Dani Jones Illustration

I’m Making a Comic!

Dani — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:00:48 PST

That’s right. I’m making a comic. And I’m really excited to share it with all of you.

For the past several months, I have been furiously writing and drawing an original story called My Sister, the Freak. It will be an all-ages sci-fi story about two sisters who run into some alien invaders. Good times.

Here is the site: http://www.mysisterthefreak.com

The story will officially launch on March 12, 2010 and update with a new page every Friday.

In the meantime, I will use the site to spill some sneak peeks, development work, and art. I will also work on pages during my Ustream show. Subscribe, tune-in, and follow me for all the updates, and tell your friends to keep a look out too!

I’m really excited to share this with you all. This is the biggest, most-intensive independent project I have ever done to date, and I feel I’m creating some of my best work. I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I do.

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NESCBWI 2010 Conference Workshop

Dani — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:26:26 PST

I’m happy to announce that I will be teaching a workshop at the 2010 New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference this coming May.

This year’s theme is “Moments of Change” and will concentrate on the ever-growing role of technology and social networking in the life of authors and illustrators. I have considered doing a workshop for the past couple years, and when I heard about the theme for this year, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. After all, the internet has played a huge role in my career thus far, via blogs, Twitter, Ustream, etc. If I was ever going to teach a workshop, this would be the year to do it.

My class is titled, “10 Ways Artists Can Improve Their Online Presence“. I am going to walk through some specific tips for illustrators who market themselves on the internet. I will cover basic website portfolio tips, social networking, and multimedia tools. If you are familiar with me and any of my online projects, you have a good idea of what I might talk about.

The workshop will be on Sunday May 16. Registration for the conference goes live on February 8 at NESCBWI.org.

On a sidenote, the 16th also happens to be the day of the Illustrator’s Intensive workshop. I attended this last year and highly recommend it. The class goes on all day (four hours total). As much as I would love to see you at my class, if you are an intermediate/advanced illustrator and have to choose between the two, I will not be offended if you go to the intensive instead. In fact, I’m kinda sad I can’t go myself. ;)

If you have never been to a SCBWI conference before, I highly recommend it. It is a great chance to learn some great stuff about the children’s book industry, network with fellow authors and artists, and meet with editors/agents/art directors. The annual New England conference is especially noted for being a good-quality, yet close-knit event. If you have any interest at all in the children’s book industry, attending this conference is a good place to start.

Send your questions!

As I spend the next several months preparing my presentation. I would love to hear any questions, comments, or feedback about web marketing or social networking that you may have, whether you will be attending the class or not. I will be sure to post some tips and info here on the blog as well. Leave a message in the comments!

More info:

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The Artcast Network

Dani — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:47:31 PST

I’ve created a new site called the Artcast Network, and I’m inviting all you art lovers out there to go give it a visit!

If you’ve followed my work for awhile, you know that for the past year I’ve been broadcasting my work on my Ustream channel. I create various sketches and illustrations live while viewers chat with me and ask questions about art (or movies and TV, which is where the conversation usually goes ;)).

Anyway, as time has gone by, I’ve noticed more and more artists starting their own channels. I personally found it very hard to keep track of who was broadcasting and when. That’s when I came up with the idea for the Artcast Network.

So here’s the gist:

What is the Artcast Network?

The Artcast Network is a directory of artists who broadcast LIVE via web streaming services like Ustream, Livestream, or Justin.tv. On the site, you can find a variety of shows that feature drawing, painting, or artist interviews. The artists work and chat while the audience can interact with them in real time.

The site also features a beginner’s guide and a forum if you want to learn more about artcasting.

Who can be listed on the Artcast Network?

ANYONE. The only requirements are that your show is a live stream of some sort (not a pre-recorded podcast), and it is related to art in some way. To submit your channel, just fill out the form on the Submissions page. I will post it as quickly as possible.

How can I find an artcast to watch?

Lots of ways!

Search by keyword or tag to find a specific style or genre of art.
Browse the list of Featured Shows, handpicked by me.
Browse the shows rated highest by fans.
View the site calendar to find shows by date and time.
Search for the tag #artcast on Twitter.
Visit the Screening Room every Wednesday at 9 PM ET to see a different show featured each week.

I have more features and ideas planned for the future, and I’m open to suggestions from all of you. I’m looking forward to watching the site grow over the next year.