Joe Mills

Student Mosaic

I do not normally use this space for student work, but this is worth the post. My 6th grade students from 2007-08 worked on a mosaic celebrating the architecture of Hyde Park. It has finally been installed, and I snapped a couple pictures today. It is located on an underpass between the Museum of Science and Industry and the lake. It is one of many mosaics on the underpass. If you are ever in the Hyde Park area, take a few minutes to check it out. It is certainly one of my proudest accomplishments as a teacher.

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The Expensive Print for Pixel Chicago

Recently, someone asked me for a print of one of my older artworks, Pixel Chicago. Since it was only one print, I knew the price would be more expensive. He was more than happy to pay the extra money for the work, so I went ahead and got one printed. The stock of the print is much thicker than the posters I ordered for Chicago 2010. Plus, the paper is much more glossy. Even though I think the print looks good, I still believe the quality of the poster prints is much cleaner. Still, it begs the question…what kind of prints should I sell? For a good piece of artwork, people will pay the money, but your market is much smaller. I am not going to make much of a profit off the one above, but I could get about 100 of them made for a smaller price per print. The overall price of the poster would go up and I would still make a good profit, but at what cost? Will people not be as interested if the price is much higher? Isn’t it more important at this point to get my artwork “out there”? Should I believe that people will buy my artwork no matter the cost because I have confidence in my work? I could spend about $50 more over the cost of 100 prints and get 500 posters and be able to sell them for a much lower price. Plus, more people are now interested. It is this high wire act I am playing with myself between looking like a professional artist with great, inexpensive artwork and looking like some hack who is just trying to sell a bunch of posters. It is the ongoing debate with myself, but I can’t help thinking that the inexpensive poster is the best route for me…at least for now.

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Social Networking and Web Presence for Illustrators and Artists – Part 1

As of the summer of 2006, I have jumped headfirst into social networking. I began the blog you are reading now, and I have never looked back. Now, I am trying to figure out just how important all of this is to my “business”. Maybe there are other illustrators and designers who feel the same way as me. It can consume you, and I am not sure of the initial or long term benefits. Part of me feels like you just have to try it and see what sticks. The other part…thinks it is just white noise. Let me break down some of the things I am doing and what has been the most useful:

Web Site: My father registered joemills.com in 1997 and it was one of the best things that could have happened to my online presence. I love having my name as the site especially since my name is very common. I have used it for different reasons over the years, and I think I finally have it in a place where it is most useful. I think a well-constructed site is probably the most important part of my online presence. While it is probably one of the few things people find, it is my flagship. No matter where people see me on the web, I can always point them back here.

Blog: I’ve enjoyed having a blog, but I do not think I have totally figured out the best way to use it. It really doesn’t have a theme that sets me apart. Plus, I really need to work on making my writing more interesting…there is a reason I enjoy drawing. I have focused on inspiration for most of the time, but I was reading recently that might just be pointing people away from me. I still think I will include inspiration on my site, but I need to focus more on my work. It does not pay to be humble on the net.

YouTube: I dabbled with some puppet videos in 2008 and did a few things last year. Plus, I have tried doing a few artist journals as well. I really love doing videos, but it takes me away from my illustrations. My issue with YouTube has always been production value. When I put something up, I want it to look just right. Obviously, that takes more time. I wish I was quicker with the video camera to capture things happening. I wish I was more comfortable making quicker snippets that I could just “put up”. I get too wrapped up in making a good production…and maybe there is nothing wrong with that. Even as I’m writing this, I’m wondering how a great video can help my business. I want people to find my artwork…not some cool video I made. It is hard to give video up because it is a fun medium. I just wish I knew the best way to make it work for me.

Flickr: Some people use Flickr and Picasa as portfolio sites. I usually use it to put up pictures of events I attend like concerts. If you tag things just right, people will find your work. Since I am not a photographer, this site is not of much use, but it is one of the more popular sites. I do not think it works well as a portfolio since you are stuck with their structure, but I do like the ability to put up non-portfolio pictures that I find interesting.

Facebook: Obviously, Facebook is one of the premiere social networking sites. I think some people feel that you need it to promote yourself, but I do not feel like it is a good place to get noticed. When I sold my recent poster, I got more attention from a good old fashioned email than I did a Facebook post. I think that Facebook only helps keep the ball rolling…it is not the place to get noticed. Like a web site, though, I think it is a good place to send people when they are already interested in your work.

Twitter: Twitter falls into the same category as Facebook. It has gained a lot of attention this past year, and I have only recently started using it. The thing I like about Twitter is how informal it is. No site encapsulates this more. How does this fit with promotion? I think you really need something to say to get people interested in you. I just don’t always have anything interesting to say all the time. The other problem is that so many businesses and people have Twitter and Facebook accounts…what makes me stand out? I have said that it can really keep people updated on new things, but as my wife says, “If you really want to know, couldn’t you just search for it?”  I’m still going to mess with it, but I am continually thinking of ways to focus my online attention.

Google Profile: Since Google has taken over many online lives (including mine), I felt this was necessary. According to Google, it should make it easier for people to find you if they do a Google search, but I can only hope that is happening…

I will try and tackle more of the lesser known sites next time…

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Monsters Will Attack This City

I have just recently started my next poster. I had this idea for a bunch of monsters and robots and aliens to attack a city. I’m still working with the idea of landscapes, but I decided to distort this one much more. I can tell that I will have to be very mindful about how I illustrate each section. Since my last two were much flatter, I was able to use the same line quality for the most part. For this illustration, I will have to adjust the details and line thickness as I move back to the horizon and down towards the base of the buildings. I do have an underlay I am working with, but as always, I almost prefer to do a lot of the illustration directly on the computer. It helps me to keep the same visual style. I feel that the buildings are somewhat drab, but the monsters are going to be the real star of the show. I am also going to attempt to put more hidden jokes in this illustration. I have inserted a couple in my last one, but it was never my focus. This time…I think I need to push that a little more…

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New Artwork – No Waiver Park!

I have proved to myself that I can hold down a paying job AND complete another long term artwork. I just completed No Waiver Park this morning. It definitely builds on the style I used with Chicago 2010. Ever since I got back to doing artwork over 5 years ago, I never knew if I would reach this point or if I even wanted to reach this point, but having a style is a good thing. I am certainly happy with the way this turned out. I had this idea for a crazy amusement park for over a year, and it finally came together this year. I had different drawing altogether before.

This just never seemed right to me. Although, as I look at it now, it still feels like I could have turned it in to something. The direction I chose, though, I think worked out perfectly. I decided to break up the attractions so they could shine on their own instead of making them completely overlap each other. Plus, I ramped up the amount of children so it really felt more energetic and vibrant. I’m not sure how this compares time-wise or detail-wise with Chicago 2010, but I definitely felt more productive with No Waiver Park. I took an Illustrator class in the fall that added some tricks to my repertoire…

Now, the big question is…do I get posters made? It is certainly not as identifiable as Chicago, but I need to step out of my comfort zone and take some risks. It is not like I have to make them now, but I need to keep it in mind. As far as artwork goes, I have 3 poster ideas ready to go. One is another city landscape…Sydney. I have another landscape of monsters attacking a city. And, I have an idea for a group of crime fighters called The Misfits. I have a sticker idea that is only worth creating if I really want to get them printed. Finally, I have a t-shirt idea that I need to start sketching. I’m holding off because I seem to have a t-shirt idea every month that I either end up not liking or actually creating…and then not liking. No matter what…I can’t let go of making t-shirts.

As far as promotion goes, I’m going to join a few more portfolio sites. I am going to submit an application to the Chicago Art Open. And from there…I need to start researching the spring and summer fairs and festivals to see what is worth my time…

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Hoang – Vietnamese Artist

My brother-in-law recently got back from Vietnam, and he brought back a lot of artwork. The one I was most impressed with was the one above. I don’t think the picture does it justice, but it is an abstract city landscape of a city in Vietnam. (Forgot to ask which one.) It looks as though the artist took every color in his palette and built up the layers of each building. It is very dynamic and the simple choice of constructing the image is stunning. The smears going up and down add this sense of movement. It almost seems like a mistake that just worked out. I wish I had a web site to send you too, but in some ways, this is just one of many anonymous artists around the world…

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What I Learned at the Festival

Considering this was my first festival experience, it was obviously a learning experience. Here is what I learned:

1) I need something to cover my inventory. I do not want people to think that I have an endless supply.
2) People do not want to carry around a poster for an entire day. Some folks said they would come back and buy a poster and they did. Other folks did not. Do I bring cardboard tubes so at least it can be protected? Or, maybe a music festival is not the best venue…
3) In regards to number 2, I need some smaller items that can be carried. I was giving away stickers, but it might have been nice to have some stickers or magnets or cards that I was selling. Those can be carried.
4) The price was still perceived as “cheap” to people. Now, this is something that I’m struggling with. Since I have been buying at large quantities, the price points I have still allow me to have a pretty decent profit. Yet, if they are perceived as “cheap”, they might not seem as special to people. At the same time, I like the idea of inexpensive art. Something that can be just thrown up on the wall if you want. As I have found out, some people have framed my Chicago 2010 poster, so it can be seen as special if people feel that way. Plus, I feel like my style skews younger. Many older people walked by my booth and then kept walking. Younger people seemed to be more interested in the style and gave me a “that’s cool” even if they didn’t purchase. I’m not sure. I have not fully figured this one out yet…

For my first festival, it went pretty well. Now, I need to keep pushing the posters to shops around the city, prepare for festivals and fairs next summer, and make more artwork. I was able to get a good amount of sketching done in between purchases…

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Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival and an Update on the Business

Image courtesy of the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival

It has been a while since I have given a comprehensive update on how the “business” is running, and I figured now would be the perfect time. My first announcement is that I will be a vendor at the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival this Saturday. It is being held at Congress Theater from 11am to Midnight. I will be selling the “Chicago 2010″ poster, and a poster called “Cube Man”. Tickets are still available. I am not sure what to expect as a vendor selling my artwork to the “masses”, but it is the logical second step for me. This will give me a good idea about how successful I might be outside of my circle of family and friends. If all goes well, it gives me more incentive to hit the art fairs and festivals in Chicago over the summer. Or, I could try to hit other music festivals like Pitchfork. This festival is perfectly timed for me!

Speaking of “Chicago 2010″…I have been very happy with how my poster has been received. Us artists can be relatively sensitive, but at some point, you have to just take a leap of faith. I think it has helped that I picked a subject matter that is instantly recognizable. I was concerned that it might seem too “cartoony” for people, but the style seemed to be the right choice. It has given me more incentive to do other work in that style. Although, I will not be doing something as recognizable. I have thought about doing other cities, but I do not want to get stuck doing just cities. The Chicago poster was pretty personal to me, so I’d like to stick to subject matter that I have a personal attachment to. If I do work on another city, I’d probably do Sydney. Finally, if you ever do want to get posters made, I would go with Large Format Posters. They are somehow linked to another company called UPrinting. I was extremely happy with the results of the poster from a production standpoint. For someone who has never gone to “print”, I was understandably nervous. Designing on a computer screen and designing for print are two different animals. Yet, when I opened up that box, I was floored.

And lastly, my one bit of promotion so far has been my joemills.com sticker. If you are ever in the market for some inexpensive, “quick” stickers, I would go with Sticker Giant. They do produce 4 color stickers, but I was not ready to jump in that far just yet. I just wanted a little something to put in my poster sleeves with my web site on it. These stickers did the trick. Which reminds me…I had a hard time finding poster sleeves, but came across Clear Bags after some searching. They have poster sleeves of all different sizes. It is amazing how many unforeseen costs exist when you are trying to make money away from a 9 to 5 job…

I’ll give a post-festival post later…

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Blood Sweat Vector

Image courtesy of Blood Sweat Vector

Since my illustrations have definitely taken a vector slant recently, I was happy to stumble across Blood Sweat Vector. It is a blog authored by vector artists. It is about a year and a half old and the posts are centered on the world of vector art…a world where I am currently a member. They have recently become part of my RSS feed. At some point, maybe I can become a contributor…seems possible.

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Veronica Navarro

Image courtesy of Veronica Navarro

I came across Veronica Navarro’s work through my Behance network. The above work is not on her site yet, but I think it is a great example of her style. I like how there is so much emotion in her portraits. Portraiture can often seem very dry and straightforward, but she amps up the emotion with a quality I can’t quite put my finger on. I think it has something to do with the way she draws eyes. You feel like you are being drawn into the illustration. Amazing work!

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