A while back, I had a vision. Actually, the vision came to me in the form of beer and Richard Miller of Calyx Design. We were talking about our art and our backgrounds and schoolin’ and such and it became apparent that we are fairly passionate about teaching people how to make digital art.
I may have spit a few times while my gums were flappin’. Completely unintentional, but that’s how I felt. Just downright passionate.
So with some prodding and suggesting from Richard, I decided right then and there that I would let my wireless router suck me into the internet (think Tron) so I could build an online school for digital illustration.
When I was sailing through the spaces between pixels and vectors, I had an epiphany. I thought about those times when my own techniques took a huge leap forward. It wasn’t from manuals or web tutorials, although they can be very helpful. It was when I would sit next to one of my mentors and watch them do their thing.
So now I not only know when to scratch my butt or get more coffee, I know why I should use certain tools (or not use them). I understand more than just the step-by-step rote curriculum, I know how it all blends into an individual’s thought process. The one-on-one thing really worked for me. I learned how to take what my mentors did and apply it to my own style of working. For example, I tend to get up for coffee way more often than any of my mentors did. Now that’s valuable.
The only problem was that neither I or my students (who live all over the globe) could afford for me to travel to their home and sit next to them for a day.
So I made it affordable by capturing my methods on video. All that weird stuff I go through, like doodling, wondering if I should use Illustrator or Photoshop, should I use the brush tool or the bezier pen… should I get more coffee now… it’s all on video.
I love what I do and I love to show other people how to do it, too. So now I’m putting it all online so anyone, no matter where they are, can sit down next to me in my studio and see the process as I go through a simple illustration project.
It’s not quite finished yet. In fact, I’m staying up late and working on client stuff during the day so I can have this online and ready for next week. Whew.
This is a perfect example of the right time to get up and get more coffee. See? I can’t help but pass that on.
It’s been so encouraging to hear from people when I spoke last week at the SCWBI conference and through the e-mail newsletter thingy that I’m on the right track to helping at least a few of you. That’s the funny thing about this; it just isn’t for the masses. There’s a very small and fabulous group of people who really, really need to sit next to me and see the crazy stuff that I do all day. It’s for them.
I even shaved, that’s how special my students are.
If you want to see what my blistered fingers and nicked chin have been involved in for the past couple months, go here.
OMG! U r 2 FUNNY! I just sent a job post to Cal Arts hoping to find a tutor/teacher for a one week intensive to sit down next to me – I am a hands on learner – to take me deep into the world of Illustrator, and deeper into the world of my self-taught PS. Need it, want it, ready for it.
Keep of the fun posts and great work!
Thanks, Terri. Your work is just gorgeous.
I’m a hands-on learner myself and I had some amazing mentors that I got to sit with. That’s what prompted me to create the digital illustration school.
My intention is to create that sit-next-to-me environment through the magic of video. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope people take me up on the one-on-one phone support, too. I really think it will be helpful.
I’m going to check out some more of your work and I might ask you a question or two about your traditional methods. I could learn a few things from you.
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