Tag: workshops

Bookmarks for the Fantasy Artist Part II

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I know. I promised this second installment in November, but family time, turkey, unruly cats. . . I just ran out of time. But I’m back with more valuable bookmarks for fantasy artists. If you missed my first post on Informative Blogs, check out Bookmarks for the Fantasy Artist Part I. The bookmarks I’m sharing are from my Digital Art Resources folder; which is made of several more folders. I don’t have the definitive list. These are just the bookmarks I’ve collected so far. This month I’m sharing the contents of my Learning folder.

Learning Bookmarks

I call this my learning folder, but it could also be named Amanda’s eLearning Wishlist. The folder consists of two different types of sites: online schools and video lessons. As you can see from the photo above, I have more video lessons than schools. I haven’t bought these, so I can’t comment/review on their quality, but I probably will buy more than a few of them. Below is my top five from the folder.

Art Camp – Noah Bradley’s Art Camp. I’m giving serious thought to signing up for this 12 week course next year. It’s not cheap, but it’s doable. The only drawback… It begins in late May and ends in late August–the same time I’d be preparing for Dragon Con (if I pass the jury). So, that’s something to consider.

Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (Online Courses) – There’s a reason I’ve put LAAFA between Art Camp and SmArt School. Their Fantasy Illustration and Drawing from the Imagination courses are very tempting!

SmArt School – If I won the lottery, I’d sign up for SmArt School as soon as registration opened. It’s another distinguished school and it’s online!! But right now, it’s just not in my budget.

Visual Storytelling with Iain McCaig Vol.1 – This is just one video lesson from Gnomon I have bookmarked. These are very affordable. This one with Iain McCaig will be the first I buy, but first I need to get through the holidays!

CtrlPaint.com Video Library – Free. Absolutely FREE. Matt Kohr has an impressive and valuable library of videos for learning digital painting, fundamentals, and more. And they are all FREE.

There are two links missing from this folder. One is IMC – Illustration Master Class and the second is the TLC Workshops. I recently deleted them because there’s just no way I’m going to be able to attend unless my circumstances change drastically in the near the future. I’d rather focus on what I can do or at least work towards.

What learning resources do you have bookmarked?

amandamakepeace.com

Conventions: Panels, Art, Books and Leather

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Dragon Con & ACE 1995I attended my first Science Fiction & Fantasy convention, Dragon Con, back in the 1990’s. It felt like an endless maze of art, comics, books, jewelry, games, etc. If you brought a wad of cash with you it was the best weekend ever. They first opened their doors in 1987 and for several years it was called Dragon Con and Atlanta Comics Expo. In 1996 they became merely Dragon Con. The Atlanta summer convention has grown and swelled, especially so in recent years. In some ways this is great, it means the convention is doing well but it’s also frustrating when the dealer room is so cramped you can’t reach the booths. That’s what happened last year. Still, it’s one of my favorite yearly events and it has everything.

Some people attend just for the Cosplay, while others are there for their favorite fan track. There are parties and performances, gaming rooms, photo ops with the stars, television/film panels, publisher booths, comics and toys, dealers selling everything under the sun and so much more. Love Star Wars, LOTR, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Anime, Steampunk, Horror? They’ve got you covered.

And yes, there’s a lot of leather. Leather costumes, leather armor, leather corsets, leather accessories and more.

I love all of those things, but what I look forward to most are the educational opportunities and of course, the Art Show. I know. How boring, right? Learning at a SciFi/Fantasy convention?? Yes. Conventions are a great resource for writers, artists and comic creators. First you have the face-to-face networking with others in the field, including editors. Second, you have workshops and panels. I’ve attended a few of the writer/editor/publishing panels. They are top notch. You’re learning from successful, well-known individuals in their fields. The same is true of the Art Show Programming. This year I’m giving a panel on the Basics of Digital Painting in Photoshop. Anyone who’s ever been curious about how to get stared using Adobe Photoshop to paint will have the opportunity to see it in action. I think that beats reading it in a book any day. Here are some other great panels at this year’s convention:

 

Making Art into a Career

Panel of pro artists debate the nitty gritty of the business of art. Not for the faint of heart, real world advice will be given on how to make it!


Anatomy In Action

How the human figure looks with muscles contracting during action. Live models, suitably dressed, demonstrating &
holding poses. Bring your sketchbook.

SkullThe Art of Prepainting, the Unseen Hours Before the Brush Hits the Canvas

For fans and artists alike, join Michael C. Hayes for a glimpse into the work that occurs prior to the actual painting of a narrative illustration.

Open Studio for Art Show Artists

Workshop focuses on the importance of classical figure drawing. Draw from a live model. Bring your own supplies. Sign up with Michael Budzisz-Art Show.

That’s just a taste of the amazing panels scheduled for Dragon Con 2014. You’ve paid for the weekend, if you’re a writer or artist shouldn’t you also take advantage of furthering your career?

You can download the full 2014 Art Show Programming below. Oh, and don’t mind the fact that they have me down as Amanda Makepiece. It’s an easy mistake to make!

[ddownload id=”4089″ text=”Dragon Con Art Show Programming 2014″ style=”link”]