illustrationclass

Get Creative: Try a Cool-Off!

It might sound like a refreshing summer drink, but a Cool-Off is summertime institution at the Cyberpunk Apocalypse in Pittsburgh. This is something you and your illustrator artists friends might try. You know how you get more artwork done when you have a real publication date? The Cool-Off acts as a pre-publication debut, a chanceContinue reading “Get Creative: Try a Cool-Off!”

artnoose & her Underground Press

In the “letterpress/zine” circle artnoose is a superstar. Admittedly, this is a smallish orbit, but lately interest in zines and letterpress is exploding. I ran into her the other day when she was printing in the damp basement of the Cyberpunk Apocalypse. Cyberpunk Apocalypse is a two-house writer’s colony in Pittsburgh. It is where myContinue reading “artnoose & her Underground Press”

Call for Entries KUTZTOWN B’day logo.

The Borough of Kutztown is gearing up for its bicentennial. There is a $200 prize for a logo to commemorate the town’s 200th birthday. Deadline: July 23, 2011. Prof. Emeritus John Landis made the flyer below which contains all the details. He purposely designed a typographic flyer so as not to suggest a particular visualContinue reading “Call for Entries KUTZTOWN B’day logo.”

Opportunities Knock.

Mara Rockliff, is a talented and prolific children’s book author who lives here in Kutztown, PA. She sent me a note to share with illustration students about a scholarship opportunity from SCBWI. That is the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. They have grants for students to attend their NYC or L.A. conferences. DetailsContinue reading “Opportunities Knock.”

Illustration Biz: Billing for Beginners

Let people know you are an illustrator. Do not be shy. Somebody you know will ask you to create a picture for their business, band, or website. When it happens for the first time students often contact me with this seemingly simple question: How much should I charge? Here are my thoughts: First ask the client:Continue reading “Illustration Biz: Billing for Beginners”

Jerry Pinkney: Class Act at KU

In 1992, nearly 20 years ago, Prof. Elaine Cunfer and I went to Philadelphia to hear Jerry Pinkney speak. Mr. Pinkney was being given a lifetime achievement award by Drexel University. If he had been struck by lightning, or hit by a bus that day in Philadelphia his place in the pantheon of great children’sContinue reading “Jerry Pinkney: Class Act at KU”

KU Anime Club Helps JAPAN

For years I’ve been faculty advisor to the Kutztown Anime club. Anime, as you probably know, is Japanese animation. This group has a reputation for being a bit odd. I’ve heard them called them “nerds,” “geeks,” or worse, by other students. Personally, I’m not a great anime fan, but I firmly believe anything that helps studentsContinue reading “KU Anime Club Helps JAPAN”

Beth Krommes: Caldecott Winner Visits KU

Beth Krommes was born and raised just over the hill in Emmaus, PA. She recalls applying to study art at Kutztown State College. Her portfolio was accepted, but she chose to go to Syracuse University, in part, because it was further from home and she longed to travel. After her undergrad painting degree there, sheContinue reading “Beth Krommes: Caldecott Winner Visits KU”

Mike Tyson and Vinnie Torre

One of the great things about these WordPress blogs is that the moderator is able to see which search terms visitors are using to reach this page. Lately there has been a big upsurge in searches for “Vinnie Torre”, “Hoboken Museum,” and “pigeons.” I wrote about Vinnie last year in my very first Illustration ConcentrationContinue reading “Mike Tyson and Vinnie Torre”

Julia & Julia Cameron

Artists should know about two Julia Camerons. There is the Julia Cameron we talk about in the History of Graphic Design. A pioneering portrait photographer, Julia M. Cameron grew up in Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka. She moved to the Isle of Wright off the coast of England and was a neighbor to many British VIP’sContinue reading “Julia & Julia Cameron”