Making a Poster! Make Art that Sells :)

This month in MATS Bootcamp, our assignment was to design a poster for 

Lilla Rogers' Global Art Gathering event in Brighton UK this summer.

We were encouraged to participate in a contest where the winner is paid and

has their design produced and used as the official poster and postcards for the event.

Here's the April Gallery if you'd like to see all the submissions! I'm on page 4 :)

I made some loose sketches and then just went for it, since I had some other 

projects to finish last week.

I stuck to my painterly, kid-centric style, which could limit my chance of winning.

The event is about creating commercially viable art, not solely for the kids' market.

but, you know ...

I've Gotta Be Me - Sammy Davis Jr

I Am What I Am - Shirley Bassey

I Yam What I Yam - Popeye  :D

I still look forward to trying some Skillshare classes to make more 

elegant, funky and/or fanciful lettering, but I think mine worked for 

the overall feel of my illustration. I wanted the Make Art that Sells to appear

as if it was drawn in the sand, but kinda tricky to do. 

Our brief included a color palette, dimensions and the essential information. 

I made my image too long and had to resize it in photoshop.

In the end, I think it actually helped to shorten it, but it sure is annoying 

when you realize your mistake.

Brighton - ice cream man in waders - photo by George W. Hales 1939

Of course, I went to Pinterest to see what Brighton is all about.

I really wish I could attend this event. I'm sure it will be fun and informative.

Plus, Brighton looks delightful!

Below - some of the reference I used for my piece. 

I love vintage travel posters, beach umbrellas and amusement park images.

My dog pays homage to this guy ;)

Pesaro would make a nice trip, too!

Have a great week!

xo, A

Leap of faith

Hi!

I've been pretty busy lately painting sets on the TV show The Following, 

so I haven't had much time to post here.

I'm working with a great fun crew which makes all the difference. 

It's nice to occasionally see Kevin Bacon on set when they're shooting nearby, 

but I'm still waiting to catch a glimpse of James Purefoy.

I loved him as Mark Antony in HBO's series Rome

Maybe tomorrow ;)

I do have a couple of new little paintings to share. 

Above is a quickie dog portrait, happy terrier!

Below, is my Manifesto for Lilla Rogers MATS Bootcamp class.

We have until the end of each month to complete our

regular assignments. This was an optional project,

incorporating Lilla's teaching philosophy, with an opportunity 

to have your piece showcased in coming months.

 I didn't have a chance to create anything until Sunday 

(with little time to spare before deadline) but I decided to give it a go.

I'm not thrilled with the lettering, but overall it's pretty cute I think.

I've always embraced play, but taking a leap of faith, 

by showing work to agents, publishers and product manufacturers ... 

is something that's taken me a long time to do!

It's a good night for tea (16 degrees and falling fast here on the East Coast, brrrrr

Thanks for taking a look. Stay warm!

xo, A