Quality Takes Time

Quality takes time. Over time I have become a slower artist than I used to be, but I am also a better artist than I used to be. I've worked hard to grow my talents, and as they grow, I see things that I didn't see before. I pick up the things I missed, and with every new work, I learn more and grow more.

This is one reason why I started posting pics online as I work on them. Sometimes 4 hours of work creates very subtle differences, as I focus on one color or highlights. Inevitably my husband will ask me "is it done?", and I will answer "no". He will say "it looks done to me. It's done enough for what you are getting paid." But quality takes time and I don't want to sign my name to it if it's not quality. There have been deadlines I've powered through to get done in time, and it shows, in a bad way. If it's meant to be quick and sketchy like storyboards, that's different. It's meant to be quick and tell a story in small frames and it's an art unto itself. However Leonardo da Vinci took 10 years to finish the last supper. A masterpiece takes time. 

"You can have it fast, cheap, or good ... but you can't have all three at the same time."

I fear that our "I want it now" society of fast food and shows on demand has lost sight of what it takes to make something of quality, because to them, they just get what they ask for and never see the prep work that went into making it happen. Unless it's in their face, they don't think it's happening. They think because they don't see you working, that you aren't working. This seems to especially apply when you are self employed and your work days are very different from the norm. Even though they've never done anything like it themselves and have no concept of the amount of work it entails, if they don't see it happening, then it doesn't exist to them. In similar fashion this same mentality of "I want it and it appears", doesn't seem to grasp working toward goals. They see success and wealth and are jealous. Instead of thinking "how did they do that?", they think that the person is just lucky, because they don't see the sacrifice and tears that came before the success. It is fundamentally short sighted.

All this is to say that anything in life that is quality takes time to make it that way. Relationships don't just happen and are perfect, they require time and work. If that isn't there, you're going to end up with poor quality, even if it started out great. All these talents that you see in other people and admire, they rarely just happen. Often they are a byproduct of a lot of work, trying and failing, lots of frustrated sketches in the trash bin, and full sketch books dating back years. Other talented people take years of training, research, and work to break boards, pirouette, write a novel, put together an event, fix a car, perform in film, or make anything that can be considered quality. 

Too many people today want a short cut, and want it now. They don't want to hear that there is no short cut, only hard work. Look at George RR Martin who has been writing the Song of Ice and Fire series since the 90s. Now that it's become a hit show, people demand the next book NOW, to the point that the actor who plays John Snow spoke out against the harassment the writer is now receiving. Those first books that everyone loves now, have been around for years and were made with all the quality that makes us fans. And suddenly he is being pushed to write faster than he ever has before, while he's added show consultant to his job load, which can only extend the time to make another book. 

"George R.R. Martin is not your bitch!"

Yeah, it's work, but when it's your passion, most artisans and creative people are workaholics concerning that passion. There's really very little else they would rather do, and are rarely happy when prevented from pursuing it. So the extra work is welcome because it's what we love! Perhaps as kids writing fanfic, it doesn't seem like work or practice writing, but it is. Just because it's fun doesn't mean it's not work or practice. With every new work, there's an opportunity to learn and grow and try something new. Every failure is a learning experience and an opportunity to start new or change your approach. It's a chance to make something better and have something better, when so much is expendable in the "want it now" society. And it's that passion for creating that creates the things we love. It applies to life on many levels. That happy couple in their 60s is the byproduct of lots of work over lots of years. People build careers, skills, relationships, and talents one step at a time. No one starts at the top, not even "naturals". 

Ultimately, I think that old adage of "anything worth having is worth waiting for" is wrong. "Anything worth having is worth working for" ... and quality takes time!

Writers: How to Write an Art Order

So you've got a book, maybe even a series. You've mastered the art of creating fiction and telling a compelling story. Now you are searching for an artist to bring those words to life in a new media for illustration or cover art. However this is an art form in and of itself. It's not the same as writing fiction, so allow me to illuminate my fellow creatives on how to communicate with your artist effectively without frustrating them.

Common Mistakes Authors Make Writing Art Orders!

1. Sending the artist the story, book, or series and expecting them to mine it for images.

You've got books conveying all the information you think will be useful for character development and portrayal, so naturally you want the artist to read them to get the correct interpretation of your vision. This is one reason publishers tend to do this step, because they're good at it. They've got editors that all they do is read all day. Artists don't have time to read all day, because they need their eyes for other things such as art. As nice as it is to have an artist who is acquainted with the stories, it's just unrealistic to expect them to drop everything and read a novel.  This is a job, and throwing too much information at an artist to sift through for what they actually need bogs down the process and takes more time, time they could use to be making art. Time, that you will undoubtedly be wondering "what's taking so long?" This is why you write an Art Order, because that's what you are doing, ordering art. You've commissioned someone to do a job and they need clear, concise descriptions of what you want in order to provide what you want.

2. Assuming the Artist knows your character as well as you do.

I've worked with several wonderful writers that leave out key details in their descriptions. This results often in either having to take time to read the writer's mind or starting over when the author finds something wrong. I've had authors forget to tell me the character is undead or describe a creature but never tell me what it is in D&D terms. This isn't prose, it's a bullet list of descriptors. If you are describing a person and they remind you of Angelina Jolie or Nathan Fillion, those are huge clues to the type of face you want. Remember to include things like hair and eye color, body type, hair being curly, straight, or wavy, and other things to help the artist make this image more like a real person with as few setbacks as possible. It also helps to know tips to the character's personality such as stubborn, shy, strong, frail, and other such very visual cues. This is information that doesn't need to be a page long, but a paragraph or two. What do they do? Are they good or evil? All important information that can be reduced to short bursts of relevant information, without wading through superfluous words to get to it.

3. Constant Revisions

The side effect of not being able to give clear concise Art Orders means Constant Revisions, which is a waste of both of your time. It is a byproduct of the author not knowing what they want, indecisiveness, or unable to clearly express what they want. This is a good way for an artist to drop the job or not want to work with you again, when there are other clients who know what they want and can express it. Don't be surprised if you get charged for the revisions, because it basically means twice as much work and headache for the artist. If you don't know what you want and can't express it, wait until you can to hire an artist and do everyone a favor.

4. Expecting a Working Artist to be only working on your stuff.

Artists are jugglers and can often work on multiple projects at a time. I often switch paintings when I need to let one dry, or take on new jobs while working on others. Instead of poking the artist and distracting them from working, set a deadline with your artist within reasonable parameters of their schedule and let them work. Set a time for a preliminary sketch to be approved to allow for revisions, and then a time for the finished piece. THEN you can harass them, but you will find that you and the artist are far happier with the working relationship. Establishing realistic expectations is key.

Writing your Art Order: Information the Artist Needs to Proceed

To give you an idea of what needs to be given, I will provide an example in italics underneath.

1. Color or Black and White?
This is important because color is twice as much work
Color Oil Painting

2. Output Size
How big is this going to be printed? If it is going to be small, then it will require far less detail than a cover piece, and the artist can adjust their project appropriately.
Cover Artwork 16x20inches

3. Setting (if applicable)
Before the actors come on, you need to set the stage. Are we Pre-Industrial, Medieval Fantasy, or on a distant planet. Is it in the mountains, in an inn, or the ruins of an ancient castle. Where is the action taking place? The artist doesn't need a map of the whole world, just a snapshot of where things are taking place now. If you use a character's name, be sure to name them in the description of the character, so the artist knows who you are talking about.
Medieval Fantasy, low-magic world. Daenerys is in the desert at night surrounded by burning embers from a funeral pyre on which she did not burn. She is naked and covered in ash but otherwise unharmed.

4. How many characters are in the piece?
Is this a cast of thousands in a huge war piece or an intimate and private moment between the two main characters.
One woman and 3 baby dragons who just hatched.

5. Who are the characters and their relation to each other. Why are they there?
Again not needing a novel, this can be as simple as a phrase like "astranged lovers", or "soldiers working together", "ship-mates", "rivals".  What do they do? Is one a wizard and one a warrior? Is one a cop checking out a crime scene? Keep it short, clear, and concise.
Daenerys is "The Mother of Dragons" She is a dethroned princess who has hatched the dragons from eggs, producing the first dragons seen in a hundred years. The dragon hatchlings look to her as their mother and she is caring for them as one.

6. Describe each Character Individually
Again, be clear and concise, this is not a story, but a description more like a character sheet than a short story.

• Name
  Daenerys Targaryen
• Gender
  Female
• Race, Species, etc
  Magical Human with the "Blood of the Dragon"
• Profession, Class, Archetype
  Displaced Princess of a medieval-esque kingdom and leader of a tribe of rough horse people akin to the Mongols. She seeks to restore her viewed birthright to the throne.
• Height, Build, Body Type
  Young, Early to Mid Teens, Slim, Attractive, recently gave birth
• Abnormalities, what sets them apart
  Immune to Fire, Driven Leader, Beautiful, Magical
• Hair Color, length, style
  Long wavy to straight white hair, worn in braids leaving long tendrils in the back
• Eye Color, Eye shape
  Large blue eyes
• Face Shape - Oval, Heart, square, etc...
  Attractive heart shaped face
• Person or character you can compare them to physically
  Emelia Clark
• Personality - stubborn, shy, strong, frail, etc.
  Fierce, Driven, Loyal, Compassionate, Brave
• Clothing Description - What are they wearing? Is there a necklace that means something?
  Dragons and nothing else
• Emotional state of character in the picture - Shock, awe, romantic, sad, angry
  Daenerys kneels in the pyre of her first love and so there is sadness, but also wonder and strength at surviving the fire and proving herself to her people by hatching her dragons.
• Style
  I would like it to be done in the style of Larry Elmore

7. Theme - What's the message?

Are you trying to say anything with this piece? Is it portraying the theme of a story about redemption, vengence, etc.
It is a picture telling of things to come, Daenerys like a phoenix rising from the ashes to take her place as queen with the help of dragons, and the rebirth of magic into the world.

8. Remember that you get what you ask for! 
If you don't tell your artist that the main character's left side of his face was burned in a fire, then don't be surprised if he doesn't look like it.  Anything not falling under these suggested descriptors but important to the character should be shared from the beginning.
Picture should be from the side with strategically placed dragons to conceal breasts and naughty bits.

I hope that this blog has helped you understand a little better on how to communicate what you are looking for to your artist. It didn't not require every book George RR Martin wrote to convey this image, and yet still provided enough information to get the job done. If you hope to continue writing and working with artists, then I hope that this information will help you establish a solid working relationship with your artists.

Below is an excerpt of an Art Order from Margaret Weis Productions with the finished piece.

Dragonlance: Dragons of Krynn

Product Specs: 

Title: Dragons of Krynn

Line: Dragonlance

Release: July 2007

Format: 160 page, full color interior, hardcover book

Art Dimensions:

1/2 page vertical = 3.125” by 9.25”

1/2 page horizontal = 6.5” by 4.25”

1/4 page = 3.125” by 4.25”

Total Page Count: 16 pages of art

All illustrations are either 1/2 page vertical, 1/2 page horizontal, or 1/4 page pieces. 

References are as follows:

DLCS Dragonlance Campaign Setting

AoM Age of Mortals

WotL War of the Lance

BoK Bestiary of Krynn

BoKR Bestiary of Krynn, Revised

ToHS Towers of High Sorcery

WotL War of the Lance

HOoS Holy Orders of the Stars

LotT Legends of the Twins

KOoA Knightly Orders of Ansalon

RoA Races of Ansalon

All equipment references (armor, weapons, etc.) refer to Chapter 7 of the Player’s Handbook.

The following is the art order:

Illo #15: Amphi Dragon

Size: 1/4 page Location in book: Book 1, chapter 4

Two amphi dragons fighting underwater with one defending a ship wreck that it claims as its own.  Description: This aquatic dragon resembles a giant, sea-green toad covered in scales and yellow warts. It has no visible neck, and its wide thick-lipped head looks like a cross between a frog’s and a dragon’s. Small vestigial wings grow from its back, and bony ridges protrude above its eyes and down its spine. Its long, clawed feet are powerful and webbed, aiding it in underwater movement.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Building depth on unfinished artwork.

One of the things that I often see in students is a lack of depth. Their drawings are rather flat and lacking that 3 Dimensional quality that comes from the push and pull of highlights and shadows. Without those extreme lights and darks all the mid tones wash out and the image becomes rather flat.

I remember being the same way when I was younger and getting the same admonition from my college Art teacher. Making those dark marks feels so permanent, and not making them is basically a lack of confidence and commitment. I was afraid of the dark.  I was afraid it would mess everything up if I went there. Afraid that it would ruin everything.

There are so many parallels that can be drawn between art and life, such as seeing things as they really are instead of how you think they should be. This is an excellent parallel to psychology. Many people are afraid to look deep within, and face their darker qualities or accept that it's there at all. That fear of the dark can create many personality disorders. It's one of the cores of Borderline Personality Disorder as well as a core component of Narcissism, where it's always the other person's fault and the narcissist will go to great lengths to defy and deny reality to convince themselves and others of this. Both will attack someone who may point out the darkness that they are so keen to deny rather than introspect and consider their own faults. The reason they attack is because it feels like an attack on the reality they constructed, much like references to trying to unchain someone from Plato's cave.

In artwork, establishing that darkness is important, but it has to be counterbalanced with light in order to truly be developed and not just a dark muddy mess. One does this with highlights, establishing the lightest lights.  After that, all else falls in the spectrum of mid tones of varying shades of light and dark, and truly gives the image its depth. Even without a wide range of mid tones, like drawing on toned paper with a white and black color pencil, it still has more depth than those afraid of leaving a mark.

One of the things about highlights in art, the whitest white will always be your light source, even if there is something else "white" in the picture, like a shirt. In fact when looked at more closely it is actually a light grey, blue, or yellow as opposed to white. When compared with the rest of the picture's colors it changes the way that it is perceived.

So it is also with the psyche, there's something in everyone that illuminates them and stands out. That is their inner light in contrast to their darkness, that sets the stage and spectrum for all else. It might be the divine within them or simply love, but it shapes and highlights the whole personality of the individual.

One needs to have a good grasp of both, a realistic perception of dark and light to put the rest into perspective. If not, someone afraid of the dark might start interpreting even light grays as black, unable to see the difference, or light grays as white instead of what they really are. This is also a symptom of narcissism which is extreme idealization and devaluation, along with other unrealistic perceptions of seeing someone as all bad or all good, unable to see the reality of a person or situation in its full spectrum.

If there's anything an artist can teach, it's that you can't create something new until you perceive what is really there. Only then can you alter it to improve it. To be able to draw realistically, you must first be able to see realistically. In order to cope with anything in life you have to be able to see it how it really is, instead of assuming. This comes with experience and observation, practice and perception, and self awareness. These are not only necessities in art, but in life.

Archer vs Escher

"Life of an Artist" 1999

Over the years, I've used Zazzle to provide products with my artwork on them that I normally could not afford to do. In the past couple years, my best selling image became T-Shirts featuring my image "Life of an Artist"(right) depicting a hand drawing a snake that is biting the hand that draws it.  The description for the image was as follows ...

"This piece was inspired by M.C. Escher and depicts the conflict within an artist to create, which is an integral part of an artists life, but at the same time, the road of an artist is a difficult one. The snake represents the bite of all the obstacles that prevent an artist from being able to support oneself with their art, keeping an artist the cliché of a starving artist. To give up art for money would be death to the soul, yet without money the artists cannot create. The catch 22 of being an artist, doomed to continue creating and continue starving."

This becomes rather ironic as earlier this week, Zazzle took down two of my best sellers, this one and "Fairy Fuzzy", which is a picture of my cat, Prince, with fairy wings, done in 2005 when he was still a young kitty and not the buddha bellied buddy that he is today.

"Fairy Fuzzy" 2005

Considering I have had multiple stalkers and harassers, that was my first inclination, to think that it was one of them when I received this message from Zazzle.

"Design contains an image or text that may infringe on intellectual property rights. We have been contacted by the intellectual property right holder and we will be removing your product from Zazzle’s Marketplace due to infringement claims."

Considering that both images are original creations of my own, I was perplexed. No one else held any copyright to these images, and I thought that it had to be one of harassers, because earlier that day I got more exposure than I have received in a long time. Jamie and Adam Posts on Facebook, shared my image that I did of them Steampunked. They are well aware of this image, because in 2010 I won the Superfan Sweepstakes that paid my way to Comic Con San Diego where I got to meet them in person. I steampunked the build team as well, and Grant shared that image. When I met them all in person, I gave them the originals, and later asked if they minded me making prints, to which I got an instant confirmation of yes from Grant and Kari. Also Jenna Busch bought my Athena necklace (which she loves) at Comic Con, and mentioned it in  her show the same day.

So the moment that I got noticed for my art, I also got attacked.  When I called Zazzle about it, I waited on the phone for 30 minutes to be told they couldn't do anything, and I should email them, which I had already done without response. When I finally got the reply, it was a vague form letter that showed that they never even considered the images in question.

"Unfortunately, it appears that your product did not meet Zazzle’s Acceptable Content Guidelines. Specifically, your product contained content which infringes upon the intellectual property rights of the M.C. Escher Foundation and The M.C. Escher Company.

Zazzle has been contacted by representatives from the M.C. Escher Foundation and The M.C. Escher Company, B.V., www.mcescher.com, and at their request, to remove products which infringe upon their rights from the Zazzle Marketplace.

In this instance, the product contained search tags or descriptions that references M.C. Escher."

That's right ... my original work was removed because of the SEARCH TAGS.

In a way, I was relieved that it was not one of my stalkers, but at the same time, it seemed that Zazzle was not used to people questioning things. While Zazzle's terms of service gives them the right to decide in these situations, even if they didn't even take a moment to realize that the tag on the second image was because of AUTOFILL! 

Zazzle only requested that I resubmit without those tags, which ate up a day of work that I needed for other projects that I was not able to work on, because of this issue, not to mention losing sales which I have a couple a day of that shirt, for the days that it was down. Not to mention that I had suddenly gotten for more promotion than I've had in a long time, ultimately cutting out several potential sales.

There are SEVERAL things wrong with the Escher Foundation doing this. 

1. The Ninth Circuit court, and the Supreme court have continually held that using Trademarks as a description is fair use. And specifically ruled that meta-tags are fair use.

2. M.C. Escher died in 1972. His heirs sold any rights to The M.C. Escher foundation long ago, so this is a business profiting on this with no association with Escher's actual bloodline.

3. This is the kicker. The M.C. Escher Foundation is based in the Netherlands. Their trademark was cancelled in the United States years ago, and his artwork actually falls under Public Domain.

4. You cannot copyright a STYLE! If you could, no one could even do stick figures. Apparently the Escher Foundation has also gone after other artists who have done original artwork with an oscillating pattern. While Escher made it popular, he did not invent it.

5. The artwork itself is completely original to me, and they have no right to impede my business for a search tag which in no way infringes on their Intellectual Property.

6. M.C. Escher is not Voldemort or "The-Artist-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". Mentioning being inspired by Escher in a description is not an infringement. It is not illegal to be inspired by someone.

The Irony of the whole situation is that the image that started this was about how hard it is to make it as an artist, a sentiment that Escher himself would probably have appreciated. There are always people wanting to ride on the coat tails of others and profit off a talent they do not possess. These leaches have a habit of killing the golden goose when they get greedy, and make no mistake, this is exactly what has happened here. 

We are taking legal action in this case, and I hope that in the interest of artists everywhere, that we can raise the awareness that search tags are fair use and a common marketing practice. They are not an infringement, and to harass starving artists in such situations is nothing more than bullying smaller artists trying to make it.

The Flame

Being a creative usually starts with perception and sensitivity. Artists and writers translate the world around them into a transferable language that takes their viewer / reader into that place, that experience, and gives them for one brief moment a sight through the creative's eyes. Not everyone is capable of abstract thought, to see beyond themselves, but creatives transport others, opening doors and minds in the process. Not limited to what they see, creatives reveal that there is more, and therefore strip away the self imposed limits of the person intaking the work of the creatives' hearts and minds. Media is important for this reason.

However to be this sort of shaman of thought and imagination, is a taxing reality. It comes with a myriad of reactions by those who experience their work. Sometimes it manifests in jealousy or a lack of respect for these hours of creation as real work, when the very act taps resources of emotional and psychological depths that often are not used in the average profession. Sometimes it manifest in obsessors or destroyers of different shapes and breeds, people who either want to own the creative recognizing something special, and being lofty of mind, believe they deserve to have the creative all to themselves, and then rob them of their voice and in that their purpose and freedom to create. Often this is followed by the "if I can't have you, no one will" mentality and the general suffocation of the creative's light. The world is a little darker, every time one of these lights go out.

All the while that which makes a creative is sensitivity and perception, which makes these strikes all the more powerful, the wounds deeper, the hits more damaging, because of what they are. It is no wonder that many creatives suffer from depression or emotional disturbances, because of the yoke of being a creative. It often takes another creative to understand, and help fuel those flames that bring life to ideas. In that contact, there is a synergy, and they burn brighter by the mere presence of a kindred flame. Because to shine your light in the dark can be a lonely path.

A truly cultivated creative though, cannot stop creating, with what they are given. In this they can transform the negative into a positive, their experiences into a lesson, and their broken heart into an unbreakable tool for the protection of other hearts. Those negative experiences become fuel for inspiration and they can turn crap into gold, which I lovingly call the Midass touch.

Be what you are, illuminate the darkness, expose the shadows, feel the heights and depths of emotion, and be not afraid, because what you are is as beautiful as anything you create. In a world of destruction, you are the counter ... CREATE

Midsummer Promo Videos

Artist to Organizer

The problem with being an artist is that you get a good idea and you latch into it with a grip just like a Scotsman on a 5 pound note. Unfortunately when that new idea takes hold, sometimes the old ones get put to the back burner until this new priority is finished. Well, at the moment all my art has taken a backseat to this new endeavor. We are putting on our own fairy festival of sorts, reviving the 13th century tradition of Midsummer Night's Eve.

Unfortunately this means money that I don't personally have and the people we thought were going to sponsor, didn't pull through quite as much as we wanted.

We've started a Kickstarter fund for the Midsummer Night's Eve Festival. Rewards for donating include a DVD from the festival, tickets, Tee Shirts, and even portraits done by yours truly, which I don't normally do, but for this I will! http://kck.st/lXNS2T

Please help! Time is running out, and we hope to give out some cool stuff. If you just want to go to the festival, visit equalknight.com!

Art Book

Starting this year I aim to put out a sketchbook of my art quarterly in various collections. The first one is to be released Spring 2011 and here is a video of the images within it. It focuses on Illustration work, mainly for Dragonlance / Margaret Weis Productions. It includes preliminary sketches, and art that got ordered but cut from the books. Enjoy, and I hope that you will consider picking up a copy at Georgia Renfest

IRON!

Today, I did something I had never done before, out of the blue. My brother now has a plasma cutter. He showed me how to use it, and 15 minutes later, I turned a piece of scrap iron into the picture you see. This is my first attempt. I had to get used to how close to hold the torch without touch the metal, and learning to work through the visor to protect my eyes, but once I got the hang of it, it was amazing and I hope to have more of these in the future. I'm very excited about this new medium and seeing just what I can do with it :)

Da Vinci's Code

At one point in time, to be an artist was to be part inventor, part researcher, part engineer, part scientist, and part creator. It wasn't about a set style, but learning about the world and the way things work in order to achieve a higher quality of whatever it was they were creating that day and experimenting with the materials to create it. So in this same fashion I approach artwork. I may have some different styles, but it's about the discovery, stretching your wings and exploring new venues of creativity, as well as interesting facts about the world today, how things work, and how they came into being. Share the journey of discovery with me.