The Blog of Illustrator TC Krantz

TC Krantz — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:25:52 -0700

I KNEW WW Hungry monster looked familiar! http://ping.fm/sAzNd

TC Krantz — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:05:47 -0700

Popping in Hellboy II and relaxing. Yes, most pleased with library finds today.

TC Krantz — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:38:32 -0700

Oh hey! I hit my 500th Tweet! Hot dog! (Jimmy Stewart-ish)

TC Krantz — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:59:37 -0700

Lovely run to library. Mom's Cancer (Brian Fies) esp.; Yossel a nice surprise pick-up again. DVD of interest: Hellboy II

TC Krantz — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:10:07 -0700

Yes! I can pick up Brian Fies' Mom's Cancer at the PHX Library! http://ping.fm/4sYsr . Been wanting to experience this book.

TC Krantz — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:59:41 -0700

Catching up on RSS feeds and Tweeted-about articles.

TC Krantz — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:42:11 -0700

TypePad only test. Check.

TC Krantz — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:25:14 -0700

MMVol3 Bruce Timm quick read for those interested in animation and comics.

TC Krantz — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:25:45 -0700

Lovely Saturday; no headaches, great spaghetti lunch (I made it too!), quiet house, catching up on reading.

TC Krantz — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:39:35 -0700

Just signed up at ping.fm , per @Ampersand_Jones ' suggestion. I hope this helps me keep up. :)

Dancing TARDIS

TC Krantz — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:10:58 -0700

For all you Doctor Who fans!

Post of Interest, Learning and Action: Henry Ford, Yoda and the Bogeyman

TC Krantz — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:37:57 -0700

Otis Frampton wrote a stellar post about "writer's block"/"artist's block." Go read it [link] and then get your art/writing thang on.

...there is only writing and not writing.

Writers write. Artists create.

Recent Art Gets People Asking...Why Retro?

TC Krantz — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:34:18 -0700

I have some asking what's the deal with the retro characters? Get with the times.

All right: I'm just getting in the full swing of this art-thang after nearly 15 years, so instead of asking people what I need to draw, I'll choose and keep getting better while I do it. One draws what one loves, it shows. I grew up with these characters, and if this is the only way I can say "Thank you for being part of the best in my childhood," while I get some artistic experience along the way, I'll do it. There's a lot of people who love the characters/TV series I'm touching on while I get better. People who get nostalgic and have the need to fulfill it in something as unique and rare as a one-of-a-kind piece of art. I also gather that affordable one-of-a-kind pieces are more along the line for these times than, say, an iPod Touch, or some dozen roses that shall die. Dried petals? Or a piece of loved-personally art?

Do you want me to draw someone/thing more modern? Commission me. I dare ya. You can find details on my pricing page. (Please note "My services do not include illustrating subjects of nudity, sexual situations nor pornographic poses." My morals and reputation are priorities in doing my art.)

Until then, I call "artist's discretion."

An Eye Opener Video On Today's World

TC Krantz — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:36:30 -0700

New Studio Pics

TC Krantz — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:19:00 -0700

New year, new studio photos! The studio is a 10'x13' room, so creating space is key. Here's the lineup:

A) Large Dry Erase board for storyboarding (sometimes with large Post-Its).

B) Project Station and assignment organizer.

C) Business and photo reference filing cabinets.

D) The only DVDs I own. I prefer keeping a small library so I can give space to the equipment I enjoy utilizing.

E) My Goals and Goals Accomplished shelves. I take pictures of what I finish and keep journals about the projects and goals.

F) My portfolios of artwork I've done.

G) Art and office supplies closet. This is also where I keep my larger drafting table top. *

H) Three rolling carts of art supplies, two of which I use for my art; the one in the middle is for my sculpting hobbies. The three carts almost all fit under the desk. Behind the carts: a DYMO twin turbo label maker (the two blue lights), a place for an Internet modem, and two power strips.

I) My desktop computer. I am still trying to figure out what bug is up its operating system. Feh. My next computer is going to be a Mac.

J) My portable drawing table (official title: laptop writing table). * If I need to do a large piece, I bring out the drafting table top and adjust its legs to the proper height and begin drawing. The portable drawing table folds up and I put it in a slot off to the left (with the light box).

Johnny Bunko! Brilliant Career Guide

TC Krantz — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:43:07 -0700

Yesterday, one of my Tweeps retweeted the link to The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, which hit with me because I've been laid off since mid-September. I was a lot like Johnny in his job while I was doing mine, too. WTF? Bottom line, this is a very innovative way of helping people to learn.

Twitter Explained YouTube Style

TC Krantz — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:36:34 -0700

Blogs Explained In Plain English

TC Krantz — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:42:00 -0700

Movies I Want To Watch...

TC Krantz — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:03:38 -0700

2012

9

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Know1ng

New in Town

Star Trek

Terminator: Salvation

Up

Watchmen

Blogs to Read for Future Graphic Storytellers

TC Krantz — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:05:00 -0700

Marc Deering (inker)
Otis Frampton

Words & Pictures podcast

David Petersen

Reading...

TC Krantz — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:54:00 -0700

Darle

TC Krantz — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:42:27 -0700

A portrait sketch card you can find here.

What I'm Reading

TC Krantz — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:18:00 -0700

It's very rare I go through one book in a day. Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Read it. Act.

Now on to The Hero with a Thousand Faces...

Artists and Society

TC Krantz — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:09:00 -0700

A fellow artist [link] whose blog I follow is sharing an introduction to an article released on artists and how society views artists' worth to it [link] .

I find it very validating, because I've known how society puts so little on how much artists "bring to the table" but this fact is no less unsettling and sad. On a personal "society" level, I have relatives who don't view what I do as anything more than a hobby...a waste of time and not worth being paid well for it, if it all.

We are worth being paid well. We are valuable, as are the pieces of art we create.

Article Must-Read Link: 5 Wonderful Ways to Waste Your Time, Focus and Life

TC Krantz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:02:20 -0700

Here's a post on 5 Wonderful Ways to Waste Your Time, Focus and Life by Henrik Edberg at the Positivity Blog.

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
Bruce Lee

Back to creating art!

Why Do We Avoid Doing What We Love @Pick the Brain

TC Krantz — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:46:15 -0700

I'd like to share an excellent article by Jonathan Mead at Pick the Brain called Why Do We Avoid Doing What We Love.

Danny Gregory's An Illustrated Life Preview

TC Krantz — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:47:09 -0700

Danny Gregory on Blip TV | Pre-order - An Illustrated Life...

I have The Creative License, one of my art bookshelf staples since I bought it (2006), and Everyday Matters (which also has a group) . I am inspired by how Gregory shows people they can journal/sketchbook to record their lives, even as "ordinary" as most people think their lives are. His books are giving permission to people to be creative, no matter if they are artists or not. His works have helped me and I show my gratitude by passing along the links to his book.

Your Studio In Evacuation/Emergency Mode

TC Krantz — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:28:00 -0700

Do you back up your computer files regularly? Do you also back up your art in case of fire? With me, I'm an illustration board, watercolor paper and sketch card artist, so I can digitally back up my art by scanning it in and backing up to discs. For those who work on large surfaces, properly taken photos can be save directly into the computer or scanned in and then saved to discs (CDR/DVDR/Zip...).

Some weeks ago, I watched the PBS special with Suze Orman. Between segments, Ms. Orman highlighted her Ultimate Protection Portfolio which helps people "Create, organize, & store your most important documents." This brilliant system inspired me to take the opportunity to get caught up in my household efforts. I'm just going to focus on the art aspect of my endeavors, which will take some time to find resolution, so stay tuned for updates.

What is out there to help me keep my art and documents safe in case of emergency? Well, I'm seeking items that can keep my art and documents safe from fire and water (in-house) and one that can be portable should my household have to evacuate for one reason or another.

My in-house protection option has been found in a fire and water resistant safe. With Sentry's site, you can check out the comparison option to find the best safe for your needs.

For on-the-go, I started out searching for a protection case similar to Orman's protection case that has an accordion system. There aren't many out there. Granted, there are portable file boxes, however there aren't many with water resistant capabilities and a handle. There are, however, water resistant backpacks and rolling briefcases worth considering in lieu of accordion filing on the go.

For information on what to protects, CSN Office Furniture's site offers an article "Fireproof Safe and Cabinet Guide" which is very informative on how to safe-keep home and office documents/media.

Stuff happens. Back up. Get organized.

New Trailer for Star Trek Released

TC Krantz — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:44:37 -0700

"I like this ship! It's exciting!" - Scotty.

I am rather attracted to the trailer score, actually. It's exciting!

Enjoying God's Art: Priceless

TC Krantz — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:50:00 -0700

Life may be hairy at times right now, yet it helps to stop long enough to enjoy what's free.

Hubby and I enjoyed a great art show put on by God as the sun went down here in the Wild Wild West. I couldn't help but say, awed, "Boy, He can paint." Hubby nodded, "He's the first artist, ya know." Yeah. I do.

The Great Artist...thank you for Your inspiring art.

Our Girls enjoying the evening together.