phone is done better!

None of these particular creative forays were the inspiration for this post though. The real deal and nightmare that made me want to write and try this exercise will post next week and man was it a journey! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter and please, please, please tune in next week for a real redraw challenge in part 2!

Time Lapse Art And The 3 Ways I Use To Create It

One of the more popular things I post besides Muppet fan art are time lapse illustrations of my work. Time lapse art do two things for me: provide additional content and show my process (the latter being arguably more important). That being said, there are three different ways that I create said time lapse videos, so this week I thought I’d share my actual process as well as some examples.

Various ways to traditionally capture footage for time lapse art. Spoiler: None of these work great.

The first is the most basic. All things start with a sketch, and while I tend to work exclusively digitally, I still lean towards the traditional when it comes to sketching. The following Cookie Monster drawing is an overhead shot of me drawing the blue monster with traditional mediums like colored pencils and a Bimoji ink brush pen. I love watching other artists in real time create art like this (Kim Jung Gi is, in my opinion, the master at this). The problem with this is set up. I’ve talked to so many artists about how they manage to float a camera over their work space without it being too intrusive. Yes, I know there are devices available to purchase but they’re either too cheap and unreliable or way over priced. As you can see, I’ve rigged up several different things to try and make do but I like to draw close to my pad and that can create problems as well.

The second setup is easier and sticks to using only my computer. I’ve actually been asked how to do this a few times and it’s very easy. If you use a Mac, just open QuickTime and you can do a screen recording! This is a great way to capture everything you do in real time and when it comes to programs like Adobe Illustrator, it can really show off how to use the various tools and brushes.

Now the problem with the first two types of recording time lapse art is it records in real time. You can use the time–lapse camera feature if you have an iPhone, but you’ll probably still need to play around with timing, so both of those videos require a bit more editing when it comes to putting out your final product. Procreate is a very popular digital painting program for the iPad and it automatically records your process for you. The big leg up here is it only records when your stylus (Apple Pencil) is actively drawing. In other words, if you stop and take a phone call or take a break, unlike set ups for my previous videos, the recording stops. There have been more than a few times I have had to either cut out giant chunks of down time or stop and restart my other time lapse recordings, but Procreate only records when you’re actually actively working. The double edged sword is that Procreate records everything at full constant size, so there’s no inclination I’m zoomed way in or out. Is it a pro or a con? Who knows.

I edit everything in Adobe Premiere for a few reasons. Number one, I know how to use Premiere and as an old man I fear editing using Instagram. Two, I like to try and keep time lapse videos to one minute nowadays so Instagram and Twitter don’t have a fit. I also like to use royalty free music so there’s no copyright infringements.

This was a light fun post this week so I hope you enjoyed a break in reading. As always, please follow me on Instagram and Twitter and check back here every Friday for a new blog post!

The Inside Scoop On Figure Drawing and Why You Should Do It

There are two moments in my adult life that changed how I draw and made me a better artist. The first was listening to an interview with comic book legend Jim Lee on Kevin Smith’s podcast Fatman on Batman. Mr. Lee talked about finishing school then drawing every single day like he had a job in comics (before he actually did) with tight deadlines. The purpose was to develop muscle memory so that even if he was having an “off day,” it wouldn’t impede his work. I had never thought of drawing in that context before and set out to do the same. 

The Kubert School in Dover, NJ

The next thing was a progressive journey that ultimately lead to figure drawing. Long story short, I wanted to enroll in the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. At the time, my dad felt a smarter decision was to apply my talents to graphic design—a decision that ultimately proved to be the right one—but one that I continued to question for years after I graduated. Eventually, I stopped internally blaming my parents for not letting me attend a comic book school and just decided to go on my own. The punchline to this quick aside is that the school I went to catastrophically crashed and burned and shut down while the newly renamed Kubert School still stands proudly. 

It was here that I met the accomplished Mike Barreiro, an extraordinary artist and my instructor for Life Drawing 101. Mike is a student from both the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the aforementioned Kubert School where he would eventually end up teaching for five years. Mike has worked for DC, DC Vertigo, Marvel, Dark Horse, Defiant, and TecknoComix as well as an extensive freelance career in the Pittsburgh area. However, before I get to him in more detail, I want to sing my own personal praises about the lessons he taught me.

Some of Mike’s tremendous work including Sophia Loren, Tom Horn & Geronimo, and Endelyn Moongrave.

At multiple points in an artists life, they will create something that marks a step up in their personal journey into the craft. They may even feel that point hits their apex of ability (and years later they will often marvel at their ignorance towards that moment). Figure drawing (or Life Drawing as it’s also sometimes called) brought my own artistic abilities to a level I didn’t think was possible. It forces a creative person to be practical and a pragmatist to be open to a literal different perspective. To some, the idea of drawing a nude model for hours sounds taboo. I love teasing my mother all the time about this too.

Me and my mom, my biggest cheerleader.

But as I’ve done in the past, I wanted to be a lot more diplomatic about this and get some other artists perspectives on this as well. The main voice of course being an actual instructor, and my former teacher, Mike. I asked Mike what most modern day people might wonder, “Why take a figure drawing class when I can just Google ‘models posing’?” Mike responded;

Photos have a tendency to flatten an image. When you're drawing people it's important to emphasize the curvature of a figure. The second thing is you’re at the mercy of the photographer. If it's lighted poorly or out of focus you have to compensate for that in the drawing. Having a live model that you can pose and light the way you want to makes a huge difference in the quality of the finished drawing.

My own personal taste for a model over a photo is also the ability to move my easel and draw from a completely different angle. Few artists like having to do foreshortening, but it’s a great skill to learn. With figure drawing, you also want to draw different models and different poses. Sure, a beach–bodied super model seems ideal, but beauty doesn’t make a perfect model. So what does? Mike explains;

A good professional model will be able to hold a difficult pose for a short amount of time, can be very helpful by suggesting poses, and will let you know when they need to take a break. Dynamic posing is a very difficult job. Being in good condition is important.

Holding still is a super power in my opinion when it comes to having a good model. Again though, a “good” model doesn’t necessarily mean a chiselled god or goddess. As I continued to take classes, I began to crave variety. Not every model is going to appear in a high–end advertisement, but is there a benefit to drawing those different body types? Mike goes on to say;

Sure, it really depends on what you're using the drawing for. I'm usually looking for the unusual, something that's difficult to do out of your head, but all drawing is beneficial. Many illustrations have attractive people in them. If you're doing a slice of life illo (illustration) then different body shapes are important.

Pink Floyd, Marie Devereaux, and Yaphet Kotto by Mike Barreiro

Now here’s where art verses artist can really get combative. In a very condensed nutshell, my first artistic influence was Garfield by Jim Davis, and so all of my portraits resembled the bastard offspring of Jon Arbuckle and then in 2013, I was confronted with drawing actual human beings as they appeared directly in front of me. Drawing what you see as opposed to how your personal style interprets the subject. I initially found that daunting. That got me thinking about artists with very unique styles and their approach to figure drawing. That’s when I turned to C.W. Roederer—an exceptionally talented illustrator and designer—who also found figure drawing to bring a whole new level of ability to his craft. I asked him if it’s a struggle to move beyond his stylistic ways to draw more realistically? He replies,

I still struggle a lot with “this just looks like Muppets” or “this is just what every illustrator does” (specifically the whole “normally-drawn human but they have Peanuts eyes” thing). One of the best pieces of advice I got from my figure drawing instructor was NOT to just copy exactly what I see, but rather, take what I learned in that class, and mesh it with the more caricature/cartoon background I come from. I’d say good illustrative style comes from just looking at life and reshaping it with your own mental geometry.

Mike and C.W. both provide great insights into their respective approaches, but what about someone who’s never taken a traditional figure drawing class? That’s when I turned to my friend Maria Chamra. Maria is an incredible self–trained artist who teaches “Paint & Sip” classes, has had her work featured in several galleries including the Pollak Theater at Monmouth University, and has done tons of unique freelance around Jersey. I had done an alternative drawing event with Maria in the form of Dr. Sketchy’s in Asbury Park back in 2019. It was an unconventional approach to gesture drawing, but it was a total blast. I had been bugging Maria to take a figure drawing class with me ever since and finally convinced her just last week to come along to the duCret School of Art. She talks about her experience;

I loved how different it was from my previous figure drawing classes. Professional and almost relaxing. Everyone was in their own little world. It was wonderful to put some time aside to refine my skills, focus on shapes, and becoming quicker and sharper at laying down the subject. I struggle with getting caught up in details. I made a point to use the quick one minute poses as an exercise to throw all the shapes down first and then go back in and refine the details. I felt more comfortable as the session went on.

So there you have it, high praise and an all around consensus that figure drawing is a game changer when it comes to “upping your game.” Nothing more needs to be said about… oh, right; the elephant in the room.

Some of my own charcoal drawings from various figure drawing classes over the years.

Figure Drawing studio at duCret

Okay, so let’s talk about being in a room with other artists all keenly studying a naked person. I admit, while the first time had a brief moment of surprise, that all goes out the window practically instantly. You take on the perspective of how I assume doctors examine their patients. You become aware of structure, lighting, weight displacement, and—from a religious standpoint—the beauty of the human body. I don’t mean in a fit or attractive way, but just the extraordinary appearance of all humans, how we’re put together and how those bodies interact with the space around them. Of course, if you’ve never taken a figure drawing course, it’s the most asked question you get. Maria puts it this way;

I have done Dr. Sketchy and figure drawing in the past but never with a nude model. I felt I was going to be a bit shy and apprehensive when it came to it, but it was more of a focus on how muscles work and the anatomy of the human body. I found it challenging in a positive way!

Maria and I at Dr. Sketchy’s in Asbury Park, 2019

C.W. speaks to the warm–up exercises of quick poses that forces an artist to push past any unfamiliarity.

The first model I ever drew was a girl, and that was the first time I ever saw a topless girl in the same space as me, so I definitely felt a little flush at the start of it. But figure drawing, if you’re serious about it, really doesn’t leave a lot of room for that outside of first impressions like that. With the mix of artistic math zooming through your head and the adrenaline of just two minutes for a presentable drawing, you don’t really pay attention to the person anymore.

Mike, who’s done and seen it all when it comes to nude models, puts it succinctly;

To each their own. It's not for everyone. Artists throughout time appreciate the human form. It's a stroke of creative genius. What better way to appreciate the divine on Earth?

If you are an artist/illustrator of any kind; regardless of ability, style, or experience and you haven’t taken a figure drawing class, do it! When I was a kid, someone in my family who was eager to encourage my artistic inclinations bought me a copy of Jack Hamm’s Drawing The Head & Figure of which I still have today. This book was very helpful when it came to learning how to draw anatomy even if it was in the crude form of a Garfield comic strip. Looking through it though, I never believed even for a second that I could draw like Mr. Hamm (and most might argue I still can’t). It took an actual figure drawing class to break that stigma and push me in ways I never even thought possible! In the words of Mike Barreiro himself,

Get up and move around. A new perspective can be helpful.

A huge thank you to my former teacher Mike Barreiro for taking the time to answer all my questions. This post not only gave me a chance to talk about something I love, but gave me an excuse to chat him up again outside of constantly fawning over his work in the comments. Speaking of which, you should totally do the same and follow him on Instagram and Facebook and check out his website: mikebarreiroart.com

“To the best student, Dave.” my signed copy of Kamandi Mike inked that he signed for me!

Special thanks to C.W. Roederer for his time and thoughts, you have not heard from him for the last time on this blog, I can assure you! Follow him on Instagram and check out more of his work on his website: cwroederer.com

Thank you SO much to Maria Chamra for not only contributing to this post but for letting me drag her all the way up to Plainfield, New Jersey to be my accountable art buddy yet again. Absolutely go follow her on Instagram and Facebook and check out her work at her website: mariachamra.com

And as always, I’d appreciate it if you follow me on Instagram and Twitter and follow this blog which posts every Friday all about art, illustration, graphic design, creative thinking, and occasionally even the Muppets!

Junk Drawer Comics by Jay Fosgitt who will be talking about writing comics here next week!

Creative Daddy

I’ve had this website for quite some time now, but only recently decided to start using it more actively via this blog as some of you may have noticed. Part of this is simply to justify my annual registration fees, but the other part is more personal and something I’ve touched on briefly before. The reality is that the pandemic has really hit home the idea of just getting stuff done. As the parents of a toddler/pre–schooler, that’s a different scenario my wife and I have faced than others. I don’t mean to insinuate we had/have it harder than anyone else, only that any creative endeavors or dreams pursuant to such did not have the luxury of “finally getting to with all this spare time” during quarantine, you dig?

I’ll spare you the long version, but in short; we weren’t able to have a child when we were ready to. It was many years of heartache, determination, and frustration before our daughter was born. It didn’t just happen, so when it finally did, I was thrilled to put all my dreams, aspirations, and even just basic creative habits on hold for the time being knowing full well I’d resume them eventually and with a new ethos. A lot easier said than done, especially at first, but now that she’s getting older and we can explore our innovative sides together, the internal creative renaissance I’m experiencing through her is greater than I could have ever imagined. Hence this blog! So fade to black, roll credits, “They lived happily ever after” and toss in a copyright so everyone knows to leave the theater.

My daughter and father coloring one of our big posters (Dec. 4, 2019) and my daughter fixing up my own drawing (Aug. 16, 2020)

What’s actually happened is a wellspring of ideas thanks to seeing the world almost fully through the eyes of a child again, and if I’m being honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed by it.

A fun experiment I did with my niece back in 2014.

I’m gonna’ take it back for a second and heap all this ridiculous need to show love and guidance to a child on my nibling & niece. How dare they make me love them so much. Anyway, being around kids from a creative standpoint is just—and I am not exaggerating here—the best. I once went way off topic on an article I wrote for ToughPigs that touched upon all of this, just so I could use my niece as a way to explore creativity and how effortlessly kids tear down rules in the most brilliant ways. And I’m sure my sister–and–brother–in–law wouldn’t mind if I took fractional credit for the artistic direction my insanely consummate nibling has taken along with their sister who is also a very talented artist. The three of us based almost all of our time together around creating and creativity. Whether it was making up stories, art projects, silly home movies (a continued childhood tradition with my own sister and brother when they were kids), or drawing games where we’d each “add” to the others picture for a minute before passing it back again. Both of them are almost solely responsible for our desire to have a kid of our own (I love you Z & G!).

My nibling, niece, and I draw their amenable uncle (Sept. 18, 2016).

So now my daughter is Little Miss Personality like all toddlers, and instead of putting innovation and imagination on hold, it extends to every inch of our home. We create giant posters that we hang all over the playroom, we have our own “Big Show” where we talk about every and anything that interests us, we play dress up, we do puppet shows, make books, science experiments, crafts all the time, toys, and even a newspaper!

Paper maché helmets (Jan. 12, 2021) and The Bella Daddy News (March 24, 2019).

I swear, I am not putting all this out there to go, “Whee! Parenting is fun and easy when you’re creative! Look at the things I did!” Because every parent will tell you this life is rewarding but exhausting. I’ll expand more in a bit about getting back on the road towards creative independence, but in the meantime, here’s an actual conversation I had with my daughter one night when I was struggling with how to properly channel all my re–found inspiration.

“Daddy, let’s talk about your feelings”
“Okay.”
“Are you feeling sad?”
“Yes, I have a little sadness right now.”
“Are you feeling angry?”
“Um, maybe a little bit angry, sure.”
“Are you happy?”
“Oh yes, I’m very much happy. In fact all my feelings are connected to you and mommy. I’m a little sad and angry I have to leave you both tomorrow when I go to work. But I’m very happy I’m with you right now and that I get to be with you when I get home.”
“Are you feeling tentinary?”
“What’s tentinary mean?”
“Tentinary means you’re feeling a little soddish. And soddish means you’re feeling a little shy about meeting someone you don’t know. Not like somebody you don’t know, but like somebody you do know. Not really that thinkable like your head is feeling a little weird.”
“Bella, I need help coming up with a word to describe how I’m feeling. If I tell you what I’m feeling, will you come up with a word for it? A word that will describe it?”
“Yes.”
“I have a whole lot of ideas in my head. Like, a whole lot of ideas just running around inside my head, but I don’t know how many—if any—of them are good ideas. What would you call that?”
“How about… snotty?”
“Snotty?!”
“Yeah, snotty.”
“Wait, snotty with a ‘T’ or snoddy with a ‘D’?”
“How about snotty with an ‘S’?
“So… snossy?”
Lots of laughing. “Yeah, snossy!”
“We’ll then, tonight I’m feeling very snossy.”

“Blocks” of varying sorts happen in all creative fields and the solution is usually to view things from a different point of view. Kids have zero regard or understanding for creative rules that we build around us so they can easily demolish them. They’re not all brilliant ideas, they just facilitate very helpful ways to see around a problem. For example, my daughter doesn’t have any obligation to kerning (optical, metrical, or otherwise) when writing her name or even to keep it aligned, level, or baselined. You could very easily write it off as a little kid just learning to properly write their name, or you could ask her why she does it like that. The insight proves to be a different point of view and it’s refreshing, even if it defies your personal aesthetic.

When my sister, brother, and I were making home movies without any editing suite, we created things off the cuff, spontaneously, and—in the eyes of a cinematographer—completely wrong. That in turn pushed me to learn more by the time my nibling and niece came along and helped form my sense of storytelling. Now my daughter not only gets to enjoy all that experience but help build upon it for both our benefits. I’m not saying these things made me a consummate professional when it comes to media and video editing, but I don’t think I would have ever been able to make The Making of The Great Muppet Mural without those personal points of reference, and yes I absolutely am still talking about that documentary!

Rockin’ out with my sister & brother (circa 1993) and Attack of the Killer Guinea Pig! with my nibling & niece (May 2015)

Now that my daughter is older, I’m finding (a little) more free time of my own creative volition. This is significant in a few ways. For starters, I’m transitioning back into something familiar but with a newfound and invigorated angle. It’s also like having the training wheels taken off all over again as we enter this new stage of her life. A more world–wary five–year–old will bring new ideas, and her old dad will happily navigate those waters with her. If I could find ways to entertain and teach her as a baby and toddler, imagine what she’ll show me with a full vocabulary, fantastic sense of humor, and an end to doggedly asking me to draw Cookie Monster over and over again (now being replaced with Luisa from Disney’s Encanto).

Luisa Madrigal

My whole point and belief has not changed in nearly twenty years though; kids are one of if not the best resource for finding one’s creative wellspring. It’s not just about breaking down walls and getting new perspectives, it’s about tapping into your own unrestricted and unrequited passion for being a creative person. Misery may love company, but creativity cherishes collaboration, even if it’s with someone who is a fraction of your own age. Inject the musings and whims of a child into your process just once and see if it captures any of your old flares and dreams. As a bonus, the child will benefit immensely as well! The best way to foster creativity and imagination is to show how accessible it is. Don’t try to be “cool” in front of other parents or adults. All that does is build back up the walls of restriction and shows a child they’re not your main priority.

We are normal family.

For stuff other than illustrations of Luisa, I’d love it if you followed me on Instagram & Twitter!

Of course one of my biggest thrills was drawing Luisa for her class!

Do You Have To Be Creative To Be A Graphic Designer?

When I write regarding graphic design or even just introduce myself professionally, I make very little distinction between that and being an illustrator. My professional title is “Graphic Designer/Illustrator” which is driven by pure hubris. Getting that “illustrator” addition was the most satisfying moment of my career, but if we’re going by a definitional account of my job, it’s redundant. A graphic designer is the Swiss Army knife of media professionals. We need to have a working knowledge of published, printed, and digital media and that encompasses a lot of stuff. Typesetting, illustration, user interfaces, web design, production & rendering methods, communications, plus keeping up with changing trends and social & cultural norms just to give a broad perspective of our day–to–day responsibilities.

I’m getting ahead of myself though. Let’s travel back to the very early start of the 21st century when I was still in school. I’ll give a more detailed account another time, but in short, I was enrolled in a trade school for graphic art and design at the corporately named Brick Computer Science Institute. We were finishing up our class for Adobe InDesign (which is a desktop publishing and page layout design software program) when the instructor decided to kill two birds with one stone for our final project assignment. We had to design a “How To” book based on any subject we wanted, then present this instruction manual to our classmates to clumsily complete our public speaking portion of the curriculum. At the time, I was heavily involved in puppetry, even working in local productions, so my “thesis” was how to perform a puppet. The whole farce was good enough to elicit a lot of questions afterwards from my fellow classmates. The one that hit me harder than anything else, and one I still think about today (hence this entire post), was when a kid asked, “(Regarding puppetry) How do you get involved in something like this?” I started by stating rather matter–of–factly that it is similar to any other creative endeavor one might be interested in like dancing or painting. So I asked the class, “Has anyone ever taken singing lessons or gone to an acting camp?” Silence. “Okay, what about figure drawing, sculpting, or even writing short stories?” Heads shook whilst still fixating on me with deadpan stares. I took a breath and went out on a limb convinced I’d get a a tiny bite when I sheepishly asked, “Has anyone here ever tried to do anything creative?” In a mumble from a now awkward choir, the collective replied, “No.” My head began to spin and I have almost no memory of what happened after. I just felt so dizzy wondering how so many kids without even an inkling of desire to be creative in any way had all enrolled in a program with “art” in its title. Was I going into the right field? Was I going to have a leg up of any kind because I could draw? Was I completely off about what I assumed graphic design to be?

My brief stint as a puppeteer in 1999 and then again only slightly better in 2016.

Maybe it’s not a huge surprise, but of the nearly 60 kids who enrolled, myself and one other student were the only two to graduate from our class. Everyone else dropped out. The institutional credibility of the school notwithstanding, I had placed all my eggs in this basket and headed out into the world afterwards as a green but still hopeful and determined graphic designer. My first job at a flatware company however proved the unimaginative dropouts may have been the majority as nothing I did required an ounce of creativity. My job was to be imitative and unoriginal by simply copying the designs of our competitors so that the work could then be outsourced to our manufacturer in China. One day I decided to take initiative by designing my own line of tableware for the company, fully understanding the Employment Agreement I signed had a strict statement of ownership that any ideas would belong to the company. My boss was visibly very upset at this ambitious move towards his good graces and gave me a real dressing down. One week later I was let go. Two years later I saw my designed tableware from the company on full display on an end cap at Target.

Now very depressing allusions to the life of a graphic designer aside, my story is not uncommon, and it can be justified repeatedly simply by looking at the world around you steeped in really bad graphic design. Graphic design runs along a very substantial bell curve because it’s one of those industries where anyone can—and does—label themselves a “graphic designer” just for owning an outdated, bootleg copy of Photoshop. Every time—and I mean every single time—I see really spectacularly bad design, I wonder if it may have been done by one of my dropout classmates who decided they didn’t need the student loan debt or color theory from good old BCSI and ventured into their own stint as a “graphic designer.” I think of those blank faces staring back at me who openly admit they had, nor would have, any creative interests at all and wonder how widespread that idea may be. It begs the question, do you have to be creative to be a graphic designer?

If you’re asking me, then the answer is obviously and unequivocally yes, but we can be a bit more diplomatic here. I reached out to a bunch of designers whom I admire to get their take on this idea. A lot of them were busy with deadlines and couldn’t contribute (again, the life of a graphic designer), but I cast a large net and spoke with both professional actual real life graphic designers as well as those who successfully manage things on the side as freelancers. There’s a wide range of education and experience here, but all are people I consider talented so I posed the question directly to get their take on this idea of if it’s even necessary to be creative in order to be a graphic designer. Also understanding deadlines and client specifications, I asked them to consider how much of their drive is motivated by inspiration verses profit, art verses functionality, and if they are moved in anyway when seeing good design verses bad design. Here’s what they had to say.

I consider the role of graphic designer most of all as a tool of communication. Anything I produce in that capacity has to send an easily understood message — Read this! Buy that! Being creative doesn't mean having a special sensitivity to taste and aesthetic choices, neither is it a special talent to draw, compose or write a novel — it simply means to effectively use whatever tools at your disposal to get a job done. Problem solving requires creativity. How much does it influence my work? I'd say it's the main ingredient, along with curiosity. One of my professors at SVA used to tell us: "Be informed! Read! Learn! The more you know about the world around you, the better you'll be able to communicate ideas through design." I profoundly agree with that notion. 

Mabel Zorzano

Even if it’s a project that is conceptually dictated or a simple layout, I can’t function without putting some creative spin on it. I don’t necessarily see myself as an “artist” but more of a creative creator 😂 so I can’t help but try to be creative in my approach to any project.  

I’m definitely moved by bad design…moved to hurl. But that doesn’t mean that someone with basic “functional” skills can’t create something pleasing to the eye. My main day job isn’t graphic design, so I feel I can still be motivated by inspiration. It’s still thrilling to start with nothing and end up with a creation.

Doug Berry

Being creative is integral to being a graphic designer. Our role is to take a client’s vision and deliver it in a way that stands out, draws in the desired audience and tells a story. Without creativity, anyone could do what we do. Creativity is what gets both you and your client noticed.

Christine Senak

How creative I get depends on the client. They lead everything. For me, creativity begins with listening to and learning from the client. Sometimes they have a very clear idea, but can't quite articulate it. New ideas are born through collaboration of some sort. I try to be more intimate, so I don't bombard them with a gazillion font choices and colors. I'd rather spend that time talking to them about what they really want. That seems to be rare in this business.

Many artists draw a distinction between artistry and craftsmanship. I think that line has always been a blurry one. Beautifully so. No matter what a design evokes in us, it's going to give each viewer a unique experience and that can never be cynically focus–grouped by a client or executive. I see bad design every day on busses and billboards in the city. Truth be told, it gives me more confidence in mine. Oof! Bad kerning is an epidemic. Good design, however, feeds the soul.

James Carroll

To be honest I have taken for granted the idea that “I am creative” hence “I am a graphic designer.” But, as I reflect on this question, I realize I have some doubts about how axiomatic that link is between creator and designer. In many ways, I feel like a painter is creative but a graphic designer, not so much. When asked if I am an artist, I frequently hesitate and my husband always jumps in to say, “You are an artist.”

I am a formally trained artist, there I said it. I attended the School of Visual Arts, but ultimately picked a marketable art form, graphic design. To be fair, as I dove into the art of graphic design I truly fell in love with letter form, typography, grids – an almost mathematical (I always liked math) approach to art. The experience of the reader, the audience, the consumer of my design is always foremost in my mind. I constantly ask myself and my colleagues: will the message be clear? Will the design entice the viewer to consume the content on offer?

Graphic design is most certainly an art form. Look around and one will see design that does not clearly and creatively inform a viewer. Leading and kerning (what a nerd) that seems somehow “off,” making the message hard to discern. Good design is marked by answering the question: why? The answer should never be – it looks cool. The why may not always be the right way to go, but diving into the why is where the creativity lies. It is from “the why” that one builds the design.

Fundamentally, graphic design taught me that creativity is where you find it. I was at heart a photographer, but chose my profession to make a living in the arts. Now I realize, it was perhaps the most creative choice I ever made; seeing how to make the functional beautiful and the seemingly mundane eye–catching. Graphic design, while seemingly all about utility and “marketability” contributes a great deal to our cultural aesthetic and I am proud to be a creative professional that does that.

Lea La Notte Greene

So in the end, the answer is not a definitive yes or no. On the one hand, this is a job and it has to get done if we want to keep the lights on. Clients can be fickle and stubborn and we’ve all created things we’re not proud of. Not everything has to go in the portfolio, but I find this to be rare as most people (clients) are hiring you because they like what you do and trust you to do it well. Granted, things like budgets, personal tastes, changing trends, and omnipotent deadlines can hamper these things and make even the greatest designers add to the pantheon of bad design. On the other hand though, it’s impossible to not admire really good graphic design. For me personally, I see some designers as master artists like Aaron Draplin, Martina Flor, Jed Chisholm, Krill Richert, Demas Rusli, or Gary Percival.

I think this is what tips this idea to an extreme; drawing a direct line between “graphic design” to its more definitively creative based cousin: “art.” We admire good graphic design like we admire good art; ergo graphic design is art, art is creative, therefore graphic design must be creative, right? Dain Walker prefers the title “brand strategist” to graphic designer, but at this point I’m splitting so many semantical hairs I think it’s better to just get to his point. He writes,

"In the minds of business owners, creative design can often be misunderstood as functioning alike art. However there are some important distinctions that must be understood between art & design. First allow me to express that they share things in common, often times they can even overlap or one piece could be both art & design all at once. Many even argue they are the same thing… That design is not art, but a very pointed item created with an objective rather than being subjective, essentially art sends a different message to everyone (pending their interpretation) whereas design tells the same message to everyone."

He goes on to make very broad but effective points like, “Art is to be admired, design has a job to do.” Noting that both art and design can be interchangeable, there’s most certainly two different languages an artist and designer have to speak fluently, that of a creative and that of the client. So effectively we live in a world where both of these are very true and open to a lot of interpretation. We know that graphic design can exist without any creativity because it’s literally everywhere. Whether it’s actual bad design or serves only the purpose of functionality, there is a lot of demand for uncreative graphic design. However, and this is the real silver lining, graphic design—good graphic design—aspires to be so much more.

Just like the work of all the very wonderful people who contributed to this post! Very special thanks to Doug Berry, Jamie Carroll, Lea La Notte Greene, Christine Senak, and Mabel Zorzano for taking the time to reflect on this idea and write me their thoughts. Please check out their stuff and as always, I would love if you followed me on Instagram & Twitter.

What No One Will Tell You [But You Should Know] About Art Theft

When I was in my early twenties, I drove my dad’s 1986 Lincoln Continental that I “improved” by attaching a cheap portable CD player (featuring the latest anti–skip technology) with velcro to the dashboard that then ran a cassette adapter to the stereo system. It was the early aughts and I had a humongous portfolio of homemade mix CDs thanks to Napster and Limewire. I know, I know; I’m even cooler than you ever imagined.

2002

Less than a week after pimping my ride, someone crashed a brick through the window and ripped the CD player and portfolio from inside the Lincoln. The door was unlocked, the CD player retailed for $!0, the window replacement cost me $400, I was picking shards of glass from the car for the next three years, and truth be told I was more embarrassed how much Spice Girls the thief would discover on my CD mixes than anything else. This is a relatively mild case, but theft is such a personal crime that it’s hard not to feel extreme anger and frustration over even minor infractions.

The irony is how little we all think about that individual connection. I just admitted the hardest part was getting over the theft of the music I illegally downloaded (and still had the MP3s on my hard drive back home anyway). So this is all to say no one is truly blameless, and to my topic at hand, we’ve all taken part in online art theft in particular to some degree. Maybe you downloaded something from Google to put in a PowerPoint presentation or make a fun birthday card for a family member. I’ve seen tons of Facebook and Twitter banners or avatars that certainly weren’t created by the user or credited to the artists that did. Consider this blog post your public shaming and absolution on the matter. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant you indulgence, absolution, and remission of your sins. Amen.

Seriously though, the main reason I want to write about online art theft is to show you just how poorly the odds are stacked against the creators, why it affects everyone, and how you can help. There are so many insanely frustrating and infuriating stories that I reached out to four of my artist friends who have experienced art theft so that I could get help to paint you a picture of how common this actually is and submit real experiences for your consideration.

Justin Piatt is a young up and coming artist who was flabbergasted to find someone else he did not know selling his art on various merchandise on RedBubble.com

“I feel frustrated, helpless, and taken advantage of. I was slightly flattered at first because I've never had this happen before and it almost feels like validation that my artwork is finally good enough to get stolen, but that quickly faded.

Now I just think about how any money, however little it might be, that these thieves receive from this is money that could have gone toward my rent or taking care of my wife. And it makes me mad because my struggling so much to make a career out of being a ‘starving artist’, and I'm literally having the food taken out of my mouth.”

The theme of being flattered at first is definitely a running one, but similarly most artists also know how difficult it is to sell their own stuff. People who just steal content tend to be a lot more savvy when it comes to online sales and can turn a profit quickly. I should mention that Red Bubble is actually pretty quick when it comes to taking down stolen art, but that’s where the good deeds stop. The seller is usually free to continue using their shop and whatever sales they’ve made using stolen art does not affect their remittance. Red Bubble also insists you not put these sellers on blast but rather let them handle things.

“Handling things” is where $#!t really hits the fan. There’s basically two ways to go about calling a thief out. Neither works well. The first is old west style, contacting the individual directly. Now keep in mind you’ve just found some schmuck who is openly and arrogantly selling your art, so realistically, you’re most likely in a foul mood. “Hey buttface! That’s mine! Take it down or I’ll call my lawyer!” Yeah right. Often, the seller can actually file a claim against you for harassment and now you’re the one on trial. Plus, hostility is usually met with more hostility. When you have art stolen and the chance to confront the seller directly, you have to eat a larger–than–humanly acceptable slice of humble pie and politely ask them to remove the stolen item for sale, “Please and thank you, hugs and kisses.” Barf. My personal experience is that 9 times out of 10, they’ll play nice… for the time being, but now you have to keep vigilant watch on this kleptomaniac, because they will almost certainly do it again.

Now to be fair, there are very rare instances where online art theft turns out to be a misunderstanding, or at the very least, a lovely kind of ignorance. My good friend Jamie Carroll tells this sweet story:

“Someone was printing a Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem image (a licensed piece that I created for Disney and Acme Archives' Dark Ink department) and putting it on socks. I contacted the site and the person responsible. It turned out to be a couple of kids raising money for some school thing. They were just using Googled images. There's a lot of that. They took it down, I received an apology and a pair of socks.”

They also just might not respond. Why should they? There’s the likelihood the site they’re selling your stuff on doesn’t allow direct communication anyway, so now it’s on you to report theft to the web host. Man, get ready to have even more of your precious time taken from you. As mentioned, Print On Demand (POD) sites like Red Bubble have links to submit Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Takedown Notices that don’t even question things. If someone says it’s a problem, they’re not interested in pursuing the matter further and you’re more or less done. Larger corporations however have the time and power to let sellers sell, and that’s more money for them! When I contacted Amazon about someone selling my art without my permission, they required I prove the art was mine. I sent the original link I posted the art to, a ToughPigs article showcasing the work, and this website as proof of my identity and profession as an artist. They proceeded to tell me that this was not enough to verify my claim and insisted I refill out their exceptionally long and tedious form again for re–submission. When I protested, the email chain closed and suggested I apply for Amazon Brand Registry—something that might work if the thief wasn’t selling my fan art of Kermit the Frog who is already trademarked with the Walt Disney Company and if I was willing to pay between $225–$400. Thanks, I hate it!

My email correspondence with Amazon.

The amount of time one has to devote to fighting online theft is exhausting. As Jamie explains;

“I  get pretty cheesed, but there's little I can do most of the time. Trying to get justice for art theft is like a full time job of whack-a-mole. I report the ones I can, but then let it go.“

Of all my artist friends, Kenny Durkin probably gets ripped off the most. He has told me he finds his work being sold without his permission on a daily basis, even going so far as to say, "I can teach anyone how to get their art stolen. I'm really good at that." Like Justin, Kenny was initially flattered and even encouraged by others to view any theft as flattery, but his view on the subject changed very quickly.

"I went through a huge phase where I got really angry every single time it happened, even to the point of never wanting to post artwork ever again. Basically 'taking my ball and going home'. Now I see it as a minor annoyance, it seems like most of the time the stealing of my artwork is done by bot accounts. So I try to shut them down the best I can."

Photo taken by Kevin Williams and Lin Workman, 2007

Another form of online art theft doesn't even take potential money from the artists pockets, but rather goes viral and takes away something arguably more important: their name! I always get a kick when someone on Instagram (especially an official account or someone with lots of followers) posts my art, but then feel like a drowning rat trying to get the account to credit or even just tag me. I'm willing to bet paper money most people reading this blog have seen this very touching tribute of Kermit reaching out and touching a photograph of Jim Henson. It's so good that it's just assumed it was created and owned by The Henson Company or Walt Disney Studios. In fact, it was staged and shot by my friend Kevin Williams and his associate Lin Workman. This picture has been passed around so much that Kevin actually wrote about its origin and continued life around the web that I strongly recommend you read.

"I guess the first thing was getting over the shock that so many people liked it that they were sharing and sending it all over the world, ignoring that it originated with our little team here in Memphis.

Friends noticed the image getting posted everywhere and would tag me in it, and I would follow through with 'Here's our story.' Eventually, I wrote the article to link to just because it was easier than repeating the story every time."

Kevin basically threw his hands up and said, "Here, please read this!" Jamie again succinctly explains how discovering online art theft over and over again weighs an artist down:

"Friends notify me all of the time about bootlegs and, to be honest, I'd rather not know. It just puts me in an angry and helpless place where I want to do something, but can't."

Online art theft is so burdensome to creators that they feel helpless to a point of giving up or changing their online presence completely. That can lead to creative slumps or a desire to not grace an online audience with something that can truly make someone else's day. And none of that even comes close to dealing with the stress and frustration over what to do when an artist learns their work has been stolen. Just finding the time to fight a battle that will usually end in defeat is more than should be asked of someone who didn't even want to take part in this problem in the first place.

So what can you do? First and foremost, support artists directly. If you want something specific, either commission your favorite artist via DMs or email or find out if they have an online store. Those that do will have links readily available on their own websites or in the descriptions of their social media accounts.

My dad wanted a coffee mug of a bootleg Chef, so I made him one myself instead.

Try and avoid products from ads on social media. They almost always sell stolen art. Even items that look official usually have no affiliation with the intellectual properties (IPs) they're selling or especially the artists that created them. Facebook in my experience is infamous for selling stuff like this. As a hardcore Muppet fan, I can tell you no official merchandise of The Swedish Chef saying, "Vert Da Furk" would ever get approval from any board of directors associated with the property. All they need is a clean looking website and no one thinks twice.

Finally, if you see someone's art being sold that you know does not belong to the seller, don't just notify the artist, submit a DMCA Takedown Notice yourself! The more voices fighting an issue tend to get noticed quicker. If you see someone post art they didn't create (primarily because they're not an artist), politely ask them to credit the artist. If you want to post someone else's art, most artists will be thrilled at the attention but only if you make it clear who the creator is.

Many thanks to Justin, Jamie, Kenny, and Kevin for contributing to this post. Please check out their stuff and follow them on social media because they are super talented and genuinely wonderful humans the world could use more of.

Justin Piatt: UzzyWorks.com and @uzzyworks on Instagram
Jamie Carroll: jvcarroll.com and @jvcarroll4 on Instagram
Kevin Williams: muleycomix.blogspot.com and muleyshow.com
Kenny Durkin: kennydurkin.com and @thekennydurkin on Instagram and @Durkinworks on Twitter

A Beginners Guide to Passive–Aggressive Clients

When I was a young and green, fresh–faced graphic designer brand new to the professional world, I was extremely fortunate to get some of the best career advice from a great and wise art director: “Detach yourself from your work.” Especially when you are young, it is firmly believed you know what is best and which concepts a client needs to choose, and in reality, you’re probably right. It is antithetical to your creative insight that they should choose anything other than what you know is “the one,” and so it is mind boggling when they don’t heed your sagacity or experience (regardless of how much of it you actually have) and choose to contribute to the already over populated world of “bad design.” You may even then proceed to take on bad habits like creating black cats, but nothing is more shocking than being told directly that your work—and hence personal taste—is not good.

It’s a stereotype that creative people are sensitive, but real artists have thick skin. In fact, if you’re willing to put yourself out there, even if you’re a delusional narcissist, you have to expect a notable chunk of the world’s population just isn’t going to dig your stuff, and that’s okay. Truth be told, I felt like I finally “made it” when someone flat-out told me I suck on deviantArt once, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to that art director of mine. I was crestfallen that a client was unhappy with the concepts I had done and wanted new ones. Now I need you to know, this is not a blog to build up your self esteem and affirm that you’re good enough. You’re not. To quote one of my favorite mantras: “Nobody cares, work harder.” The reality is that this client who didn’t mix words and said, “Do it again.” Is the most wonderful type of client a designer/illustrator can have.

Don’t worry if you don’t get this comic, no one else did either.

Most people (believe it or not) don’t want to be horrible human beings, so they won’t tell you that you suck on a free online art community. Clients have opinions too though, so they need to convey if they want something else, primarily because they are paying for it. Welcome to the world of passive–aggressive commentary on your artistic endeavors. I’m not personally familiar with the Catholic theology surrounding Limbo, but if I had to take a guess, it probably sounds a lot like the electronic correspondences between a client and the artist they hired. I think it stems from the idea that someone has reached out to a person with a unique skill set that they themselves do not possess and are possibly even in awe of, only to discover what they got isn’t what they expected. They’re gracious, but unsatisfied. It then (eventually) becomes desirable to the artist to be hired by someone direct and clear who won’t beat around the bush and make you guess as to how to proceed (although it’s possible you just stop caring as you age I suppose). The sting to all of this is that when I posted the above comic strip—which I thought clearly spoke this idea—most people didn’t get it at all which ironically lead to a flurry of passive–aggressive comments in response. C’est la vie.

Awesome concept, okay delivery… but he LOVES it!

Now on the other end of the bell curve are clients and critics who just want to watch the world burn. In the American vernacular, they’re known as @$$holes. It’s one thing to be direct and tell a creative person, “This just isn’t what I’m looking for.” It’s another thing entirely to insult their life choices and curse their children for generations to come. That being said, “Detach yourself from your work” clearly becomes a necessary tool, especially if you’re submitting your work to a large audience. Sure, it’s not nice to be reminded that the internet’s toxicity can and does in fact extend to you personally; but there’s a reason the first rule of the internet is ‘never read the comments.’ I think that those dumpster fire responses are critical though for developing a thick skin and understanding that not everything you do has to make it into your portfolio. In other words, whether they are faceless trolls or paying customers; being a creative person requires abject criticism if for nothing more than a heaping dose of humility. Oh yeah, and ultimately the chance to grow as an individual, yada, yada, yada.

In the end, you have to ultimately decide if your creative side is going to be a weekend hobbyist or the breadwinner archetype. The starving artist isn’t so much a lifestyle choice as it is a reality and if taking criticism is antithetical to your nature, you are facing a lifelong climb with few to no plateaus. Everyone is in fact a critic, but many of them will absolutely build you up. The rest keep you humble, and God bless every horrible one of them. Besides, everyone gets compliments when they try something, even if said compliment is lukewarm at best. It takes a real artist to not just roll with the punches, but maybe even grow with them too.

Some of the actual and very real comments and messages I’ve received.

I’d love to hear any stories you have from nightmarish clients to online trolls! Please reach out in the comments below or follow me on Instagram or Twitter to let me know!

Inktober Presidents!

I've started Jake Parker's annual Inktober challenge early this year, focusing on drawing every American President. I wanted to get a better understanding of each man and how they have shaped the country I love and live in. As we all know, there were/are more than a few bad eggs and ne'er-do-wells in the mix, but there were also quite a few noble and brilliant ones that worked tirelessly for the good of the nation.

Follow me on Instagram to see the art and learn a few tidbits about each man.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, and Jackson. Bimoji pen.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, and Jackson. Bimoji pen.