In this weeks' episode Socar, Drew, and Jeremy discuss "the doldrums"--those occasional periods of inactivity in the studio when no fresh contract work appears on the schedule. What to do??
Other topics include LinkedIn and Drew's experiences at the Illustration Master Class.
We hope you enjoy!
http://mchughstudios.com/ninjamountain_podcast/episode_71.mp3
Subscribe now on iTunes or be found adrift on deathly quiet seas...with nought but Socar playing the xylophone to keep you entertained...
Other great podcasts can be found on the Visual Artist Podcast Network!
The Illustration Master Class!
LinkedIn
Drew Baker's Blog!
Art Order Ning Group
Mike Burns
What were your experiences at the Illustration Master Class, you lucky few?
How has a site like LinkedIn been of service to you?
Are you in the doldrums right now? What are you doing with your time?
Any ideas for future show topics? Post them here!
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13 comments:
Ok that was bloody weird, working away on my little illustration and then hearing you guys discussing my comment about he typing. Almost a big brother moment there, had to stop and look at the screen and could not prevent a smile from escaping. :)
I think maybe having a list (akin to a first aid pack) with things that you have to do but have little time for, somewhere close by might be a good idea for the doldrums. Like you mentioned doing prints, mailing people, updating websites. having the list would hopefully stop you from having to think about it when you need it and just do it.
As for ideas i like the ones about doing a bit of a critique. Possibly putting up a larger size file of someones art and then taking questions on it? (as in why did you put him there Patrick? Or how did you go about picking you colours Jeremy? or do you like creating your own textures or use things like sponges and fingertips in your work socar?
That's the only thing that comes to mind right now. I mean other than having listeners on and picking your brains about the industry and work and stuff like that. That could make for an interesting podcast.
Thanks again guys, and Socar showing up is very much appreciated. :D
After seeing my name in the show notes, curiosity got the best of me so I went ahead and had a listen to the episode. Thanks a lot for the shout out and the link, much appreciated!
I like P.J.'s idea about putting up a piece of someone's art, maybe talking about the thought process that goes into constructing thumbnails and refining a finish. Maybe talk about how one idea led to another, how you fought to make an image interesting, etc. I think that hearing the thoughts behind a brushstroke can be just as informative as seeing the brushstroke being made.
P.S. I'm up to ep 18 now, I'll be caught up in no time ;)
"My boat has an engine" is the very best piece of advice on this show. You guys shouldn't pick on Yoda. She knows what she's talking about.
I have to shime in as another IMC attendee (Hi Drew!) to add that for me, it was totally worth the money and the vacation time I had to take off work. Even if I didn't spend as much time with the instructors as some other attendees, every time one of the faculty dropped by my piece, the piece of advise they gave me was spot on. I also intend to use it as a kind of benchmark on my portfolio. As in, this year, this is what my portfolio is like, and the comments I got, let's see if I can fix that and get some completely different ones next year. (So yeah, I'm planning on going next year.)
Hey Guys!
Drew~ thanks for the mention, sorry to weird you out by recognizing your voice! It was strange for me to put a body to the voice too! By the way, I thought your piece turned out super.
I've posted up some of my initial thoughts about the IMC experience on my blog: http://studiobowesart.com/2010/06/25/imc-2010-initial-impressions/ I hope to post more, it was such a great learning experience.
Overall I just felt at home. I really liked Drew's observation about all the different characters from art school, except that they were all there to work!
By the way, I'll chime in on PJ's battle cry of "crit some work" with a vote of Yea!
Cheers,
B
PS.
Chantal is right on with her comments about the instructors. I felt the same way; spot on constructive criticism.
Finally caught up with the current stuff! (!)
Working your way out of the doldrums, hmm, there's got to be an idea for a painting or a comic or something there...
“Unwittingly ensnared within the tactile misty mysterious mists of Nojobon by the freaky random mental mouldy magelord Badloch Sukkar and his Doldrumite minions. Our heroes, subsequently cast into the sticky cankerous bouncy blinking pit eye of Mount Doldrum, fight for freedom in an all time epic battle of wits to escape the cavernous soul sucking subterranean limbo of eternal poverty and despair!” : )
Wouldn’t it be great if you could work working your way out of the Doldrums into a way to work your way out of the doldrums? I think at the moment I sort of live in the doldrums and just take frequent holidays :). On a more serious note though I really like the sound of P.J’s list strategy/idea, that makes a lot of sense to me, lists are always good as they stop you floating about wasting your time randomly bit picking at stuff, + I always find I sleep better at the end of the day with a sheet full of ticks:).
Show suggestion wise – Please keep doing what you’re doing, more listener interactive stuff now and again would be great but don’t burn yourselves out, keep it easy as possible, nice and chilled out. Maybe – Ninja tea break training mission - Do a 30minute sketch of a Doldrumite! (Or even Lord Baggadix :) a Random mix or Selected 1 to 3 gets posted up in 2 week, no prizes, just for fun). I would say just do what you can when you can, and don’t worry when you can’t, (only set up flexible in-show features).
As always, great show, really appreciate what you’re all doing, keep up the good work!
All the best,
Dave :)
Hi Chantal! It's good to see you.
Brian: I agree with you about the easy familiarity at the IMC. My first night dinner with Ryan, Tom, Mike, and Steve had very much the feel of catching up with college friends even though I'd never met three of them before. I forgot how important that aspect of the class was.
I have just been turned on to your podcasts and really enjoy them. I am an artist that is trying to make the jump from a video game production artist to the wonderful world of illustration and I find your conversations to be jam packed with great info that I dont think I could get anywhere else. It would be great to hear what you all would give for a top 5 or top 10 tips to someone just getting into the industry weather it be as an amateur going pro or someone trying to add on to a already existing art career as I am trying to do. Thanks again and keep up the awesomeness.
Cheers,
Shaun
I'm unlurking for a brief moment to ask the following question (assuming no one has asked it before):
For those of the ninjas who work or have worked with traditional mediums, what kind of learning procedure would you recommend for someone who would want to try at it for the first time and has no formal training of any kind with those mediums?
Eve, was there a particular traditional medium you were interested in trying? The learning process would really vary a lot, depending on what you want to do.
@Socar
I want to give oil paints a try and I have ink and nibs I want to play with too, but I was also wondering from a global point of view how helpful books on art techniques can be, or is it better to look for classes or a teacher, or to just buy the stuff and fiddle with it... I understand that it probably depends a lot on the person but I was wondering what you and the other ninjas think about that. :)
Also, while at it : I also live in Canada and I was wondering where you go to buy your art supplies. (I have a really hard time finding decent or pro grade stuff).
I find that solely for myself, it works best to try the medium myself, so I know what it feels like and how it handles, before reading too much beyond the basics. It's a lot easier to understand what you're reading, and put it into practice, when you have some experience behind you, and you know what's being described. Having some knowledge also helps you distinguish between what IS going to work for the look you're going for, and what is not.
I use either www.currys.com, or www.opusframing.com, for my supplies--both of them have good stuff, though Opus's selection offline is much better than their online store.
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