Grandma Dolores: Well, David. Would you like some cold cereal?

Grandma Kernik: I don't understand. How is that a school on your computer? You kids.

Me: It's an online school, Grandma. You don't even have to leave the house.

Grandma Kernik: Well, I wouldn't go out in this old thing anyway.

School's in for Summer

If you can't tell from my typing, I'm waiting for video to compress and upload. Even as I enter the home stretch on the Sparky Firepants Digital Illustration School launch and still intensely fascinated by how awesome it's turning out to be, I've got more fantastic ideas ready to hit the page. As soon as I wrap up the launch, I'll be moving right into more very exciting and cool things.

Before I go into that, I need to let you know about a special offer on Digital Illustration School. It would be very wrong of me to not let you in on this, since you were nice enough to hang out here today.

The first course in the school will be ready for download on Tuesday, June 2. For the first week that it's online, I'm having a Grand Opening Special. The rate for the Vector Course Value Pack will be reduced (ok, slashed) for a whole week.

Two things you need to know to take advantage of this:

1. I'm going to send out a discount code via e-mail. If you want to get the code, you need to sign up on the site before June 2nd.
2. The sale ends at midnight on June 9th. After that, the price almost doubles.
3. This is just for the Vector Course Value Pack. The other stuff is priced so cheap I'm almost giving it away as it is.

To recap, that means that for the first week, the price on the Vector Course Value Pack is $175. After June 9th, it goes up to $295 and stays there. Forever.

I don't know about you, but even as a "creative type" with my limited math skills, that sounds like quite a deal.

If the course isn't your thing, it's cool. Maybe you know someone it would be perfect for, in which case you would be an amazing friend if you told that someone about this killer deal. Also in which case you could potentially earn some cash, since I'll pay a whopping 25% commission if your someone purchases anything on the site. I'm going to set up an affiliate program soon but for now I feel really happy about offering you $43.75 just for helping an artist learn some mad new digital skills.

So before you forget, go sign up now.

How to Get and Keep Illustration and Design Jobs

The next exciting thing being hatched by my madly manic brain is a series of blog posts that will tell you how to get work as an artist.

I was thinking about how I've been getting art-type gigs for a really long time now. I was also thinking about how I used to hire people for art gigs. So with all this golden knowledge collecting dust in my noggin, it's borderline criminal to not share all the inside information.

So I'm kicking off a series of blog posts that tell you how to get work as an artist. I'll tell you everything. What to say (and not to say) in an art job interview, how to deal with the monotony of production work, and even deep, dark secrets about portfolio reviews that will probably make you angry... but at least you'll know how it all works.

What about working at a design McJob while you pine away for that glorious freelance illustration career? Yep, I'll clue you in on that stuff, too. I've done it. You can do it. There are just a few things you need to know that your boss isn't going to tell you.

What about freelance gigs? How to get them, where to get... and where NOT to get them.

Right here, on the blog, read it when you need it.