Matt Johnson's Art

Capt. Trouvier's Chronicles - a kickstarter adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 02:31:00 +0000

I hope this finds you all well and you had a great holiday week!

I just wanted to write a personal note to ask for your support on my kickstarter in its final hours.

It means a ton to me or I wouldn't bother people further for support. I know every little bit is hard to spare, and likewise, in this situation, every little bit helps. I truly believe in this project, and really want to make it happen.

Something a lot of people don't realize, I think, is that if the project isn't COMPLETELY funded, I am back at ground zero. No money for Matt! I kind of "put myself out there" on this one, and I have faith that I can pull it off.

I'm going to have a booth in artist's alley at Heroes Con, a HUGE comic book convention in Charlotte, NC, in June.... I want to have copies of this book available to show small publishers that will be scouting talent and ideas, in hopes of the book becoming an even larger opportunity for me one day in the future.

I truly believe I could have a big thing on my hands, mostly because I have always been fascinated with these concepts I'm exploring and I have always wanted to do something that would inspire kids to imagine and think a little further and harder than society normally expects of them.

Anyway, nothing in life is FREE, and in that regard, know that anything you give I'll do my best to give you back ten fold in entertainment, not to mention the fact that it's super cool of you.

Thanks, and again, I hope you had an amazing holiday season and this finds you well!

- Matt

PS: Here's the link to the kickstarter if you haven't looked it over yet... no worries if you can't do anything, I understand, just allow me to reiterate that I wouldn't ask if it wasn't a huge goal for me.

http://kck.st/R2juBV

Art and Insights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:58:00 +0000

First off, here's a SNEAK PEEK at a piece I'm working on. 4'x4' on Birch Plywood... more updates soon! (click for larger view)

Second, a student from West Virginia recently asked if I would help her out by being the subject of a school paper... she interviewed me, and I figured I'd post the interview here, because I ended up being really satisfied with how I answered these questions (miraculously).

So if you're looking for a good long read or just some insight into my psychosis, here it is. :)

How did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I feel like everyone has an innate desire to create art. Ask almost anyone, and they'll be able to tell you about a time when they were a kid and they created stuff all the time. I think I just never quit. I was always imagining new stories, writing my own fictional sequels to my favorite video games, and drawing endlessly.

What or who inspired you to go into art?

My earliest memories of drawing were sitting in church on sunday mornings. I would sit with the preacher's kids and we would draw ninja turtles and batman on church bulletins. Later in life, I was inspired by many great artists, and gained the motivation to try and make a real career out of it by learning about the beginnings of their careers. Realizing that my challenges and struggles were similar to those of such great artists was incredibly motivating. I knew that if they could do it, I could do it as well, with the right attitude and approach. I am a firm believer that 90% of success in life is about simply not giving up, and persisting in the pursuit of our passions

When did you begin working in Photoshop and why?

I started working in photoshop in 2000 in a graphic design class in high school. I continued to use it for design and photo manipulation, and soon realized artists were making amazing art with it as well. I got my hands on a cheap tablet, and started brutally experimenting, creating the most terrible art, using the worst practices and methods, and just climbed through the muck until I had something like "experience".... now its an extension of my art, not something I depend upon (fundamental knowledge of artist skills is so much more important than the tools you use).

Where do you do your work?

I do my work in my own studio area in my apartment. I have never had a luxurious space in which to work, and I don't think a lot of artists do, even though most of us aspire to some mythical dream studio. That was another big lesson for me, realizing that "if only I had a bigger desk" or "this monitor is too small" is only a legitimate concern in the most extreme of cases, because if you want to make the work, you will find a way. Carving out a space in my life for creating art, about two years after college [far too late if you ask me] was a huge step toward increasing my productivity. Keep sharp pencils in your face, a blank sheet of paper nearby, and remove as many obstacles as possible toward beginning your work.

What’s your technique?

I think my technique varies from project to project, but it always starts with several rough ideas at once. I think its important to move in baby steps, never taking on too much pressure at any one stage. Sometimes I'll sketch something and decide to create the final images digitally, sometimes I'll start digitally and then decide it would be a better drawing... the point is to be in a constant state of exploration and never feel pressure to make "the perfect line" or worry too much about mistakes. I generally save precision until the very end, and separate it the various decision points to keep things simple. I think about composition general concepts at first, then I think about making things look believable and "correct", and near the end I worry about things like texture, highlights, complex shadows, color theory, etc. Getting ahead of yourself is a big mistake, and rushing the process never helps.

Do you work from life, or from photographs or from imagination?

I like to think that even the most imaginative pieces, if you're making representational art, and you have any aspiration to create believable art, is inspired by life. Knowing how light, depth, texture, and color affect the world we see can only be learned from real observation. That kind of knowledge is not something you can remember easily, and having references is always important, especially when painting or drawing something you don't understand. I can describe a tree to you fairly easily, but to accurately create one, even if it is pink and made entirely of spherical clusters of leaves, you need to understand how a tree works, the unexpected visual cues you need in order to really go "wow, that's a tree".... I like to do a lot of studies before I dive into something I don't understand, because I always learn something about how a material, object, person, or animal looks after closely observing it in studies. Imagination is informed by reality, and I like to let my imagination set the goal, and my education [visual studies of life] do the work to achieve that goal.

What is more important; content or technique?

I think it is important that you have something to say with your art. The great concept artist Thierry Lafontaine told me one time that if I wanted to read a technical masterpiece of the English language, I should read a dictionary. A technical masterpiece in art is much the same way. No matter how many fancy words are there, without the human elements of expression, motive, purpose, and imagination, it will never be 'art'. Some of the greatest writers were simple in their style, a la Mark Twain, and art is the same way, a la Picasso or Matisse. A single stroke or an elaborate tableau with a rich narrative, art is about making statements. All of that being said about content, I think art without technique tends to do a disservice to the message. People that want to rub dog crap on a picture of the madonna and then call it art, well.... they're in a league all their own, and I don't often group them into what I consider great art. A marriage of technique and content is what will set people's emotions ablaze.

How important is the subject matter to your artwork?

I think subject matter is where I get to really show my own interests and passions. While art is universal in many ways, and would be appreciated by anyone in any culture or time, subject matter is where I can say "hey, I like this beautiful figure I drew" or "Mario Brothers is awesome, and here's something I thought would be neat".... its my opportunity to express my interests, and add my own unique point of view. I think if you like trains, you could be a painter, a writer, a toy collector, an engineer, or a conductor, and that's just how you choose to experience that interest of yours. I like a lot of things, from Jim Henson's creations to old world fairy tale books... and art is sort of the conduit through which I enjoy those things, because its how I enjoy spending my time, its the challenge in life I'm most interested in tackling, and the subject matter changes from time to time, as my interests come and go.

Do you work certain hours each day or only when you are inspired to work?

I have a fairly strict routine. I'm not sure what that will be like when I stop working full time as an art director, which I definitely aspire to do one day, but right now, I enjoy a great deal of structure. I work from 9 - 6, dinner and TV until about 9, and from 9 until I drop, I work on my various art projects. I think it was the great motivational speaker Jim Rohn that said you should always be working harder on yourself than you do your day-job. That really stuck with me, and I've tried to do that every day since then. That being said, I also try to take it easy on the weekends, and I balance my work routine with as many outside experiences as I can. All human innovation, scientific, artistic, spiritual, whatever.... they all stem from juxtaposition. Having some big ideas marinating in the back of your head and then going to the zoo or some crappy amusement park, or having a conversation with the crazy lady that lives on the corner, they all inform the creative process. The combination of seemingly unrelated things sometimes creates wonderful ideas. So I keep a pretty structured schedule, but within that structure exists time to be random and relax... but always on purpose, with intent, and I try not to let my goals ever slip completely out of my mind.

What motivates you?

I'm motivated by a lot of things, but I think the biggest motivator in my life is my desire to surprise myself with my potential. I just like to see what I can do, how far I can push it, and how far I can go on this crazy adventure of a life. I'm motivated largely by the fact that I love and appreciate the temporary nature of life. I like to work hard because I have the rare and beautiful chance to be a person in the first world, with both hands, good eyes, and almost no real obstacles other than my own challenges and goals. I like to take a minute sometimes just to appreciate how lucky we are to be on this earth, and sitting in classrooms on student loans, or getting paid 100 times more than people in other countries for significantly easier work. We're lucky to have running water. We're lucky to have food, literacy, and shelter. When you think about how many amazing things have actually worked out for you in your life, you can't help but feel that there's something almost divine about it, that you've been given a chance at something marvelous and miraculous, and nothing should get in your way of taking full advantage of that. You owe it to those that never got the chance, you owe it to your parents, and your future children, and anyone that ever tried hard to help you be awesome at something. Being motivated is incredibly easy to me, because I don't see any other option that I consider to be a moral and fair way to live.

What do you think is the most important influence in your art?

I think the most important influence I receive is from other artists that move me emotionally. I try to view every television show, every movie, every bad billboard or corny commercial as an opportunity see what makes me tick. Whatever makes me tick probably makes others tick, or at least I can then appreciate the differences between me and other people. I think the most important influence I give to others with my art is hopefully just a sense of sincerity and appreciation for whatever my subject matter is. If I can convey to someone the love or disgust or fright or anxiety that I want to convey, then I've done a good job. I generally like to just make people happy, or inspire people to think "what if..." when I make something. I think there's enough negative stuff to meditate on, life is hard enough and sometimes scary enough without me adding to the pile. I'd rather not be white noise, I'd rather bring a little light in a sometimes dismal world, and just remind people to take a moment to appreciate things and be present with something, enjoy something for its inherent beauty, or its unexpected surprises. Just take a minute sometimes, breathe, and like something with your whole self. If my art can accomplish that in people, I will feel like I've really accomplished something.

Where do you feel your art is going?

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." - Woody Allen

I have a lot of long-term goals, and I work toward them incrementally every day. I imagine what my life will be like one day in the distant future, but its always just so hard to really piece together. By focusing on what I can do NOW to get me where I want to go, today, no excuses, no delays, has been way more fulfilling than fantasizing too much about abstracts. I want to tell great stories, through art, and through the written word, and I want to give as much as humanly possible back to others that want to create, and try to lift them up and help them surpass me. I think so long as I'm creating, imagining, learning, and bettering myself, I'm already "there" and anything else is just a massive bonus. My large projects such as writing a novel are all happening in tandem with my art, same as the places I want to see, the people I want to meet, and the life I want to lead... it's all unfolding now, not later, because I always focus on what I can do today to live up to my full potential and be a happy person.

Angel with an Attitude - Pinup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:05:00 +0000

Just finished this commissioned pin-up illustration for a good friend!

This is a Bad Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Just finished this.... the idea being that an older brother is in trouble with his parents for telling his sister the Easter Bunny isn't real. As punishment, he has to take her trick-or-treating in a bunny costume. Unfortunately for him, his little sister is a bit more adventurous than he'd hoped.

I hope you like it!

To see more, Email me or friend me on facebook or twitter any time, or of course, check out my website.

Photoshop Painting Process

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:43:00 +0000

I just wanted to show the process here and a share a little bit about that... I did several thumbnails of several creatures VERY quickly (look at #1 in the sketches, they were all super rough sort of like that), then when I decided that sketch was my favorite, I did three more in another few minutes, just to solidify the feelings and emotions I wanted Sherman to have.

Next, I spent about an hour on the black and white rough, and then another few hours detailing, refining shapes, and coloring.

This was something that was drilled into me at the Imaginism Studios In-House Workshop, how design and visualization before putting in too much work can make your final product that much more interesting, and also fun to paint.

I hope that answers some questions, and if you have more, I'm always around! Email me or friend me on facebook or twitter any time.

Down in Fraggle Rock!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:59:00 +0000

"Fraggle Rock" by Matt Johnson 2012

It has been a LONG time since I've posted here.... things have been non-stop busy with work that isn't ready to show. BUT.... fear not... I have finished a thing I can show you!

This is my entry for the Jim Henson Fraggle Rock Art Contest hosted by Talenthouse.com... I hope you'll take a second to check it out here and click here to vote for me!

Thanks everyone and I hope to post more stuff soon!

Koopa Troopa - Mario Brothers Art

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:38:00 +0000

2012 - "The Road to Redemption"

After the long and perilous journey out of the castle with one of the King's ill-won treasures, Koopa Troopa paused to reflect on the decision he had made. After decades of mindless violence and allegiance, he embarks on his journey into the outskirts of enemy territory, the Mushroom Kingdom. Hopefully his humble token of peace would grant him safe passage to find the Man in Red. Although the price of redemption is high, and the danger more real than ever, a short life of freedom is worth an eternity of servitude.

Buy a Print or share this with your friends with the buttons below! Thanks for your continued support, friends!

Around the World and Back Again

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Wow, it has already been a month since the Imaginism Studios workshop wrapped up. I've only managed to fit in random digital sketches and some small commissions over the last few weeks. Rest assured, they are better than anything I could do before, but I still haven't had the chance to unleash the full power of 'the box'...haha.

I assure you, however, it is for good reason, I promise! I've been very busy. Take a look at the pictures here and you'll see.

As pictured above, I did a photoshoot with a lovely friend of mine, Gabby, after we re-outfitted the living room to be an impromptu studio with amazing results. I'll be posting photos from the 6 or 7 hours of shooting we did for the next several months, at least. Not to mention the artistic reference shots I took that I hope to turn into wonderful works of art before all is said and done.

After that, I got the honor of being this month's Featured Artist at Blick Art Materials here in Paramus. I thought they only wanted ONE piece from me, it turns out they wanted TWELVE!

That's great news, but it took a lot of scrambling to get everything framed and ready to be put up. My living room and studio were a living art gallery for a day or two until I could transport all the art. Haha.

The end result is this. Not the best display of my work since most of it is so small, I really like for people to be able to get up close and personal with it. However, its still on a wall, doing what it does best....being seen. Hopefully some great contacts come of it or some customers want to buy the pieces right off the wall.

Lastly, there were a few prints that needed to be mailed, the one above went to my good friend Joe and I couldn't have been happier to frame it up and ship it out for him.

As you can see, it has been an eventful month so far. I won't even go into the large amount of writing and graphic design projects I've received that have kept me up at night as well. However, when there is money to be made, and it is needed urgently, sometimes we do what we have to do. No complaints here, I'm fortunate to get asked to do so many different things by so many different people.

Oh, and lets not forget about filming and editing the video about the Imaginism Workshop....there was that, too. Phew. I'm making myself tired just thinking about all this at once.

If you don't already, friend me on facebook, follow me on twitter, or check out more of my work at artofmattjohnson.com!

Artmeme Interview and Video!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Click here to watch the video!

I was fortunate to be asked to do an interview and short video for Artmeme, a NYC based online art community. I talked a great deal about the Imaginism In-House Workshop as well as my own experiences and passions. You can watch the video above or click here to read the full interview!

My Dragon Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:41:00 +0000

Click to see a larger version!

Like many other workshop students, I have spent the last couple of weeks reorganizing life to accommodate the new perspective I have on life and on my goals. From organizing, planning, closing up loose end projects, and catching up after being gone for a month, it is a wonder I am even writing this post this early in the year!

I just wanted to share a piece I recently made for a special show at Blick Art Materials in Paramus, NJ. It is a flattering and humbling honor, they have asked me to be their 'featured artist' for the month. If you're in the area, go check out my work going up this week. I'll have about 12 pieces there, traditional and digital.

The great thing about this piece is that it took a cumulative total of about 4 hours, which would have been at least twice or three times that before the workshop, and it would not have been as interesting.

I look forward to sharing more with you all in the near future as things ramp up. I'll be doing some acrylic paintings and some sequential pieces (i.e., stories) that I think are really exciting.

All Good Things...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:26:00 +0000

I told myself I wasn't going to write a long thing eulogizing our last days at the workshop. I tried to resist. At the very least I kept it short!

I started this Monday night, and finished sometime Tuesday. By the time it posts I'll be on the road back to New Jersey.

It seems like the workshop is ending in as much of a whirlwind as it began. We're all sitting awake drawing or getting ready to get back to our lives, mostly just trying to pass the time without getting sad.

No one wants to talk about it being over.

We watched some inspiring movies and documentaries, and some awful ones, too. Some were so bad they became fun again. Waking Sleeping Beauty (at Jimena's request) and it was almost as eye-opening as the rest of this workshop has been.

I can't express enough that every single day has held some sort of new life epiphany that will be nurtured, groomed, and developed for months and years to come. Not a single day drifted past without great things happening.

I feel like we all started this workshop last month with open minds and open eyes, waiting to see how our lives and art would be changed. We end this workshop with direction, equipped to teach ourselves in ways no one else could teach us in colleges and classrooms, and will spend the rest of our lives learning effectively and improving at our crafts.

We will all go our separate ways, thousands of miles from one another, but we will only become more close over time. We shared a significant amount of time as part of one another's lives, when you consider the 24/7 nature of the workshop.

We will surely collaborate on projects that came from the time we spent together talking about our dreams and goals over three meals a day and late nights of painting at our desks in the studio... we will connect each other to people in our lives that can help us on our way, so our lives are enriched for this experience in ways that go far beyond drawing and painting skills.

So all good things come to an end. I for one will be taking this as an opportunity to consider the sweeping change that is about to take place in all of our art and in our lives as we pursue new goals with as much excitement as we had for our time here.

To Imaginism Studios, Bobby, Kei, Jason, Peter, Fez, the rest of the crew, and especially Thierry and Isa, thank you all for the insights. Every conversation was electric with knowledge and passion for realizing our dreams, you gave us more than just new skills and knowledge, you inspired change in our lives and forged connections and friendships that will pay dividends out into the world for years to come.

A Face Only a Mother Could Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:27:00 +0000

Amphibious Cotillion - 12"x12" Acrylic on Panel

Well, its no Bouguereau painting, but its a start. I'll be refining this some more when I get home. The important thing to note here is that I used a pretty new method of painting for me, and came out with a result close to what I wanted...something a little weird with a classic feeling.

I'll be doing more like this in the future, for sure. If this is my first one, I can't wait until my fifth, or my tenth painting. The complexity possible is limitless... now I feel like I can do as much with acrylic/oil as I could EVER do with digital, if not more.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my progress over the workshop. I can't wait to show you more art, announce new projects, and do more commissions for those of you that were waiting.

Feel free to email me any time with questions, comments, concerns or requests. This has been an absolute blast. :)

Stay tuned for another post with final thoughts on the workshop as a whole in the next few days!

Acrylic Concept

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:01:00 +0000

Digital concept for Acrylic Painting week at the Imaginism Workshop

This is my digital rough for the acrylic painting project we're doing in our last week at the workshop. I love this disgusting little girl because she has manners. Haha.

The interesting part about this is that the entire process from idea to 'finished' digital (which admittedly isn't perfect) took easily a 1/10th of the time that my work before the workshop would take.

Acrylic Underpainting of the digital rough...still needs some work but its almost ready for color!

Brain Renovations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Wow, how much has changed and how hard we've worked, and how much clearer everything is now. Just wow.

The difficult thing about posting during this workshop is that it requires 100% of your focus and dedication, and by the time you write a post, everything has improved and changed again, and the post becomes irrelevant, and you don't even want to post it.

Don't take the lack of posts from any of us to mean we're sitting back in some non-existent Imaginism Workshop lounge drinking cocktails and reminscing about the good ol' days when we made art. HA. HA. HA.

Thierry has been giving us challenging assignments, time crunches, tough deadlines, even tougher standards for our work, and more advice than you can wrap your head around. The learning almost can't keep up with the application of the new ideas, you just have to grab everything you can and process it later.

We're off to the Imaginism Studio for our official tour so I am cutting it short. I wish I had something visual to post, but you can see our gorgeous faces over at the Imaginism Blog, there's a post there about subway sketching!

Other Workshop Mates' blogs!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

If you're needing a fix of info from the Imaginism Studios workshop and haven't seen these already, take a look at the awesome posts the others in my group are writing.

Filipe Laurentino: http://www.laurentino.com.br/en/blog/
Daria Zersen: zersen.blogspot.com
Jimena Sanchez: monitosbonitos.com

Quick update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

I guess one blog post in a week is a good indicator of how crazy demanding things have been here. It is all wonderfully productive, lots of late nights of homework assignments, learning about light, realistic painting, dynamics of drapery, anatomy, and more. So much more! Life, career goals, time management, etc. etc.

Let's not forget our amazing visit with Doug Sneyd this weekend. Doug Sneyd has been illustrating for Playboy Magazine since the 1960's, so naturally his wisdom about the industry and his technical skill are unparalleled.

Not to mention, he is totally hilarious, as you'd imagine. It was truly an honor to be a guest in his home, viewing his work from decades past, and hearing his thoughts on our careers and where we can go from here.

We're all trying hard to ignore the fact that we've already been here for two weeks, and that we're technically half way finished. I prefer the glass-half-full idea that we've already had two weeks of great education and new ideas for the future.

I've started to get some clarity on my next projects, which is very exciting. Looking forward to giving another update, hopefully even sooner. :)

Picture time.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:27:00 +0000

So, while I'm probably too tired to properly post ever again, I thought I'd at least take an opportunity to show you some photos from the weekend. We went subway sketching, checked out a mall full of giant ghost deer (at least that's what I like to call them) and found Jimena's evil twin brother. All in all, a good weekend.

Oh, and lets not forget the 8 - 12 hours of drawing and painting at the house. There was that, too. :)

66 flavors of burgers and wings....I'm not going back to NYC.

Filipe, Jimena, Daria. And a pole.

Look at these guys.

Jimena, Daria, and Filipe while we were on a trek through downtown.

That guy could eat you. Seriously huge.

These deer ghosts are obviously in the wrong place.

Jimena's evil twin was at the mall in Canada...random, right!?

Gonna get drunk on pancakes.

Get your subway sketch on. Peace sign and devil horns. We couldn't be more cliche if we tried. Haha.

This is my "whatchoo doin with that camera" face.

The Nitty Gritty

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Photo by Workshopmate Filipe Laurentino

After yesterday, my ideas of how to develop story and character have been changed in really great ways. We learned techniques for being more receptive, more intuitive, and more expressive, and crazy character ideas were floating around all day.

OH....and we bravely ventured into the great outdoors. Seriously getting cold up here, kids.

Basically things are going as you may expect.... late to bed, early to rise, and extremely productive. Week one is almost over, and it has been worth the entire expense and journey already. I can't believe my work stands to transform this much three more times at least before I leave.

This workshop also gives us all pause to consider our larger goals, and we've been getting a lot of feedback on pursuing them. When you really get down to it and organize your thoughts, there's very little you can't accomplish if you set your mind to it and use common sense. The same is true of anything, artistic or otherwise.

I accidentally (and only temporarily) stole a shopping cart. They do shopping carts differently here, I learned very quickly. Lesson number one about Canada.... if something looks free to use, make sure someone else didn't put money in it to make it functional first.

On a final note, I would like to point out again that T's cooking is not to be reckoned with. That is all.

Day 4 - Salads, Mass Hysteria, & Efficiency

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

Curves are actually straight lines. Arms and legs are boxes. Up is down. As the great Dr. Peter Venkman would say, "Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria!" Who knows what assumptions will be shattered and rebuilt next!?

Our notions of structure are being simplified. There is an elegance to this new method that isn't just about making it 'right'....it is about making it right the first time. Drawing carefully and correctly can be faster than drawing quickly.

This is so much more valuable than someone leaning over your shoulder giving advice on a single specific piece of art....this is much more efficient and effective knowledge for us.

I started some sketches last night and I feel like a different person is at the computer than the guy that was painting back home a couple of weeks ago. I think that's a great sign.

Also, change of subject, but I'm gonna take some pictures of Thierry's awesome lunch salads for you all soon. You haven't had lunch until you've had lunch T-bear style.

Feel free to talk to me on twitter or email me if you have any questions. I know when Jodee Taylah was writing about her experience, I was glued to every post. :)

Also, if you aren't already, go to the Imaginism Workshop Blog and check out the updates from everyone else.

50-Headed Monster and Bobby Chiu

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:31:00 +0000

Filipe, Daria, and Jimena on break, but not really because there are entirely too many awesome things to read here.

Day two was definitely the beginning of something new and magical that none of us quite understand yet, even if we think we do. Thierry has been teaching us how to restructure our thinking about the human head and how to rethink how things are built and appear in physical space.

Our drawings are very abstract right now, almost just notes of how we are thinking when we look at things in the world (like I said yesterday.) but I think we are all learning immensely from it, and I can already tell that my approach to getting my imagination on paper has improved. Drawing heads in a few simple brush strokes in a matter of minutes that are intended to read as having depth and structure is no small task, but we are performing as well as we can, and doing a good job, if I may say so.

Oh, hello little guy on the wall....I know you.

Suffice to say, there is more being packed into our brains than we can digest in one day but there is already immediate improvement in everyone's work just from having Thierry surgically deconstruct our thinking.

Today (day three) was our Master Class lecture from Bobby Chiu. I am so blown away by the knowledge and the new perspectives that I don't even think I can speak on it just yet, maybe tomorrow or the next day....or next year. I have a lot to think about and plan for.

Also I should point out that it really feels like we are one team pursuing one goal together, and a lot of people are lucky if they ever have that once in their lives, much less for an entire month about art.

Break is over, now it is time to learn some more from Thierry about these 50 heads we drew last night (and then had to be up early for Bobby's live-changing talk) then it is on to the next challenge.

Maybe it will be 50 more heads. And why not? I can't get enough of them. Haha!

First impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Monday was our first day doing 'lessons' from Thierry, but it has been a non-stop learning experience so far. Sunday in the airport we sketched while waiting on classmates to arrive, learning a million little things from Thierry before even starting.

The first day I filled pages with notes, notes on things T said about life, about art, or about common sense, things that weren't even parts of the lesson at times.

We are learning about structure, how to make our images have more depth and interesting features. I feel like I have had my eyes opened to how 'flat' my art can be, and how to fix it, and it is only the first day.

Dinner with the Imaginism team was enlightening and fun, of COURSE. The conversation moved from art, to mango milkshakes, to Richard Branson and then back again!

Looking forward to sharing some art soon, we are doing a lot of drawing right now that is mostly mental work and not very aesthetically appealing. The work right now is about reconfiguring our brains to think differently about our work.

That is truly the most valuable type of knowledge, though. It is the old idea of 'teaching a man to fish' which is stuff we can take with us and work on for years to come.

Final Thoughts Before Toronto

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:07:00 +0000

I figured that the next three days will be a veritable madhouse as I try to solve many of life's tough travel-questions. Will Canada accept me? How many socks is too many socks? Since I'm driving, do I REALLY need to pack a suitcase, or can I just throw everything in my car? Wait, did I remember socks?

So I decided to go ahead and put down some final thoughts on what I hope to get out of this workshop, my goals for the trip, and what I'm excited about learning and experiencing.

First of all, for anyone just tuning in, I'm going to Toronto for the Imaginism Studios In-House Workshop. Only 4 artists from all over the world were chosen for this workshop, and we're only the second group to go through it. It will consist of drawing, painting, and learning in an intensely productive environment from Thierry Lafontaine, Bobby Chiu, Kei Acedera and others about how they make the work that has made them so successful, and how to become better at what it is that I do.

Of course, primarily, I just want to come away a better artist. I want to have more focus in my work, find new ways to use my imagination, and some new skills to accompany that.

I also want to have an actual strategy for getting my work out to the public more effectively and attracting clients in the hopes of one day being a full-time artist.

I am excited about the RARE opportunity to completely devote a month to my art, I'm already used to 16 hour days (split between work and art, almost every day is this for me!), but for them to be filled with art is a rare blessing.

I am excited about soaking up the energy Thierry Lafontaine, Bobby Chiu, Kei Acedera, and the rest of the Imaginism crew will be exuding. It has always been a huge curiosity of mine - the day-to-day lifestyles of these powerhouse creators, what makes them tick, how they conduct their day-to-day business, etc. and to glean any small bits of wisdom from that will definitely improve my life.

I am excited about seeing what their process is like as they work on their own projects. Getting to watch the teacher at work on something more than just a demonstration is sometimes more insightful than any teaching could be.

I can't wait to meet my fellow classmates. I have a strong feeling that after a month of interaction, we will be life-long friends that will continue to encourage each other for years to come. I hope to be challenged by them, and I hope to challenge them in turn.

I want to make this a longer list, but I feel like these broad strokes are all that I can really define at this point. There's really no need to get more specific. At this point, I'm truly excited and ready to give my brain over to the experts, let them tinker with it, and take it back home with me after the workshop and make them proud.

I am proud of the person I am, that I was able to accomplish this with the support of friends and fans of my art. When I initially looked at the application, I disregarded it as something I was not in a position to do with my life. Now, six months later, I'm packing my bags. It is absolutely unbelievable what you can do when you just make up your mind and set a goal.

I'm already a better artist than I was when I applied. The process of fund-raising for the trip and trying to be as sharp as possible has really paid off. I've made some of my best work in the last few weeks, and I couldn't be more grateful to arrive as a sharp artist, ready for whatever Imaginism throws at me.

More than anything, I've just been inspired by the fact that this workshop exists. The fact that Imaginism took the time to say "hey....we should do this." and put in all of the work to make it happen is simply astounding. We are lucky to have such generous artists in the world.

Imaginism Studios Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +0000

Well, the time is finally upon us!

Sorry I didn't update much. I was busy drawing and painting. FORGIVE ME.

Anyway, I'm off to Toronto next weekend, and I'll be there learning from the greatest concept artists I know of, Bobby Chiu, Thierry Lafontaine, Kei Acedera, and my three yet-to-be-met classmates!

I'm looking forward to an amazing trip, and I'll be updating here as close to daily as possible. Stay tuned!

Andrew's Magic Puppy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:24:00 +0000

This is the latest digital painting commission I finished, for my friend Christina, whose six year old son believes that his puppy stuffed animal comes to life at night as his 'Magic Puppy' and protects him from monsters that are up to no good. This is my take on the story. Hope you enjoy! (click for a larger version)

Photobomb!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Some would call this a bit of an Angry Birds homage....I won't argue, but it wasn't my original intention. :) Click for a larger version.