So I guess this is my life now

All my life people told me that I should become an artist when I grew up. For a while I fought against that. One reason was because I was afraid that if I drew art as a job, it wouldn't be fun anymore. That was a chance I decided to take when I finally took the plunge and entered art school.

I haven't blogged for a long time, but do you know what I've been doing these days? Drawing. Drawing drawing drawing every day. Most of it homework, but also some personal work and the occasional Etsy order. I've been so prolific this autumn, it's crazy, and my work has improved a lot.

And I'm really happy. When I sit down at my desk (pictured above) and know that all I need to do that day is draw a ton of stuff, I can hardly believe how amazing my life is.

True, I'm still a student and so maybe things will change once I try to do this as a profession. Maybe it will start to feel more like work. Or maybe it will be even MORE fun once people are paying me to do it. Who knows?

Discouraging Creativity

Bran muffins by Kinballsfudge

"Producing is about discouraging creativity. You would think that as a producer, your job would be to churn up creativity, but mostly your job is to police enthusiasm. You may have an occasion where the script calls for a bran muffin on a white plate and the Props Department shows up with a bran cake in the shape of Santa Claus sitting on a silver platter that says 'Welcome to Denmark.' 'We just thought it would be funny.' You have to find a polite way to explain that the character is Jewish, so her eating Santa's face might have negative connotations, and the silver tray, while beautiful, is giving a weird glare on camera and maybe let's go with the bran muffin on the white plate." - Tina Fey, Bossypants

I'm not a tv producer, but I know exactly what Tina Fey is talking about here. You'd think that an art school would be all about encouraging creativity...and maybe it is in the Fine Art department, where everything is about expressing your feeeeelings. But in Illustration, there's a client to please, and they're relying on you to complete the illustration on time and according to agreed-upon specifications. Some students have a lot of trouble with that concept.

1. The overperformer. These students will exhaust themselves to complete a huge, elaborate drawing that they're hoping will impress the teacher. They'll stay up all night working on it. The problem is that, in their enthusiasm, they lose sight of their concept and miss the point of the assignment. For example, a classmate in my perspective class submitted a lovely, super-detailed drawing of a bar scene - every bar stool and piece of clothing was carefully rendered. But there were problems with the perspective...and it was a perspective class. So her grade probably wasn't much better than average, and it probably took her four times as long to make corrections to her assignment. I give these students props for pushing themselves, but they still need to learn that making everything as big and fancy as possible can backfire. Sometimes teachers like students to go above and beyond - but some teachers have good reasons for placing the assignment parameters where they are and just want you to do what they ask.
2. The free spirit. These students just don't quite get the idea of "rules" and "deadlines." The teacher asks for four color composites; the student brings in two. The teacher asks for a greeting card illustration, the student brings in an editorial illustration. Oddly enough, these students are often very talented - which is perhaps why they feel entitled to completely ignore the homework assignment and do their own thing instead. So when everyone else in the class lines up their illustrations on the wall, pages and pages of paper that they spent all night working on - the underperformer will shamelessly stand in front of the class and explain why they chose to design a cd cover instead. They produce some beautiful drawings, but it's just not what was asked for, and its always unfinished.

This is the challenge for any creative type who wants to go professional: to simply follow instructions, even if its not what you feel like doing. To hold yourself back from any impulses that would interfere with the client's needs; to objectively filter your ideas and determine what would really help the piece and what you kinda wanna do because it sounds fun.

"Illustration is compromise. You are there to compliment a text or idea. You must fit in with the style, atmosphere and thrust of that concept...there are people paying you who have their own specific notions about how this should be done. It’s not your job to agree with them, but it is your job to please them. If you are unwilling to adapt your work, go into fine art instead. In fine art, you are entirely your own boss." - Stephen Player

For a brilliant and much funnier illustration of what I've been trying to say, listen to Jon Ronson's story about his family's experience commissioning a portrait from a "brilliant but troubled local artist." 

Recycled flowers

I saw a bouquet of withered flowers sticking out of my neighbor's trash can. I picked out these two flowers, since they looked like they still had a few days of life left in them. "Come on, little guys," I said. "You can stay with me."

That was over two weeks ago!! Every day I look at the flowers and think they'll probably start withering soon, but they're like the Energizer bunny. Look how happy they are in the California sunshine. Does anyone know what kind of flower this is?

The stereotypical artist

"The Frustrated Artist" by BlotoAngeles

"The artistic temperament is a difficult one to deal with...the things that make artists sensitive to beauty and truth are the same things that can make it difficult for them to get along with others. Let's face it: artists are not accountants. Many of them cannot handle their finances, much less their emotions. Of course there are exceptions, but the tortured, angst-filled, manic-depressive artist is a typical character that everyone recognizes in books, in film or in their personal lives."
-from "Pure Scum: The Left-Out, the Right-Brained and the Grace of God" by Mike Sares

This does not describe me. I do not have trouble getting along with others. Sure, I'm terrible at math, but I like money very much and I do my best to take care of it. I can be emotional, but no more than the average girl, I guess. Okay, fine, maybe my husband would disagree with that last one but I AM TRYING TO MAKE A POINT HERE.

When I first went to art school, I expected to meet lots of weird, artsy people. I was surprised to discover that my classmates and teachers are remarkably.........normal. They're quiet. Hardworking. Funny. Perceptive. Kind.

Exhibit A: my landscape painting class.

What a bunch of tortured, angst-filled crazies, right? Especially that girl on the far right, she's a real basketcase.

As for artists not being able to handle their finances, that's just silly. Most fine artists and illustrators work freelance, which requires both creativity and business sense. They need to know how to market themselves, run a website, contact galleries and agents, price their work, and manage an income that varies from month to month. Artists who can't handle money will eventually be forced to work as Subway "sandwich artists." (ba dum ching!)

The one generalization about artists that I would concede to is that they suffer from a sense of insecurity about their work - at least young artists do. They wonder if they're good enough. They feel continual guilt about not working harder. They constantly compare themselves to other artists. They wonder if they should just give up and go back to their cubicle job. I don't know if I've met a single classmate who couldn't identify with this.

But for the most part, I see this insecurity drive them to work harder. They bravely press on, not indulging depressive episodes with cigarettes or whining about how no one understands their vision. They just get out their sketch pads and keep drawing. Because that's what artists do.

What do you think? Have you known anyone who fit the "temperamental artist" stereotype? Do you wear a beret?

As if you care what I'm thankful for

Not to sound like a complete suck-up, but I am thankful for my wonderful Etsy customers, every one of whom has been a joy to work with. I am grateful for this chance to make people happy through my art, and to have them pay me to do it! Ha!

I am thankful for my sweet husband, shown here assembling some healthy salads for us, back when he was going through his healthy salad stage. I seriously could not ask for a more thoughtful or loving husband, even though I don't know what he's talking about half the time because he's a lot smarter than I am. (And I mean A LOT.)

I am thankful for our cozy and sunlit apartment, even if it doesn't look this tidy every day. :)

I am very thankful that I have the opportunity to attend art school, and for all the awesome people I've met there. (That's me in the center of the bottom row. The pale one.)

Lastly, I am thankful for this bunny from Cuteoverload, just for existing. Thank you, bunny. Thank you.

I don't get high fashion

The list of things I don't understand is a very, very long list. Math is #1 on the list. The list also includes nightclubs, abstract art, Canada, and small dogs. But one thing I absolutely will never, ever understand is high fashion. Seeing photos from the recent New York Fashion Week just really left me muttering, "whaaaa?"

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This is the Italian luxury brand Fendi, and this model has a placemat from the 1970's stuck to her chest. She also forgot to take off her safety goggles from Chem lab.

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According to Rebecca Minkoff, style is denim skorts with an elastic waist, pulled up high and with your shirt tucked in. Mmm-hmm!

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This model made her dress out of one of her grandmother's towels. 

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I like to think of this look as "Sesame Street chic." This outfit is the fault of Oscar de la Renta, a legend among the fashion industry. I mean, look at the expression on the face of the woman just to the right of the model. You can actually see her brain about to explode.

This is fun. I could go on and on with this, but I need to get back to homework.

Talent, hard work, luck

My new website!

I am currently studying illustration in graduate school. I entered the school because I knew that I needed to do art for a living. But I wasn't quite sure what kind of art.

This semester I took a Children's Book Illustration class (you can see some of my homework here) and I believe that this is the fit for me, because I've always enjoyed art that tells stories. Furthermore, most children's book illustrators work from home, which I would like very much.

So, at my professor's urging, I am trying to get my career started now, even though I won't graduate for a year and a half. I designed a website to display my illustration work and my amazing brother-in-law Dusty put it all together for me. Just yesterday I ordered some business cards and postcards as well.

Taking these steps is kind of scary. Everyone says that children's book illustration is a very competitive field, and there are so many talented artists out there. But I believe that with talent, hard work, and maybe a little luck, I can make it. Talent I have. Hard work I can do. Luck I can only pray for.

Carmel by the sea

The 20th of July was me and my husband's 3-year anniversary. In the morning he surprised me by taking me to Carmel, which is where we had our honeymoon!

When I say that he took me to Carmel, what I mean is that he said "let's go to Carmel!" then fell asleep in the car while I drove. But that's okay, I still love him. <3

Just look how cute he is!

It was a beautiful, perfect day. Husband and I had a picnic lunch on the beach, and went for a hike at Point Lobos.

Colorful wildflowers were blooming everywhere, and the sea looked so blue!

I loved gushing over all the amazing houses along the coastline. 

This lovely house was right along the bluff, with windows facing the sea. Do you like it? It's up for sale, priced at $7,000,000! What a steal! I think you should go for it.

After our day at Carmel, husband and took me out (again, sleeping while I drove) for Indian food and tapioca milk tea. Thanks, husband for an amazing 3 years and an amazing 3-year anniversary. :) I love you very much.

Best Recipes Evar

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite recipes from around the web. I love cooking, and I am always hunting for recipes that are healthy, easy and delicious. I've found some really good stuff!

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta - from veganyumyum

Personally I consider this to be the Holy Grail of recipes. It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare, it's healthy and is some seriously satisfying comfort food. Best of all, it's a vegan recipe that requires no specialty ingredients or tofu. I love making it with homemade pasta.

Turkey and Corn Quesadillas with Guacamole from Finecooking.com

Although quesadillas are often known as the food of children and college students, these babies will change your mind. They are simple to make and are a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken. The fresh guacamole just brings it all to a new level.

Pasta with Peppers from realsimple.com

Oh boy. I made this last week and I cannot wait to make it again. I cooked it with spinach instead of arugula and it was great. I would recommend giving this a try while bell peppers are in season!

Creamy White Chili from melskitchencafe.com

This is a great twist on traditional chili. It is very easy to make and very comforting. To lighten it up a bit, I like to substitute monterey jack cheese for the cream.

Six Threes Ice Cream from allrecipes.com

It's hot these days, so it's the perfect time for homemade ice cream. The strange name comes from the fact that the recipe requires 3 cups sugar, 3 cups cream, 3 cups milk, 3 bananas, 3 oranges and 3 lemons. That's it! It tastes kind of like a super creamy Jamba Juice.

Let me know if you end up giving any of these a try! I'd like to hear what you think.

Do you have any recipe recommendations?

We Are...

I first heard this quote in a sermon at church, and my husband immediately wrote it down on a piece of scrap paper. I designed this poster in Photoshop, printed it out, and hung it next to my desk. (If you like it, you can download the full-res version by clicking on the image above and saving it to your computer.)

This quote inspires me to work hard on my art, even when I don't feel like it. Although I love drawing, I also love to be lazy. Sometimes I'll think to myself, "I should be drawing," and then I'll think, "or I could play video games." This poster reminds me that if I continually make the decision to procrastinate, I won't be an artist; I'll be a procrastinator.

The second part of the quote goes, "excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." I recently discovered a great illustration of this. There's a kid at my school whose paintings are absolutely phenomenal. "He's a prodigy," I said to a friend. "He's not a prodigy, he just works hard," she replied. "I asked him what he did for his birthday, and he said 'I painted.'"

And that's why he's amazing.

Do you have any quotes that inspire you?

Paintings have Spirits

Portrait of Mrs. Carl Meyer and her Children, by John Singer Sargent (1895)

This is my favorite painting from my Art History textbook.

Yesterday my illustration professor said, "Paintings have spirits. When you paint something that you really love, a part of you goes into it. You can tell just by looking at a piece whether or not the artist loved what they were painting. There's a lot of spiritless paintings out there."

Two years ago I would have rolled my eyes at this. I hate it when artists take their work too seriously and act like it's super deep and meaningful and blah blah blah. But my illustration professor is not that kind of person at all, and what he said rang true to me.

Having run drawworm for two years now, I have discovered that these portraits really do seem to have spirits. Several of my customers have told me that when they first saw their drawing in person, it brought them to tears. The drawings have some sort of emotional quality that the photographs don't.

I can also look back at a few of my works and see the lack of spirit there. The Bible says "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart," and I'm beginning to believe that that's especially important for artists.

The thing about drawing realism

Yes, I really am left-handed.

The thing about drawing realism (or at least trying to) is this: when something isn't right, everyone notices and they notice it immediately.

When someone orders a custom portrait from me, I send them scans of the drawing in progress and ask for suggestions. Often the customer will show the image to family members and consult with them, then return with a comment, such as "her smile needs to be wider," or "his eyes are too small." Next, because I have very sweet customers, they will usually follow that up with an apology for their supposed impudence: "But really, you're doing a great job! You're the artist, so I'm sure you know what to do! That was just my two cents. So sorry to be so picky!"

Although usually I love to hear people insist that their opinions are inferior to my own, when it comes to drawing I have learned that it's best to listen to people's feedback. It doesn't take an artist to notice a difference between a photo and a drawing. My little brother, who is still at a stick figure level of drawing, used to critique my art with remarkably precise observations. People can just tell - especially if it's a drawing of someone they know in person.

Sometimes I impulsively feel annoyed when someone looks over my shoulder and points out my mistakes. But if I swallow my pride and take their advice, it always ends up improving the drawing. People can see things that I can't, no matter whether they're art professors or little brothers.

How to be a Famous Artist

Last year I spent some time reading Wikipedia biographies of several famous artists and musicians. Quickly I noticed a disturbing but distinct pattern beginning to emerge. Here is the wisdom I gleaned from the lives of these famous celebrities:

How to be a Famous Artist*

*not to be taken seriously

1. Make a movie/book/poem/painting/song.
2. Make sure that this art draws on your history of childhood abuse and trauma. 
3. Your art should offend at least one group of people (preferably older people.)
4. Have at least one type of mental illness.
5. One word: drugs.
6. Another word: alcohol.
7. Get married at least three times. One of the marriages must be an alopement, preferably to the best friend of one of your exes.
8. Make sure that there are rumors circulating about your alleged homosexual affairs. This will get you into college textbooks and posthumous documentaries.
9. Have a unique and easily recognizable “look,” so that young hipsters will emblazon images of your face on their t-shirts long after you’re gone.
10. Most importantly: die young and tragically. Suicide is highly fame-inducing, especially if it’s by some ironic fashion and at the age of 27. Also acceptable: accidental drug overdose, tuberculosis and assassination.
11. Have someone start conspiracy theories after your death.

Sit back and enjoy your fame!

Note that this list is not a guarantee of fame and adoration. For example, Elvis fullfilled several of the requirements, such as offending older people, having a "look," battling substance abuse, dying young and tragically, and conspiracy theories about his death are widely known. Although famous, today he is considered an icon of kitsch instead of cool, and hipsters do not wear his face on their t-shirts. I call this "the Elvis Paradox."

Which of the above do you intend to put into action today?* Do you have any additions to the list, or any theories as to why Elvis is not considered hip?

*please don't

2-year anniversary!

Wow, it's hard to believe that we got married exactly two years ago! The time has gone by so fast!

And guess what? Being married is awesome!

Cubicle blues

This is my new workplace.

Yeah, I know.

Located at the far corner of a maze of cubicles, as far away from any natural light sources as possible, my desk is in serious need of some brightening up. I've been thinking of buying some fabric and pinning it to the walls, like wallpaper. The only thing is that I share my cubicle with an elderly man, so the fabric can't be too girly.

He'd go crazy.

Looking for fabrics that are colorful and modern but not too girly or distracting has been an interesting challenge. Here's some of the stuff I've found:

Via Ink & Spindle

Via Ikea

 Via Spoonflower

Via Spoonflower

 Via Cloud9 Fabrics 

 Via Umbrellaprints 

 Via Naked & Angry

That last one isn't actually a fabric, it's a wallpaper. I just really like the design and I wish it was fabric.

After putting these images together in one place, I've noticed that they tend to be either blue or green, and have tree or bird motifs. I guess I'd really rather be working outside!

Which one is your favorite?

Moving

Sorry for the lack of blog posts lately. I know, I know, your lives have been empty and meaningless without new posts from me. The reason is that this is a pretty busy month for Mr. Drawworm and I. I'm starting a new job (yay!) and we are moving to a new apartment at the end of the month. These photos are pictures of our current apartment: our little love nest where we've been living since we got married.

We've been apartment hunting this month, looking for places closer to lovely San Francisco. But the prices - THE PRICES YOU GUYS - are so bad. A nice one-bedroom apartment can easily run around $1,500!

We wondered whether to go cheap and get a more ghetto apartment in order to save money. But in the end, we chose a cute apartment in a nice neighborhood, and we're hoping that they'll accept our application. The agent made it very clear that the owner is picky about who lives there. Maybe I should offer to draw a picture for him, to sweeten the deal!

The one where I go on and on about kimonos

Photo via Flickr

Kimonos are one of my lifelong loves. Of all traditional costumes in the world, I think that kimonos are the most elegant, colorful and sophisticated. (They are not, however, very comfortable.)

Most Japanese people only wear them for special occasions such as weddings or graduation, but a few older people wear them every day. There are many types of kimonos, with different cuts, materials, and colors, meant to be worn on particular occasions.

I got to try one on when I visited Japan. It was such a beautiful kimono; too bad it probably cost over $1000!

Image via Modcloth

Slightly cheaper, this top from Modcloth (of course, why do they have everything cute?) reminds me of kimonos because of the wide waistband, flowing sleeves, and embroidered wings.

(image credit)

Japanese artists loved to draw the flowing folds and contrasting patterns in kimonos. The beautiful women wearing them were drawn as tall and slender, the kimono emphasizing their column-like figures. (I've heard that in ancient Japan, small breasts were considered more desirable on women because they fit better with kimonos!) Many of these drawings were used as fashion plates, so Japanese women could see the newest styles from around the country.

I did this drawing of a maiko (a geisha in training) about two years ago with pens and colored pencils. The kimono isn't terribly accurate, but drawing all the little folds and patterns was fun.

Really, I could go on and on about kimonos all night. Their history, their style, when and where to wear the right ones. But I have a splitting headache so I think I'll wrap this babbling up for now. Do you like kimonos too?