I'm a farm girl from Appalachia raising a pile of boys in the big city. I drew my way through all the messy days of toddlerhood but hid my drawings in a box. One morning I realized I was turning 40 and all my ideas were in the closet. So I opened the door, dusted off the box, and now I'm trying to find my way.
That's the pretty version. The reality has been pretty messy, lol. I'm currently a part time freelance graphic designer wearing too many hats while also homeschooling six boys! Technically five because the first has graduated! I didn't know where to start with illustration so I began with graphic design and I've been a part time graphic designer for two years (If you're doing the math I'm 43 - I spent a year learning AI and PS and wandering around before hanging my shingle. I've been cutting my teeth and learning a lot. I've gained a lot of digital skills and confidence and really want to marry that with my illustration aspirations.
That's why I'm here in this space - it seems the world is full of one off/topical classes but this feels more like art school. I'm currently taking two of the level 1 curriculum classes and doing the exercises. But just for fun I watched @Lee-White's How to Discover Your Style. What a great class! I'm glad I did that one now in the beginning because it really gives me a clearer picture of where I am and where I want to go.
Here's my edited Dream Portfolio:
Some of these illustrators I'm more familiar with than others and I want to make learning more about them part of the process.
And now for the Reality 'Portfolio':
The first thing that jumped out at me is that I haven't finished any larger more complex pieces - true illustrative scenes. I have lots of sketches still in that dusty box but they're still in the dark. And my second thought was - get busy!
So for this more long term project I have three goals that I'm adding to my workflow. 1) I'm going to pick one of these illustrators to explore in more depth. 2) Complete my first master copy - I've already selected my first piece - a simpler scene. 3) Select one composition from my box and complete that illustration drawing on inspiration and techniques from my Dream Portfolio.
Thanks for welcoming me into this community!