Quote: James Bailey

Art is Man's nature.  Nature is God's art.
-James Bailey

On the topic of Talent

If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke.  
  -Brendan Francis


Talent seems to be a pretty divisive topic.  People either seem to fervently believe there is no such thing as talent and that people who do believe in talent are just making excuses, or they believe that there is such a thing as being naturally talented and that can give a person a leg up in their endeavors.  I am a little unsure what people are making excuses for by believing in talent, it seems to cover both ends of the spectrum from making excuses as to why they will never be good, or making excuses as to why they are great.  I think that at the end of the day it may, as many things do, boil down to fear.  I think that some people are afraid that since they don't consider themselves to have talent in the thing that really interests them, that means that no matter how hard they work they can never be 'great' at it.  That is just silly.  There are many paths to the same destination and many starting points, no two people will have the same journey.  So one person's 'talent' may mean they start a little closer to the finishing line than you do that by no means invalidates your journey or prevents you from reaching the same finishing line.  Talent is really only a head start, everyone still has to put in the hard work to be great.  So some people have a natural inclination for a task and some people don't, at the end of the day it doesn't matter, what matters is what you do with what you've got.

Interview Spotlight: CHIUSTREAM - Tom Fluharty

Check out this great interview by Bobby Chiu of Tom Fluharty.  Interesting and motivational.

CHIUSTREAM - Tom Fluharty

Quote: Rabindranath Tagore

You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
- Rabindranath Tagore.

Artist Spotlight: Stephen Silver

Artist Spotlight
Stephen Silver

One of the artists who really inspires me is Stephen Silver.  I believe I found out about him from his podcast, it wasn't until later that I learned he worked on a pretty great cartoon called Kim Possible.  Stephen has really inspired me through his podcasts, which have now become a weekly or sometimes monthly uStream where he talks about the business and answers viewers questions.  He has provided an insight into the life of a professional artist which I can't get enough of.   Seeing as how I don't personally know any artists in my area it is something that I have really cherished.  Stephen also teaches a Character Design class at Schoolism.com that I only wish I were good enough to take and really get my moneys worth from it.  Someday soon hopefully I will be there.

Stephen has also put out a number of books of his art his most recent being Passion for Life: 


Artist Links:
Blog
Wordpress
uStream
Schoolism
Stephen Silver on Amazon
Stephen Silvers Webstore

Companion Blog: The Pencil Effect Sketch Book

I have started a companion blog to The Pencil Effect called imaginatively enough The Pencil Effect Sketch Book.  There I will be posting daily sketches and weekly drawing as I work through the resources I post here.  Please give it a visit if you are interested in keeping up with my progress.

Tutorial Spotlight: PSG

Tutorial Spotlight

PSG Tutorial

The link above is an interesting mix of pieces of advice on a number of topics including lighting, construction, studies etc.  It is worth a read for any beginner.  It does not go to far into any one topic but rather provides a light overview of many topics.  http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm. 

Inside the Artist's Studio: Alex Ruiz Interview

Inside the Artist's Studio: Alex Ruiz Interview:
"What was the best piece of artistic advice you have received or can offer?

Keep drawing, and keep drawing!! There really is no secret; it's all about consistency and the acquiring of good instruction whether it's through teachers, books, DVDs, or all three if possible. There's an old saying that goes: 'when you're not practicing, someone else is.'"

Podcast Spotlight: Big Illustration Party Time

Podcast Spotlight
Big Illustration Party Time

Big Illustration Party Time is a podcast I have only recently discovered but have found it to be very entertaining and informative. The podcast is hosted by Kevin Cross and Joshua Kemble and covers various topics surrounding freelance illustration and cartooning. I have only listened to the first dozen or so episodes so I do not know how deeply they may eventually delve into process but these first episodes have had some very interesting information regarding the business of being a freelance illustrator as well as a couple of great interviews with artists such as Chris Oatley and Roger Langridge. If you are interested in becoming a freelance illustrator or just want to listen to a couple of artists talking about the biz I highly recommend giving Big Illustration Party Time a try.