Author Archives: Sara Gómez Woolley

Week 2

Posted on by
Reply

LECTURE  PDF in Course Files

  • Class Presentations & Review Last Week
  • Discuss the Reading Nuts & Bolts Ch 1

  • Guest Speaker: Steven Harris

  • Lecture

  1. Idea Generation – Discus Jillian Tamaki Reading
  2. Who’s Who in Illustration REVIEW
  3. Typical Illustration Workflow
  4. Illustration Heroes Research Assignment

  • IN CLASS RESEARCH: Create a Google Doc to track the information you learn from researching your Illustration Heroes.

DUE NEXT WEEK

  1. Illustration Heroes Google Doc  (See Below

  2. Write a Blog post on the following: Relate YOUR personal Style and Influences to the illustrators you have researched.   Show images of Your work as well as theirs and help us to understand where there are commonalities. 
  3. If you didn’t last week, please Read Yuko Shimizu: Visual Vocabulary
  4. Continue your Sketchbook.  Play with Personal Style and imagery .   Consider what kind of work you’d like to be hired to make.  DRAW THAT.
  5. Read: Inside the Business of Illustration by Steven Heller and Marshall Arisman, CH2 Style.
  • If you have not already done so, Join the OPENLAB & share your EPortfolio.

 

Create a Google Doc to track the information you learn from researching these illustrators. Include things like:

  • Client List
  • Art Directors
  • Markets they work in (Books (Children’s, Sci-Fi, etc., Editorial Illustrations, Advertising)
  • Specific Themes or Subjects they are known for (Political, Dark, Sports,Etc.)
  • Specific Techniques? Hand Lettering for example

Equipment Check Out

Posted on by
Reply

Hello Class-

You have the ability to check out any equipment you would like to use from our CLTS.  Unless you have access to your own digital set up, I highly recommend checking out a Wacom Tablet, and perhaps a camera depending on your working method.

Equipment Check out Procedures Spring 2020

1. Check Out is on a First Come, First Serve Basis.

2. Pick up and return is between the hours of 9am – 6pm Monday – Friday in P109. If a CLT is not in P109, then try P113. ◦ Monday Check Out – Due Wednesday before 5pm ◦ Tuesday Check Out – Due Thursday before 5pm ◦ Wednesday Check Out – Due Friday before 5pm ◦ Thursday and Friday Check Out – Due Monday before 5pm. We cannot offer extended loan out time to students due to the volume of students who need devices in relation to the amount of loaner equipment the department has.

3. Students must show ID to check out equipment. The student who is using/requesting gear must be the person to pick up and return.

4. Upon return the CLTs will erase any content on the Memory Card so students must back up data before returning.

5. If a device is returned missing materials (Lens Cap, Battery, USB Cable, Wacom Pen, etc.) that student cannot check out any other device until the missing materials are returned or replaced.

6. Students are allowed 3 late returns on equipment. After the student returns equipment late the third time, they will lose privileges for the rest of the semester.

7. If a student has checked out a device on Thursday or Friday, returns on Monday, they cannot check out a device again until the following Monday to give opportunity for other students to have use of the equipment.

8. If a student keep a device for an excessive amount of time, two weeks or more, and they have been contacted by a member of the CLT staff more than twice, they will lose privileges, indefinitely.

9. If an item comes back broken, the professor, the Full Time CLT staff, and Professor Davis will discuss the recourse, could result in a hold on the student account or the student may be required to replace the item with a like model replacement.

10. There is no equipment to be checked out over Spring Break so that the CLT staff can test, repair, and clean equipment.

CheckoutProcedures

Jillian Tamaki on Idea Generation

Posted on by
9

Please Take a look at the work of Illustrator and Cartoonist Jillian Tamaki.

Read and Discuss Jillian Tamaki, Idea Generation

In a short post discuss the article.  Consider questions like:

What are Concepts?  What methods does Jillian Tamaki use to generate hers?

What are the specific steps she takes?

Do you have other methods unique to your process?

 

Be POLITE!  Be sure to read each other’s observations BEFORE posting your own.

Meet Sequential Illustrator N. Steven Harris

Posted on by
31

Guest Speaker for Advanced Strategies in Illustration

THURSDAY Feb 6th 6:30-7:15 P114

NORWOOD

The 2 time Eisner Nominated, 4 time Glyph Award winning, and recently, a VLA (Virginia Library Association) Graphic Novel Diversity Award winning, Watson and Holmes, published by New Paradigm Studios, and co-creating, the 2 time Glyph Award winning book,  for Best Female Character, Ajala:  A Series of Adventures, along with Robert Garrett, N. Steven Harris has had a career spanning over 20 years in the comic book industry.

His highlights include DC Comic’s Aztek: The Ultimate Man, a character which he co-created along with Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, for DC Comics. His credits also include Batman:  Officer Down, Batman 80pp GiantThe Huntress (DC Comics), Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, Generation X, X-Force, and Deadpool Annual ’98 (Marvel Entertainment). Within the last 5 years he has worked on titles such as Voltron, New Money and Solarman. Mr. Harris’s most recent publication is DC/Wildstorms Michael Cray. He also has participated in gallery shows showcasing comic book art in New York, Philadelphia, Georgia, Chicago, California, and Japan.

To View his Portfolio click HERE.

Class, be sure to POST your questions for N. Steven Harris below!  

Be sure to look over Steven’s portfolio and research him on your own, before you post your questions.   Read each other’s questions too before posting your own.  If you share someone else’s question, say so!  Consider what you have learned from this week’s reading from Nuts & Bolts about “freelance life” while coming up with your questions for Steven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nuts & Bolts: A blueprint for a successful illustration career

Posted on by
Reply

Our first reading of the semester will be from:

guidebook

Nuts & Bolts: A blueprint for a successful illustration career Kindle Edition

Please Read the First Chapter and be prepared to discuss the Chapter as a group next week.  You will find a PDF of the chapter under MENU> COURSE PROFILE > FILES
PLease PURCHASE this book as we will use it several times as a reference for the course. 

Hello & Welcome!

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to Advanced Strategies in Illustration!

This class will be a combination of lectures, guest speakers, and studio work.  We will be drawing in class every time we meet, so DO NOT COME TO CLASS WITHOUT YOUR MATERIALS. We have 15 sessions together, and many issues to cover.

On this site you will have access to materials presented in class, assignments, readings and additional helpful resources.  Here you will also post your work in progress to share with your classmates.

Carefully read the directions in the UPLOADING INSTRUCTIONS POST on how to post to this site and to your ePortfolio.

— Happy Drawing!

Life Drawing in New York

Posted on by
Reply

Since we are in New York City artists have many options to improve their life drawing skills by drawing from a model outside of this class.  The only way to improve your drawing is to practice!  Practicing our craft is VITAL!  Take advantage of the resources in our city!

 

IN MANHATTAN:

 

 

 

The New York Society of Illustrators is an incredible resource for up and coming commercial artists.  The sketch night is a great way to get to know this institution.  Its lively with great models, live music, pro illustrators, and often comes with FOOD!  This one is wonderful and is the cheapest option I’ve found for students!

 

sketch11sept

 

 

IN BROOKLYN:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shoestring Studio is a membership-based art studio serving painters, draftsmen, illustrators, and other artists in need of workspace, community, and shared resources. Their primary mission is to provide affordable, accessible workspace for artists in Crown Heights and the greater Brooklyn area.  They host figure drawing sessions several days per week at a very affordable rate.  You do not need to be a member to attend.  Be sure to ask about student discounts!

 

 

Visual Vocabulary

Posted on by
8

This short excerpt from Yuko Shimizu‘s blog post considers the importance of developing a unique visual vocabulary. After reading this article, consider how you can use your sketchbook as a tool to developing your own visual vocabulary.  What are your areas of knowledge, passion, or curiosity?

 

“ I believe many of you who are reading my blog are aspiring illustrators. If you are, here is something you may want to remember, or to work on, if your art school instructors haven’t taught you already: we have to be remembered by something we are good at, so when a prospective client sees a topic that needs to be illustrated, they know who to call.

 

The most obvious themes prospective clients think of in connection with my work are Japanese or Chinese themes. I am Japanese, but I had also studied Cantonese for three years, and I have strong interest in Chinese culture. And people somehow see that in my work. There are other themes, like sexy girls, action and sports, comic-book look, snow, and water and underwater themes.”

 

What kind of things are you interested in drawing?

What visuals might become important visual signatures for you?

Uploading Instructions

Posted on by
Reply

Upload your Portfolio Projects from this semester into your ePortfolio.  

 

Be sure to give the artwork a title. 

How to Post to our class: On this class site, go to Post located on the left > Give post a title in the subject line  > Write a brief description of the art work in the Comments space > Just above your title click on the Add Media icon (it looks like a camera on top of a music note) and browse for your image file > Click Insert > Choose the appropriate Category from the list on the right > Click Publish at the top right.

How to Post to your ePortfolio:  Go to Dashboard > New Page > Pages > Add New > Locate “Parent” in the Page Attributes > choose “Academics” from the pull-down menu. In the Title area of your ePortfolio, be sure to write the course code COMD 3363.  Also be sure to Publish, and invite me to join your ePortfolio.  In settings, be sure to state either “Public” or “Private>visible to City Tech members.”  Otherwise no one will be able to see what you’ve posted.

To take photos of your work, find a spot with even light so that you will have no shadows or strange light gradations across the drawing.  Frame the drawing so there is a small even frame on all sides.  Optimize the file, or reduce it to 72 dpi, with a file size no more than 1MB (about 8-9 inches on one side). Rotate it if necessary to it uploads right-side-up. USE photo-correcting apps.  Increase the contrast so that delicate drawing lines are visible.