Joe Mills

New Vlog

I have made a new vlog today. Please click on the YouTube link to the right to go to the channel. I’m trying to get more traffic in that direction.

Changing the Portfolio, Having a Style and Projects Moving Forward

I did something drastic last week…I changed the art portfolio on my web site. When I first set it up, I had three sections: Illustrator, Artist, and Designer. My favorite magazine, Computer Arts Projects, recently did an issue on portfolios. One of the major themes I saw was only showcasing the best work. So, I did some major editing. At first, I thought it would be difficult. At one point or another, I had worked on all of these pieces, so I definitely have an attachment to them. And, since I have been making a lot of art over the past years, I obviously wanted to display it. In the end, though, it was not all that bad. Certain pieces definitely stood out as the best, and I wanted to have around 15 to 20 pieces. I guess the tough thing was deciding whether or not I had made the right decision. A couple pieces made me think. A lot of it had to do with portraying the right “image” for myself. Not that I’m trying to be image conscious, but it would be nice to eventually be known for doing a certain style.

Which leads me to my next point…is it important to pick a style? I have really struggled with this over the past year or so. It seems like most illustrators have a certain style. It is almost like something that people can rely on if they are asked to produce work. For me, that seems so counter-intuitive to art-making. I have tried experimenting with a number of styles, and I like many of them. I’m thinking, though, that might not be the most professional approach. If I expect to be recognized, it might be worth my time to develop something that I can call my own. Although, if I have the ability to do mutliple types of artwork, it might make me more marketable. In some ways, that shows a certain type of confidence in your talents instead of relying on a go-to style.

Now, as I move forward, I have some projects I hope to get done over the summer. I have two t-shirt lines I want to create. I’m going to start each line out with 3 different ideas and see if I can build upon the line as time moves on. I also plan on publishing a book which seems daunting as a I write it down. It is not so much that I need an idea, but each page will require an illustration. That just seems like a lot of work right now. I am also going to try my hand at making some artwork that is suitable to be made into prints. Actually, one style I will be using a lot for these prints is mixing photographs with cartoon images. I still need to figure out how to do get quality prints made, so I still have some research to do…

Sirron Norris

Image courtesy of Sirron Norris.

Since I am currently working on a cityscape of Chicago, I was drawn to this illustration of San Francisco by Sirron Norris. It is completely twisted and off-perspective and lively and…well…fun! Part of me always needs some dose of reality in these types of illustrations, but I’m trying to get in my head that it is not needed. Other than the fact that the landmarks have to be there and you have to understand that it is San Francisco, I like how illustrators take it upon themselves to find different ways to draw cities. I have made many posts about different artists interpretation of the cityscape, and I am starting to realize that the stranger the illustration, the better the results.

Archan Nair

Image courtesy of Archan Nair

I was introduced to Archan Nair through my favorite magazine, Computer Arts Projects. I think the above picture is amazing. Obviously, the photograph of the little boy makes a big impact on the picture, but the images surrounding his head and body add an entirely different level. I mostly concentrate on vector graphics, but I love the way photographs and illustration can work together. I think one of the things holding me back in this area is taking great photographs. I purchased an SLR last year, and it takes great photographs, but I know it takes something more. I’m not sure if it is lighting or photo manipulation, but the above picture is proof that a good photograph can become great. The question is how to accomplish that feat…

Johnson & Johnson Advertisement

This is a Johnson & Johnson advertisement I had seen a few years ago that popped in my head recently. It is amazing how the brain works. Anyway, it has always been one of my favorites since the image of a toothbrush and dinosaur together is so counter-intuitive it makes me look and look. It is extremely well done. I like how they did not just stick the dinosaur in the middle of the toothbrush. The bristles act as limbs of a tree almost as the dinosaur peers through them. I wish I had more information about it, but as I mentioned, it recently came back into the forefront of my brain…for some reason…

D. C. Follies

Sid & Marty Krofft have be getting some press recently because of the opening of Land of the Lost. After seeing them in a magazine, I was reminded of a favorite show of mine when I was younger, D.C. Follies. Now, I was much too young to understand some of the jokes on the show since it was political statire. Plus, it probably wasn’t all that good since it was taken off the air after only one season. The reason I call it a favorite is because of the puppets. They had live actors mixed in with puppets of famous people like Ronald Reagan, Elvis, Oliver North, and Richard Nixon. I just loved the look of the puppets since they were very accurate three-dimensional caricatures of the actual people. I’m surprised I even remember this show, but if you are interested, you can check all the episodes out on Hulu.

Dyson Air Blade

I do not often talk about products on here. I guess that should be a surprise to myself since my undergraduate degree was in industrial design, but the Dyson Airblade is worth mentioning. One of the minor annoyances in life is the air dryers in bathrooms. The old school ones we have seen in public bathrooms for years just do not do the trick. I always end up wiping my hands on my jeans. And, I always feel like the paper towels are such a waste to the environment. Plus, paper towels do not work as well as an actual towel, so you end up using way more than you need. The Dyson Airblade? It wipes your hands clean. As you can tell from the picture above, it blows air on both sides of your hands as you slowly pull it through the machine. I am surprised it has taken someone this long to re-invent this machine. On the other hand, I would guess this low on the priority list. Regardless, it proves that good product desgin can exist anywhere.

Make Something Cool Every Day

Photo courtesy of Brock Davis

I only wish I had the time and drive to do something like this. The title says it all…Brock Davis has been making a piece of artwork every single day since January 1st. Yes, some of them are more inspired than others, but I think that is to be expected when you are trying to make something new every single day. I always thought the picture a day would be difficult enough, but this requires a few hours a day to make something special. Excellent…

Ways to Make Money as an Artist…NOW!

It has been a while, but I expect to be making a lot of posts in the next week or so. Today, I wanted to focus on selling art. As I have begun to think about how I want to make money as an artist, I’ve wanted to find a way to make money right away. While the goal would be to get a commission or illustration work, I want to get my work on something right away. I’ve already decided I want to use Printfection to create two separate “brands” of t-shirts. I’ve had a store on there for about a year, and I like the quality of their work. I had done some research beforehand, and they seem to be better than Zazzle or Cafepress. I’m still not sure if that is the “best” way to go, but since my beginnings here are rather modest, I think that will work for me.

I’m also thinking about doing some self-publishing. I have an idea for a book and I think that is a good way to get my creativity and work into the hands of people. Lulu seems to be a good choice, but I have not done the research completely. I will have to make sure it will allow me to upload specific files. That will be the key.

The one thing I have not seen yet is a place that will make nice art prints. I realize that this will take some research. One thing I need to think about is what to put on the prints. Much of what I do is not conducive to art prints…at least, that is my first thought. I do not want to make art JUST to put it on prints, but once again, it seems like a good avenue for getting my work into the hands of people.

Overall, I do not want to cheapen what I do just by slapping it on something. I’d like to have some quality control over what is produced even though I realize I will be unable to produce products in-house…obviously. Yes, I could make some funny sayings and plop it on a t-shirt and make some money in a number of different ways, but that is not going to get me noticed the way I want to be noticed.

Still much to think about…

I Am Trying to Turn My Artistic Skills into a Business

Well, I have talked about this before, and I think I am ready to do it…I want to turn my artistic skills into a business. Now, the goal is not to quit my position as a teacher. I’m hoping to make this something that is more of a side business. I have built this portfolio over the past 5 years, and I am ready to see if I can turn it into revenue. While my blog will still be dedicated to inspiration, I am also going to talk about my journey as an artist into the business world and what I am finding out. Hopefully, it will help me connect with other like-minded individuals. We will see.

My first thought/concern is probably the thing that I will have the hardest thing dealing with…are my designs worth being purchased? It is not that I do not have confidence in my skills, but all I have learned has been outside of the classroom and professional world…for the most part. As a school teacher, you are not always in a place to be creating work every single day or dealing with people in the design world. I know I have done some amazing work over the years, but how will others view it? I realize that people have different aesthetics, but I will have to deal with rejection and not being noticed. There are MANY people vying for attention in the design world, so I need to stand out and get noticed.

Which brings me to my next point, how will I get noticed? I realize that I need to re-work my site in a number ways. First, I need to edit my site so I am showing only my best work. Second, I need to figure out a way for people to contact me. If I do not say that I am looking for work, how will I get work? Third, I need to publicize and network. There are many sites like Behance and IllustrationMundo where designers and illustrators can get noticed. Also, how can I use social sites like Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn to get my name out there? Plus, how can I use services like Technorati and Google Analytics to make sure that people are getting to my site? It is one thing to just make a web site, but it is a totally different thing to get people to it. Shouting to the world that I am available for work is probably going to be a tough obstacle for me. I tend to think I lean more towards being too modest.

And then, what services do I offer? My first thought is to create an identity or brand that I can sell on t-shirts. I figure that could be a quick way for people to see products I already have available and what I am capable of. The t-shirt market, though, can be over-saturated so I am not sure how successful that will be. On the other hand, if the design is fresh enough, it might not make a difference. Or, I have thought about creating a self-published book, but I need a good idea for that before setting forth on that journey.  Many places exist on the Internet to sell your work, but selecting the right one will decide where I center my energy. Plus, the goal is to get design or illustration work from actual companies and the best way to do that.

And finally, I have the nuts and bolts to consider. How much do I charge? Do I need any other paperwork? That might be down the line, but it is important to think this could actually be a business instead of something to pass the time.

Well, I will try to update this as much as possible. It looks like I will have to do a lot of socializing anyway, so I don’t expect it to be a problem.