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    Topics created by Frost Drive

    • Frost Drive

      WHO are these BAD artists??
      General Discussion • • Frost Drive  

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      jimsz

      Being a bad artist is not anything I think Jake and company can comment on. That's an entirely personal taste issue. Being a bad commercial illustrator is something they are qualified to comment on. 2 entirely different things.
    • Frost Drive

      Is this TOO dramatic?
      Artwork • • Frost Drive  

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      NessIllustration

      @Frost-Drive While your friend's edit is certainly more atmospheric, it's also so dark it's hard to tell what's even going on. I'd take his advice in consideration but balance it out better to keep a clear illustration.
    • Frost Drive

      How sad of an image is TOO sad?
      Questions & Comments • • Frost Drive  

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      emergingeden

      I don't know if this has been said before but I also really enjoy sad images that have some "hope" in them. Like for example with your two characters in jars with a looming baddie over them: one of your small characters could be working on breaking the jar or something. I think any image or illustration that has "sacrifice" before something good happens, is extra powerful. As you said about the blending the pokemon thing, that's ultimately too far mostly because (well it's horrible but also) it's irreversible. There is no "light at the end of the tunnel"! Honestly I think Pixar is a great example. It's family movies but they still touch on very heavy subjects.
    • Frost Drive

      Does this look like kids illustration style?
      Artwork • • Frost Drive  

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      Melissa Bailey 0

      @Frost-Drive yep, there is no one art style. For example, look at recent award winners. This year's Caldecott winner was We Are Water Protectors, which was illustrated by Michaela Goade in gorgeous flowing watercolors. (The honors went to Cat Man of Aleppo, Outside In, Me & Mama, and A Place Inside of Me -- all of which were in a different illustration style.) 2020's Caldecott winner was The Undefeated, rendered very realistically by Kadir Nelson. 2019's Caldecott winner was Hello Lighthouse in Sophie Blackall's whimsical style. Those books could have been illustrated in a different style, but would those stories have been as impactful? Would they have been as successful? Maybe not. Yes, there is a popular style that you find in a high percentage of books being published -- that's nothing new. But trends change over time. And today you'll also find a ton of other books published that have wildly different illustration styles. It's refreshing, and yes, it is a relief to know! When I was just starting out illustrating children's books, I also thought that there was a specific "children's book style" that I had to conform to. I could mimic it but those illustrations were stiff or flat -- they weren't ME. So instead I just drew and let whatever came out of me flow onto the page. Turns out, I tend towards more realistic art, and that's okay. My style is not trendy, but I like to think that it's "classic". Nowadays, I focus on telling a story instead of style. That's not saying I've got everything figured out -- I'm still a work in progress! But maybe sharing my meager experience will be helpful. Keep on drawing and being YOU! ️
    • Frost Drive

      How to Increase Grit?
      General Discussion • • Frost Drive  

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      LauraA

      @Frost-Drive You've gotten some great advice here. Before I read the other comments, I too was thinking, "Well, it depends what stage you're in." The initial creativity that goes into concepting and thumb nailing a piece requires a lot of extra energy. Also, I find that if I don't take breaks about every two hours, I literally start to lose sight of the big picture and I end up wasting a lot of time. But 90 minutes sounds about right. And I have never been much for mindless activities. I spend my free time on friendships, listening to teachers/speakers while doing housework, and taking walks to empty my head and release the tension that comes from being slumped over the tablet for too long. Those things are a good counter to working alone all day inside my own head. Each person will find their own balance. Then again, my goal isn't to be a human assembly line, because I don't think that's what makes a good artist. My goal is to make good art (and hopefully get paid for it eventually), and that does require getting more work done. That said, I wasn't working fast enough, so last week I did exactly what you suggested about getting my life out of balance: I participated in Childhood Week, and I only had roughs going in, so I ended up working from early morning until about 9:30 every evening to finish each piece. Nothing else in my life got done except for the bare minimum required to put meals on the table (for my husband, because I would have just put tuna on a salad and called it good). At the end of the day, I collapsed, got up early the next morning, and started again. And every day from about 11:00-3:00, I had that kind of near panic that children feel when they start to run down a hill and get out of control and don't know if this sensation will end in exhilaration or a trip to the ER . Although I didn't know how much work it was going to take to bring a piece from roughs to finished each day, I did know that I was setting a tough deadline for myself, and I did it precisely to force myself into production and greater efficiency. I work much too slowly and am too much of a perfectionist in ways that don't make for better finished pieces. Doing a drawing challenge forced me to finish work extremely quickly and post it whether I liked it or not. And in the end, I posted 6 out of 7 days (for one, I just couldn't get the rough to read well and will have to go back to it). Out of the 6, I really like 2, 2 others have potential but maybe need a little more work, and 2 I dislike but posted anyway because that was the challenge. Could I go on like this? No, because my household is a disaster even after just one week and there are things I simply can't put off anymore. And my personal life needs some attention as well. Not to mention that I moved all my English students' lessons to early this week. But I highly recommend doing a challenge now and then! As a limited experience I think it was very valuable, because it "velocitized" me. Now I hope I can go back and finish a piece in a few days to a week instead of half a month. I streamlined my process. I looked at my pieces compared to those I most liked in the challenge and noted the differences. I made a list of aspects of illustration that I want to go back and study to improve my work. None of this would have been possible in the same way if I hadn't forced myself to finish work very quickly and get it out there. In the end, I think the secret to drawing all day is motivation combined with a workable routine. Motivation may be love of the work, need to earn money, or setting yourself a challenge in which you are accountable to others. For the routine, I recommend thinking about what will bring you both enough hours, but also focus on what makes your work better. Only you will know the right combination for you, but listening to others' experience helps.
    • Frost Drive

      Questions about Spot Illustrations
      Questions & Comments • • Frost Drive  

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      Kristin Dudish

      @Frost-Drive These made me laugh - I think you've approached the "evil" older sister and baby in a new way... (At least I've never seen a water balloon used this way before.) I think 4 was a good choice - you've done a great job of capturing the moment just before the action. My one concern is the addition of the sharp pointy scissors - I think they look a little dangerous for a children's portfolio (her expression also seems very evil, if you were concerned about that). I really liked when the older sister was peering out from behind her fingers - it was funny and definitely mischievous (but not overly evil). It's really good - I can't wait to see how you finish it!
    • Frost Drive

      Pick Your Favorite!!
      General Discussion • • Frost Drive  

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      Heather Boyd

      @Frost-Drive B,C,F B- perspective cool C- a lot of your elements F- really feel for her
    • Frost Drive

      Which thumbnail is best?
      General Discussion • • Frost Drive  

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      Frost Drive

      I'm making my first portfolio piece, and I'm doing a space setting!! Here's some thumbnails I came up with! Which one do you think would work best in a portfolio? (I may post updates as I make the final one too!) I also thought it'd be really cool to give the astronaut a sword. But is that innapropriate for kids illustration? That would be a good 3 point perspective podcast topic, what's appropriate, what's not. Where's that line excatly, because I have no idea.
    • Frost Drive

      Pixel Art or 3D in kids illustration?
      General Discussion • • Frost Drive  

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      Frost Drive

      @Coreyartus Wow those are some really cool projecsts, thanks for showing me those!!! That's pretty much exactly what I was meaning about really beautiful pixel art!! It sparked a ton of ideas for me too. I also see your point!! You're pretty right that in order for pixel art to not be a little jarring, the story would have to be very fitting for it!! So if I ever wanted to illustrate a book in pixel art style, I should wait till' I can write a story myself.
    • Frost Drive

      What is "kids book style" and what isn't? What's the definition
      General Discussion • • Frost Drive  

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      Frost Drive

      @Pamela-Fraley said in What is "kids book style" and what isn't? What's the definition: back fro Oh yeah!! Thanks Pamela!! I have a baby sister and nephews so I can get some target audience feedback! I also looked up Richard Scary and got a HUUGE nostalgia blast!! I COMPLETELY forgot about that cartoon series but I watched it all the time as a kid, and it was one of the only kids things I actually liked. So, maybe I should take some notes from his work!!
    • Frost Drive

      Confused about Agents and Mailing
      Questions & Comments • • Frost Drive  

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      Coreyartus

      @korilynneillo It's on the mainpage. It's a dropdown menu under "Publications" along the top. The first item. You have to be signed in to find it.