Vector art

So I was reading through some of my magazines like Glamour and such, and kept noticing that there's a bunch of cartoony illustrations throughout the magazine. So I thought, hmm, why can't I do that? I contacted some Art Directors at a few places and they want me to send some examples. So I spent today creating some vector art that might fit some of the different genres I'll submit them to. I'll probably also turn these into stock art, unless someone buys them. It was a lot of fun, and I really like how they turned out! So cross your fingers that people like them!

Don't let art become a chore!

I was reminded today of the importance of creating art for yourself by this great article:

http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/2010/01/26/the-importance-of-personal-projects

I know that I've definitely been guilty lately of focusing on only my school or work projects, and haven't really taken the time to create art for MYSELF. So I'm going to do my best to try and draw or create something each day. I remember some of my best work in the past has been totally spontaneous, things like watching squirrels play in the park and grabbing my sketchbook to capture them. I really need to remember to do that again!

Excellent article about negotiating contracts and prices with clients.

Check out this greate article on FreelanceSwitch.com. It talks about how important it is to communicate efficiently with clients. I've found these tips very helpful in my own business. It's amazing what you can accomplish simply by communicating well!

http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/7-tips-for-negotiating-a-freelance-contract/

2D Animation screenshots

I've been working on a Flash animation project for some time, in which I've had the opportunity to create and animate some cute characters for a children's apparel line. Child-friendly art and animation is by far my favorite style to work in, and working on this movie has helped me to learn a lot about the ins and outs of Flash, and how to maximize my time. I'll be sure to provide short video clips a link to the final product when it's released to the public, but for now, enjoy these sneak previews!
--All characters copyrighted to Allen Wilson, 2009.

My first post!

So after seeing all the cool blogs that some freelance friends of mine have, I had to finally break down and start a blog. It'll basically update everyone on whatever project I'm working on at the time, and showcase some of my work in a step-by-step way that's easier to view than my business's website (www.lacimorgancreations.com) I also hope to post helpful articles and links that I think my fellow artists will find useful, and any cool art or animation-related things I discover. There aren't too many images yet, so in the meantime, you can visit my business website and check out my portfolio.

So to start it off, here's what I'm working on today.

I take classes online from the Art Institute, in Media Arts and Animation. I hope to use my skills to either do freelance Flash 2D animation, or head toward the Disney Studios once my portfolio is strong enough to submit. That's been my dream since I first saw "The Little Mermaid" and tried to pause the frames to draw them (odd thing for a child to do, but I think that's what tipped off my parents that I'd most likely go into animation, haha!). However, my skills are sorely lacking in the whole 3D area, which most US studios have converted to. I find it tough to wrap my mind around the complicated programs, when I could so quickly draw the same thing on paper. But I've really been pushing myself to learn, and in my current class we have to sculpt a 3D head.

My character is called Acheri, based on a native American legend about a "spirit of death and sickness" that resembles a thin little girl. She tempts the village kids to come and play with her, and they're only safe if they wear her favorite color, red. Below are some early concepts, as well as the fleshed out sketches for 3D, and then the model as it stands so far. It still has a long way to go, but I'm totally proud that I was able to model anything recognizable at all. Here's to learning 3D! :)