Goals

 

 

The decision to become an artist is sort of like finding God.  You wake up one morning and realize that this is something that you cannot not do.  You will be an incomplete person if you do not give it a go. 

- Ed Hooks, Why Do You Animate?

When I was a senior in high school, I wrote a goal for my future and a plan to achieve that goal. Five years later, I failed at a lot of the things I thought I would do and I'm way behind because of it. I'm not where I thought I would be by now.

So, a new list is in order.

My new Goal List
 I want to make my own quality animations and be recognized for them.

Eventually, I would like to win awards and possibly sustain myself on my own content.

[this is the same as it was five years ago]

Tools to Achieve Goal

Productions
 - The Taffetas
 - Short Animated Films

Networking
-Conventions
-Volunteer work
- Social Media

Experience
- Art School
  Figure out strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Improve basic skills and use as a "jumping off" point.

- Internships
  Gain professional experience in the animation field. Learn to work with art directors, co-workers, and clients. Come to understand a more commercial aspect to art and animation.

- Work
Become comfortable with an animation and illustrative process and learn from other artists. Gain new, unique skills to combine with animation.

Artistic Growth

- Learn from Job Experience
Gain knowledge from co-workers and art directors, become inspired by and implement critique and advice.

- Self-study
 Life drawing, art and animation history, seek out new artists and open mind to alternative styles.

- Stay on top of the business
Know who, what, where, when, why. Subscribe to magazines, newsletters, and websites.

Exposure

- Film Festivals
seek out festivals and submit productions

- Online Presence  
online portfolio, deviantart, linkedIn, Vimeo, and Youtube

- Artistic Contests

- Money
Get a job. Put a little money into a production fund every month. Look into grants, kickstarter, etc.

The Short-Term Plan
1. See Taffetas to completion
(~1 year)
- Finish the pitch
- Make animated shorts to supplement pitch and gain support

(~2-4 year)
- Pitch
- Submit animation work to Conventions and Film Festivals
- Gain acclaim
- Gain revenue/distribution opportunities for project

(~5-6)
- Production

2. Expand artistic horizons, gain illustration and storytelling skills
- Produce personal illustration and animation work, experimenting in style
- Study art books on subject matter
- Learn from alternative illustrators at work and within the art community

3. Continue honing animation skills
- Treat e-cards and other animations at work as short films and portfolio pieces
- Volunteer/Freelance animation for other productions
- Personal animation work (non-Taffetas)

4. Sell self as an independent filmmaker
- production of personal short films (Taffetas and non-Taffetas) 
- portfolio update (once to twice a year)

5. Gain more popularity and a small name in the artistic/animation community


I put down a few things down that I already did (school, internship, etc.) because if it makes me feel less intimidated and more accomplished ;).

It's good to take a deep breath and feel like I'm on the right track again. There's still hope.

Moving in, Taffetas, and Drawing

I realize about a month passed me by without updating this blog!

 When is Tracy going to update her blog?!

January was crazy. I moved to another state, settled into the new house, started my job, got in a car accident with a hit-and-run, developed a mild case of whip-lash, fell into an exhausting and frustrating sadness, snapped out of it, worked overtime for a big project at my new job, worked on Taffetas, and cooked homemade jam for my co-workers, among other things.

 The beginning of my cherry jam! Yum!

So just to give you guys a bit of an update:

My Job

I mentioned before, but I'm a multimedia designer/animator working in the illustration department at Hallmark Cards. I interned there over the Summer as well. To be honest, sometimes I still wonder why I was offered a job, since the company is made up of extremely talented, seasoned artists that I can only dream to live up to.

But I'm learning a lot and I realized today that I love my job. I mean, I knew that during my internship, but I had that moment again where I was aware of the fact I spent an entire day drawing and that I was paid for it. The frustrating part is that I can't show off my work until it comes out (if it comes out), so unfortunately there is a decrease in artworks to post online.

The Taffetas

 If you aren't keeping up to date with Taffetas, you probably missed my recent posts:

• Taking A Stance On Our Story
• Drawing Characters
• The Outline - Part 1

We update every other Wednesday. Our posts are about what Yesenia and I personally learned while working on the project, or just our new developments on the pitch. The outline - Part 1 I'm particularly excited about because I feel like the story is finally coming together again.

Beyond that, I did light sketch work for our upcoming revamped Facebook page. Above is the sketch for the ID picture and its earlier variants. I may not always get it right the first time, but I can rework it until I do :).

 

Etc...

Did I mention I have another friend who is not Jess, my roommate/co-worker? She is totally real and I'm not making her up. 

Her name is Dana Corrigan and I worked on her senior thesis in college. Now adays, Jess, Dana, and I skype every weekend to critique each others' work from our projects, we call it our "brain-jam".

This week, though, Dana couldn't make it. Is it because she's imaginary?

NO.

It's because the poor dear had laryngitis.

 

I felt bad that she was sick on a weekend, so I dreamed up a few comic ideas on what her project's main character, Cain, would do if he had her same ailment. I did not finish the full six ideas that I wanted to before the weekend was over, but I feel like I did okay for the time I had. Dana liked it, so I'm pretty happy!

 Though I really wish I finished this one! 

(text is omitted so that you may put in your own using your mind)

Jess arranged the type and word balloons for me, as well as designed the backgrounds. I also know this won't make as much sense if you're not in the know of her story, Fate Saga, but hopefully it's enjoyable to look at anyway.

Coming Up from me will be, inevitably, more Taffetas artwork and a long over-due Christmas art. Hopefully it won't take another month to post...but I better not get anyone's hopes up :).

Her Favorite Animal is the Leopard

 

Here is the leading image I did for Taffetas co-producer Yesenia Carrero's post on research which goes live today! This was a fun image, although very much a trial to complete as Yesenia and I are busy moving to Kansas City together (she also got a job at Hallmark!).

Anyway, I thought would be fun to show my process again like my last post:

Thumbnail Sketch > Undersketch > Clothes > Rough Sketch > Lines and Flats > Shading

 Gemini's outfit was inspired by Lucas Didelot's original clothing design crossed with this awesome sweater I found on google. I tried to make the picture a little more festive (it being that time of year) without getting out of character or making it feel forced just for the holiday.

Gemini in the Rain - Process

Here is another lead image for our newest Taffeta's Post on what Yesenia and I learned so far about Character Creation.  I wanted to draw our character, Gemini, being sad and pouty since I usually draw her smiling so much.

I also thought it might be interesting to see my process here on the blog:

Gesture > Rough Sketch > Lineart > Flats

 

 

Then it's just shading and detailing into the final image!

Usually it takes a few hours to go from thumbnail sketch to completion for a single character drawing and I use reference images and resources like colour lovers to inspire me along the way.

Onward!

I created this image for the first of our upcoming posts to The Taffetas blog, this one in particular is a conversational update on our progress so far. I'm pretty proud of both image and post, so take a gander. We'll be updating on Wednesdays for a while.

I managed to color and shade the image while traveling by train to be with my family for the birth of my niece, Isabelle!

Sketch Dump

These are some close-ups of my figure studies for Taffetas

Did I mention I love drawing hands? (reference from stock photos)

 

A character named Bianca from my friend's story, Fate Saga

 Also, I'm writing some neat posts for The Taffetas production blog!

Hallmark E-Card Sketches

Here's the concept work I sketched for the mini e-card I created at Hallmark Cards this Summer! I loved working there, and I'm fortunate to start my full-time position soon!