So my presentation yesterday at the SCBWI Oregon Spring conference went over nicely. The grandmas went missing just before I was supposed to go up and talk. I think they got lured into the tea room.
I was in extremely good company. Mark Fearing spoke just before me on Graphic Novels. He’s an amazing illustrator and [...]

I’m a professional digital illustrator. I also train people how to create digital illustration.
You know, like in a computer. Pixels, vectors, Adobe products, Apple gear, WACOM tablet, LCD, external drives. Electromagnetic Hell.
So some students will find it odd that the first thing out of my mouth when I talk about method is, “Don’t create your [...]

Bread
Jenni (my wife) can do amazing things with yeast and flour. Here’s where I suddenly become a non-expert and kind of an idiot. I’m happy to be a baking idiot because the stuff she bakes is so freaking awesome that I would pretend to be a baking idiot even if I weren’t. She makes our [...]

Dear Freelancing Artist,
Did you know there are hidden rewards in a freelance art career? Rewards that take you farther than the ability to buy tonight’s keg, that is. If you’re new to freelancing as an artist, you need to hear this. I wish they taught this stuff in art schools. It’s about sustaining your career in [...]

If you’re a subscriber to the club, you can skip ahead and enjoy the post. If you’re not in the club, here’s what’s happening:
Members of the Sparky Firepants Images Club enjoy the benefit of an original, high-resolution illustration every month. Sometimes they’re big, sometimes they’re small, but they’re always wacky and fun. You can do [...]

So you want to get started creating your art digitally, but somehow that humongous software price tag is holding you back?
Here are two THREE vector app solutions I found just for you:
NeoOffice Draw (FREE): This is part of a family of open-source office apps that work on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines. The drawing application [...]

One of the things I love most about maintaining a blog is the people I meet. It’s a huge thrill when a conversation gets going in the comments. Even when everyone doesn’t agree, it’s still super cool because I get the privilege of hearing new ideas and perspectives. I read every comment and when I [...]

I just picked up an amazingly cool book from the library this weekend; “Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever” by literacy expert and children’s author Mem Fox.
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter Two that struck a chord with me:
“Because words are essential in building the thought connections in the brain, [...]

Two things caught my eye recently and I had to share.
I’ve followed a few conversations lately on Twitter about spec work and working for free.
I can’t tell you how many times I hear artists who are trying to break into freelancing ask, “Should I work for free?” They’re understandably confused because they see others doing [...]