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Yeah, I agree that Dream Worlds does leave a lot to be desired as far as explanations, but it definitely helped point me in the right direction for deconstructing and analyzing a scene.

I'm currently reading another great book called Force, that I thought would be mostly technical figure drawing, but actually ended up having a lot of really great advice for overall design. A lot of the info felt like tips I would get at a very expensive seminar.

Keep up the good work!

I started doing digital art a few years ago, and just couldn't get into it like I wanted to. Recently I've gotten more into colored pencils and markers, and even water color. I wasn't very good with any of those before, but I'm getting a quick handle on it and I love it.

Someone once told me, if I wanted to be a better artist, I needed to do the things I wasn't comfortable with. I wasn't comfortable with those coloring mediums so I gave it a shot because I just didn't care for digital even though I could do it with some degree of decency, and I feel like I'm becoming a better artist for it.

Also, if you like that kind of unpredictability, I suggest the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. It has an actual brush tip, and I'm enjoying it a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LJRKN8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's great! Please show us when you have it all done. :)

If you eventually decide to dabble in more digital art, I'd recommend getting a Wacom Bamboo tablet. It's pretty inexpensive (as far as tablets go, anyway), and that way you can experiment in Photoshop more. :) What I usually do is scan a drawing in, do the lineart in PS, and then color from there.

As a professional scientific illustrator, I appreciate the challenge of finding paying work. However, you do not help the field out by offering work for free. If you want to build a portfolio of scientific illustration work, then I suggest working on some of your own, relevant projects, and then charge an appropriate fee. Undercutting and doing work for free does not teach clients to value illustration work which takes a lot of skill and time to develop.

For guidelines on pricing see: Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines

You should read these: http://randomnerds.com/learn-to-draw-cartoons-with-the-now-public-domain-famous-artist-cartoon-course-textbook/

(scroll down to the PDFs).

They're all great but number three especially has some great inking advice. And you won't get more experience than Rube Goldberg, Al Capp, etc.

Also this book is like the inking bible, but I don't know if it's available online.

A book that has helped me loads with visualizing the human figure is the Force series. It teaches you how to see the forces of the body and be able to push that to it's extremes.. and it's helped me loads with creating dynamic poses without reference.

Torrent it and see if you like it. Thats what I do with all my books.. the good ones end up on my shelf. lol

Hey, this is really good for someone starting out, and I'm so excited you're looking for feedback to improve, too! I say start with basic drawing technique- you need to really understand the underlying form of the object before drawing it, or you get something that feels flat and a bit out of proportion. Mike Mattesei's Force Drawing Animals book will help with that a lot. Don't be afraid to be messy as you start out and get your bearings. DO some structure work (getting the form and perspective down right) in a very thin liner pen and then start building off that with something bulkier.

Also, slow down with your line work. With ink, you have to show weight,volume, detail and lighting all at once with each line, which means being very particular with where, when, how and what kinds of marks you want to make. My favorite book ever for learning about this stuff is Rendering in Pen and Ink. Get out there and start drawing from life in pen ( forget the pencil, do all your sketches in pen) and you'll start really building up some skills.

Unfortunately, most of the videos these days are digital mediums. But if you don't already know about it, "Level Up" is a great youtube series. Its mostly digital, but you can learn a lot just by watching the different artists handle the tool. also, if you have any money at all to spend, i highly recommend purchasing the book, "Rendering in Pen and Ink" by Arthur L. Guptil. Heres a link...

http://www.amazon.com/Rendering-Pen-Ink-Techniques-Illustrators/dp/0823045293

Buy/rent/borrow this [book] (http://amzn.com/0932102158)
it has pricing and tons of information about contracts and various other things that will help you immensely. It was required reading for my senior year portfolio class in college and its just a generally good reference to have on hand.

Also take into consideration how they want to pay you. Is it by piece? after you finish the project? At the beginning? You may want to have them pay you part before you start and then the rest in increments. Make sure you get everything in writing.

It's basic pen-and-ink drawing; utilizing stippling, feathering, hatching and cross-hatching techniques. It was definitely drawn by hand - either with analog tools or digital software. It's an old method, as old as ink and quill pens at least. Arthur Guptill's book is one of the best regarded on the subject.

IMHO one of the greatest artists of our time. Building Stories is a masterpiece.

I've only ever animated one thing, but it was way easier than I thought it would be and fun. It was just that it took a couple hours to make a couple seconds of animation.
here it is. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=437082006340869&l=5956752619278683744

I had read the animators survival kit before I did it. It's by the guy who made who framed roger rabbit.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Animators-Survival-Richard-Williams/dp/0571202284

Ahh thanks a lot man, appreciate it! Perhaps this shows the difference a little better? https://i.imgur.com/J6FUlZi.jpg I have always just used this or something similar until it breaks https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wacom-Bamboo-Splash-Tablet-CTL471/dp/B0089VGPII

You could also look into value based pricing where it's also looking at the value a piece of work can bring. For example if you do an illustration for a large campaign that is going to make the company a lot of money then your illustrations value is much more in terms of money so you in theory can charge more compared to a local small business wanting an illustration for a flyer. There is also this, not sure if they have a more recent version https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines/dp/0932102166

Yes! It already is.


Thank you for your kind comment!

This is way too low. Id suggest instead that you pick up a copy of this: https://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines/dp/0932102166. These are standard rates for illustration. Since you’re new, pick the low end (which is still way higher than £50 per artwork).

At the least, he needs to provide you with parameters (how many illustrations, timeline, etc) and GET IT IN A. CONTRACT. There are free template contracts online. If he bails you have legal recourse.

HOWEVER, unless he’s self publishing, you should know that most publishers pick the illustrators after the book has been pitched to them by the author (yep, even kids books). It can still be attempted but I wouldn’t go for it unless he’s paying you regardless of whether it gets published and paying you a FAIR rate.

Tikteck A4 Ultra-thin Portable LED Light Box Tracer USB Power Cable Dimmable Brightness LED Artcraft Tracing Light Box Light Pad for Artists Drawing Sketching Animation Stencilling X-rayViewing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M26S3VY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_t5j7CbVYHR58V

Got something like this for my classroom.

Artistic Anatomy by Dr.Paul Richer is what I learned from :)

I found the pen itself with 2 refills for $11.20 on amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Brush-Pen-1-Pkg-Black/dp/B002LJRKN8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408353644&sr=8-1&keywords=pentel+brush+pen

This is the cartridge I use : http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-FP10-A-Cartridge-Pigment-refills/dp/B008LXJGTE/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1408353849&sr=8-10&keywords=pentel+brush+pen+refill

A set of 4 fo $2. The shipping cost is ridiculous but I'm sure you can find some in your local artstore.

Artist Credit: Cori Doerrfeld

Book this illustration is from: Esther the Wonder Pig

Gonna assume it's this one? The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007116454/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gDpEzb0RMWCFA

Get this book and do all the assignments in it. Practice like crazy. If you want it you can do it. The idea of magical talent that you just have or don't have is silly. You just need passion and a hell of a lot of working time. It will hurt.

All of tech feels that way for everyone eventually. Before the internet we used to animate stuff in Macromedia Director because every serious business gave out presentation CD's at trade shows. Then the internet came around and prodigy wasn't fast enough for 600 megabyte movie files, which is seriously all the space you are ever going to need my 17-year-old self from the past is trying to remind me.

I don't know what existed before Director. Probably the solitary madness of nothing.

hallowayillustration and Erinaceous are the only people here that know what they are talking about. If you're looking to hire an illustrator because you think it will help you get published don't bother. Book publishers hate that, and if they liked your writing they would throw away the illustration work and hire someone themselves, so it's a waste of money. I hate that students are willing to work so cheap, here's some advice for any current students. If you want a portfolio piece you should draw for yourself. Craigslist is where illustration goes to die. Don't undersell yourself because you undersell the industry, buy this book and use it for pricing http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines/dp/0932102158/ref=dp_ob_title_bk