Happy New Year! As I embark on 2014, I have resolved to finish this project...this year! Umm ok, maybe I can do better than that ;) After all, finishing a 40 day project that I started about 3 months ago would be the lamest of all New Years resolutions. Actually, I have never been one for resolutions in the first place. People always seem to make them after Christmas overindulgence, and they tend to pass long before spring. But this year, I have given it some thought, art-wise, and actually have a few things I hopefully am resolved about enough to actually accomplish.
1. Try my hand at using some traditional media. Yup. Back in the day, I actually was fairly capable at picking up a brush. I'd like to try gouache for illustration (which I have never used) as well as good old fashioned ink for lettering. I'm sure I will never abandon my mouse, but to coin the phrase of Lilla Rogers, I think it might "inform" my work, hopefully for the better and give it a more organic feel. Take for example, this piece. I used the pencil tool for a rougher look. It was hard for me not to smooth out those Bézier curves, but I held off. I still look at it and wonder what it might have looked like being done with an actual brush.
2. Now this is a tough one to define....make my work more commercially viable. I suppose every artist tries to do this, but I feel like I need to take a step back and look at my "style" objectively. I feel that I tend to go for pure over the top cuteness, that just isn't as sellable as it could be. Not sure what all this means, but I hope it ultimately translates into making art that actually sells.
3. Make an official website. I had/have one but since it is flash-driven, and super hard to work with, it hasn't been updated in ages. I do have a portfolio site over at carbonmade, but it doesn't give you the bells and whistles that a personalized website does.
4. Work on more collections. This is related to number 2.
That should be enough to keep me busy! What are your resolutions, art or otherwise? I would love to hear! Thanks for following along and all the best for a happy and healthy 2014!
Jill
I totally feel your #1.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I loved the illustration of this post and after reading this "It was hard for me not to smooth out those Bézier curves" e checked it again and loved it even more. That's something I would like to evolve to in my work as I really like that rough look when I see it in other people but always feels like "hum, thats not right, need to make it straight" when I like to replicate in my own work.
Happy 2014 :)
thanks so much, Elsa! Good to know there is someone else out there that can identify ;)
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