My (new) New York State of Mind.

 First of all, let me apologize to all of my classmates and to the superhero we all know as Durwin for being so late with this blog post. Ok, here we go...

I was born and raised in a small town in Maryland. I'm not from a big city, nor have I ever really been to one before, though I did drive through Atlanta once (which, by the way, helped me appreciate Durwin's frantic speeding through the bustling streets of NY in an over sized van all the more. Thanks again!) Because I haven't been to a big city, or because I have been so accustomed to living in a small one, I have never had any aspirations of ever having professional dealings in New York, let alone live there. Yeah, sure, I'd visit one day to see the sights, but starting a career there was entirely out of the question for me. That is, until our excursion from Savannah to New York last month.

I got off my train at Penn Station, smack in the middle of Manhattan. I will always remember the slow walk up the stairs of the train station to the streets. I don't know how long I stood there, looking up at the tallest buildings I had ever seen in my life. I'm sure it was long enough for several people to rudely shove me out of their way, but I didn't care. I was in New York. Looking back on the situation, the whole thing kind of sounds like a scene from a really cheesy movie or something, but like I said, I didn't care, I was in New York baby!

I'm still not over the magnitude of the city, and I probably never will be. But throughout the trip I found that the scale of Manhattan seemed to fade into the backdrop as I met some of the most prolific and influential minds in the field of illustration: Vicki Morgan, Joe Ciardiello, Murray Tinkelman, Charles Hively, Ted and Betsy Lewin, Brian Rae, Nancy Stahl and Steve Tabbutt to name a few. I found each and every one to be right at home in New York City, succeeding at what they love to do in the most intimidating place on earth. When I talked with each one, they gave me more and more confidence that this place, for all its grand scale and spectacle, is very much conquerable. Each one fed my new found hope that not only can I survive in the Big Apple, but maybe, just maybe, I can find a professional niche as well.

I know I was only supposed to pick one event that really inspired me during our off campus trip, but for me, the most inspirational event was the entire experience itself (I know it's a cop-out, but bear with me.) Being in New York for the very first time and seeing not only the incredible scale of the city of the inter workings of the illustration market first hand has opened my small-town eyes. I know I don't have to live in New York to be successful, but judging from what I saw in my week there it is absolutely imperative that you are comfortable in that environment in order to visit clients, meet with art directors face to face, and to eat mountains of pastrami on rye at the Carnegie Deli! This trip has made me look forward to opening up my sketchbook each and every day, to push my artistic style to its boundaries, and to above all else love what I do.

Thanks everyone for a great trip.

– Mike O'Brien

Bob Schreck and DC Comics

On Thursday of our week in New York we were able to sit down and talk with DC comics editor Bob Schreck. This was one of my favorite experiences of the week and not because I am a fan of comic books, but because of the enthusiasm he showed when talking about his job, the many stops along the way that led to his current position and even when he would just talk about his passions like movies, etc. After our time with Bob I felt a strong desire to just draw and inspired to get down to business and to really improve my craft.

I would say that the two biggest pieces of advice that Bob discussed that I took away from our time with him were: ONE, to make sure that this is something that you really want to do, that your really putting your all into it, and if your really not feeling it that you should get out and find something that you really enjoy doing and TWO, to take risks and not be afraid to fail or fall on your face, because taking those risks are going to make you grow the most either as an artist or in any business that you choose to be a part of.

Following that advice has worked pretty good for Bob. Who left a dream of being a musician, when it wasn't going to pan out, to work marketing and promotions for several comic companies. Then becoming Marketing Director for Dark Horse Comics, leaving them to form Oni Press and finally landing were he is today. That being a group editor at DC Comics, where one of his books, All-Star Superman, is one of DC's most critically acclaimed and respected books being published today.

Another bit of advice mentioned by Bob that I believe will come in handy when we are out there struggling as start up Illustrators is to try and get a job that will help pay the bills and will let you draw as you work, so that you can continue to improve your skills as an artist through out your work day,

The time spent with Bob and hearing him talk about his experiences through his career was very informative and inspirational. As I said earlier I left DC Comics with a new desire to improve myself as Illustrator and I will keep in mind what he said as I go on through my career.

Information on companies Bob has been a part of:
DC Comics
Oni Press
Dark Horse Comics

Overall it was a great week of activities, but alas I think there was one thing that we regret not doing, (especially Durwin and Mike). That of course is not going to see Kit Kittredge An American Girl at the Ziegfeld Theater. Maybe next time.


–Jon Chalberg

Nancy Stahl - Never Say Never

One of the most insightful NY experiences for me was our studio visit with Nancy Stahl. While entering her beautiful, sunny loft apartment, we gained an immediate understanding of her accomplishments and success. Random props, lighting, and shelves of yarn line the walls. She began by giving us a presentation of her work, which reveled many refreshing surprises. Expecting to see a body of work entirely consistent in it's approach and technique, we soon learned that Nancy Stahl is an illustrator who is incredibly eager to learn and take risks as an illustrator. Her style is ever-changing and is always willing, without hesitation, to tell someone “Sure, I can do that”. I really admire her ability to approach a project with an open mind and to apply her creativity in new ways. Though she never admitted to how hard she works, there is no doubt that she pushes herself to absolute limit, working tirelessly to master new techniques. Remarkably, though her illustrations vary from technique to technique, every one of her works looks like a familiar Nancy Stahl and shares a similar sentiment and style.

Having begun as a painter, she made the leap into the digital illustration realm at just the right time. Having caught the wave a little early, she was able to work ahead and master the application and programs. Her successful career has includes work for clients such as: The United States Postal Service, Rolling stone, Wall Street Journal, American Express, M and M’s, The Painter WOW Books, Business Week, Sony Records, and many, many more. Nancy Stahl has been featured and recognized for her accomplishments in publications such as The Society of Illustrators Annual, Illustrators in America (By Walter Reed), Workbook directories, and Communication Arts, to name just a few.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to meet Nancy Stahl and learn about her ambitious and experimental career. I hope to approach my career in illustration with the same passion and tenacity that has motivated Nancy Stahl in her work. She taught us that it important to always push yourself, to see how far you can go, and to never, say never.

Some Links:
http://www.nancystahl.com/
http://www.illoz.com/stahl/
http://www.workbook.com/portfolio/2846/view

Jaime Anderson

Brian Rea and the New York Times

One of the best experiences I had on the New York trip was visiting Brian Rea, art director of the Op-Ed Page for the New York Times. Brian worked as an illustrator before becoming the art director for the Op-Ed page. After a slight mishap in scheduling, we met Brian at 8 a.m. at his office in the New York Times Building (which was pretty huge and amazing). Although we were all tired with it being so early in the morning, we were very attentive to what Brian had to say about how he goes about creating the Op-Ed page and advice on how to break into the world of illustration.

Upon arriving at his office, Brian first showed us how that day's Op-Ed page was created. The illustrator for the page that day evidently fell through and Brian had to come up with his own illustration for the main article which he published under a pen name. We then moved on to look at past Op-Ed pages, thus introducing us to a variety of illustrators and their work. We got to hear about the entire process of the creation of an image for the paper. An illustrator has to send in sketches, get them approved, and then has about six hours to produce a final illustration, scan it, and send it in.

Some of the illustrators used for the New York Times are famous, such as Brad Holland, while others are rather unknown and found through shows or postcards Brian received. The Op-Ed page likes to always use new illustrators, which is encouraging to those just starting out in the field. When asked how these new illustrators are discovered, Brian said that he goes to shows in the city to see new work, he receives postcards and keeps the ones that might work for the page, and he looks at hundreds of websites. Brian also pulled out the contact list of illustrators used for the paper; this was a huge list filled with famous illustrators and their phone numbers!

Overall, the meeting with Brian Rea at the New York Times was an exciting and eye-opening experience. He gave us great advice on how to get our work out there so people like him would notice. The most important piece of advice he gave us was about SELF-PROMOTION- doing things to help our work be seen. Entering shows, sending out postcards, and having a strong website are among the many tips Brian gave us before we left his office. I think we all left the New York Times with a better understanding of not only how newspaper illustration works, but also what art directors look for when seeking out an illustrator.

Artist Profiles: Brian Rea

http://www.lldt.net/ap_brianrea.asp

More info about Brian Rea

http://altpick.com/members.php?id=10773

New York Times Op-Ed Columnists

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/index.html

"And Now a Word From Op-Ed" by David Shipley

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990deedb1e38f932a35751c0a9629c8b63

– Taylor Pope

Tinkelman and Ciardiello - Society Lectures

I think one of the most interesting aspects of our trip to New York was our visit to the Society of Illustrators. Because we spent the entire day there, there are a lot of topics I could discuss, but I think the must special was getting to meet Murray Tinkelman and Joe Ciardiello. We were all so nervous at lunch, which we ate at the Society, that barely anyone spoke. It was just exciting to be in the presence of such wonderful illustrations and illustrators at the same time - and we were eating our lunch only one table away from them.

After lunch we were treated to lectures from both Mr. Tinkelman and Mr. Ciardiello. Tinkelman talked about the history of illustration, which seemed fitting considering the show that was hanging in the gallery of the Society was called "Americans Abroad." This was a show that explored the work of famous illustrators in history, like J.C. Leyendecker. It was great to hear about the history of illustration from Mr. Tinkelman having just seen some of the original work, that he was discussing, in the gallery. For me it was a crash course in the history of illustration, something that I am always trying to learn more about, and now I am glad to have a list of illustrators, both past and present, to research and learn from. Some of the illustrators he talked about were Winslow Homer, Frederick Remington, J.C. Leyendecker, and James Montgomery Flagg to name a few.

The lecture from Joe Ciardiello was very exciting because we go to see a lot of his work and he spoke about his illustration process. It is amazing how much work Ciardiello completes in just one week. We learned that we can see an illustration of his every week in the first few pages of "U.S. News and World Report." It was also great to hear about how he started out in the business and some of the decisions, both bad and good, that he has made which have brought him to where he is in his career. It was very exciting to hear about what artists Joe Ciardiello is looking at and what different things inspire him in his work - for example he is looking at the work of Nathan Fox, Tomer Hanuka, and Yuko Shimizu.

Overall it was an extremely informative and exciting day. After the lectures we were treated to an excellent Indian meal where I was the most lucky because I got to sit right next to Murray Tinkelman and across the table from Joe Ciardiello. They were both extremely nice and they had such great information for us all. It could not have been a more exciting day. After dinner we returned to the Society of Illustrators for a night of music and life drawing. And although we had our first run-in with some true New Yorker personalities, it was an extremely fun night!

For more information on these two artists or the Society of Illustrators:
www.tinkelmanstudio.com
www.joeciardiello.com
www.societyofillustrators.org

- Kristy Orr

Steven Tabbutt - Invaluable Career Advice

The most encouraging and educational moment for me was meeting with Steven Tabbutt. He showed us his work and talked about how he got where he is today. The apricot ale during lunch was pretty good too.

We met Steven on the street. He wearing black sunglasses and these boots. He had a certain air about him. At first I thought he was kinda cocky with his dark shades on, but maybe I was feeling intimidated by his amazing art. He opened up quickly and soon I realized that what came off as 'cocky' was just a certain confidence and straight-forwardness he possesses when speaking and showing his work.

His professional attitude and air of importance is something to note, as it has gotten him where he is today. You gotta talk the talk and walk the walk...you know? Act as if you are a professional, then you will be treated like one.

For instance, Morgan/Gaynin agency saw his work in an exhibition, liked it, and approached him wanting to represent him. The agency asked if he had any offers from other art reps, and even though he didn't, he acted like he did. Morgan/Gaynin wanted to represent him even more because they perceived him as a big shot.

More invaluable knowledge from someone who is gaining recognition, popularity, and clients, (the position I would like to be in...):

Never say you've never been published. Basically if you are new to the trade, lie and act like you know what you are doing. Don't ever apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for.

Show your work in your community, enter contests, art shows, be visible and people will notice you. Steven said that just because he went to grad school in New York at SVA, that's not really what helped him. It was getting into the Society of Illustrator's show, and being recognized from the exposure of exhibitions and contests.

He said if an art director told him his portfolio was crap he would fuel his anger into his art and try to prove them wrong. You can't take what an art director says and try to mold your work around their comments, trying to de-construct what they want, because you'll drive yourself crazy. You just have to keep working on your art for yourself, put it out there, and you'll get the kinds of jobs you want according to the work you like to do.

He talked a little about the advantages of having an art rep to back you up, get you more money for a job, and his first hand experience with a crazy art director/client who hounded him and was never satisfied. His art reps stepped in and were able to negotiate with the overly demanding client, getting him more time to finish the illustration.

He showed us how he works in pieces on an assignment, so if the client changes their mind, he doesn't have to redo the entire piece. Normally heads and other large important objects are separate cut outs which he pieces together in Photoshop later.

Never give up. Keep working on your art. Don't get discouraged easily. Things don't happen over night. Don't psyche yourself out and think you'll get jobs right away. Patience, perseverance, commitment, energy and maybe hope too. His advice seemed very zen in a way, maybe also an outlook on life.

Talking with Steven gave me a sense of camaraderie between fellow illustrators and SCAD folk.

His down to earth personality made him seem as if he was one of 'us', and we kidnapped him and took him with us to Pennsylvania.

I guess that's the thing, that really he IS one of 'us', he's just successful. But the point is to act successful and you will become successful.

Represented by Vicki Morgan and Gail Gaynin:

http://morgangaynin.com/tabbutt/

Published in 3x3 Annual:

https://www.3x3mag.com/NewTalentGallery/Steven_Tabbutt.html

Personal Site:

http://www.steventabbutt.com/Site/Fine_Art.html

- Katrina Kopeloff

3x3 Magazine's Charles Hively's - Tough Love Lessons about Portfolios

I was a little scared and concerned when I first heard that we would be visiting Charles Hively at 3X3 Magazine. I had heard him talk the year before about the woes of illustration and its slow tortuous death by television and photography and I didn't know if I felt ready for another dose.

However despite my first inclination to put my hackles up, I realised that Charles' words were not intended as put downs or discouragement–rather they were a purposed challenge that if we were willing to rise to the occasion and dedicate ourself to our artistic passion, we could in fact succeed.

When he said he wanted to see our portfolios, we slinked back into our seats. He is a tall man, with a strong presence and his directness is intimidating. Each portfolio was skimmed through in about 30 seconds and the verdict was delivered in the same amount of time. The scary words we all dread to hear in class were used: "Terrible," "I don't like this," "Get rid of it," "Bad," and "....Oookkkkaaaaay," but the blow was occasionally softened with "nice," or "I like this."

It was shocking at first, but at the same time refreshing. A taste of the real world, of what may be lurking around corners when we finally get out and try to make it on our own.

Basically what he did was trim the fat out of each portfolio, leaving it lean, giving us a sense of direction in which to take the portfolio and make it stronger.

I got A LOT out of this experience. I'm not sure about everyone else, but often I find myself thinking, "Well I'd like to do editorial, I'd like to do portraits, I'd like to do advertising, children's books, book covers," the whole kit and kaboodle. Because I would like to try it all, I put it all in my portfolio to show that I can do a bit of each. Charles' advice was to NOT do that. He asked us "What do you do?" What do you mean, what do I do? I illustrate, I'm sure is what we all were thinking. But what he meant was, what one thing do you do. Think about it. Do you do portraits, sports, kids, ads, landscapes, caricatures, collage, etc.? Then be 'that' guy (or girl), the collage guy, or the scribbly sports guy, the big headed children girl, the dark portrait artist, make that your thing, your product, your feature. Whether it be a style, or a medium, or a combination, pick your thing and stick with it. All the other stuff, "get rid of it." Don't go all over the map and show everything you can do. Pick your best thing, the thing you really like and are good at, and go with that.

Other C. H. Tips

1. No hotmail, gmail, aol, or email addresses of those sorts. (Not professional)

2. No resumes or CVs in portfolios.

3. Create business cards with an image on back, words on front. (Do not put both on one side, it's too messy)

4. Use leather portfolio cases, or portfolio boxes. (No binders, duo-tangs, folders)

5. Send mailers, or better yet, send something handmade as well. (Art directors won't throw that out, its special. They'll keep it AND remember you)

6. Read and pay attention to what is going on in the market.

7. Get portfolio reviews from 3 art directors before changing your portfolio. If 3 directors don't like something in your portfolio, you should probably take it out.

- Beth Winnel

Ted and Betsy Lewin

I really enjoyed meeting Ted and Betsy Lewin at their studio apartment in Brooklyn, NY. They are a happily married couple who travel the world and then write and illustrate beautiful children's books. In this way, they are able to share first hand experiences from many different cultures and countries, so that children and adults may gain a new perspective of the world.

Ted's work consists of magnificent realistic watercolor paintings, based off of reference photos that he has taken during his travels. He has received many awards including a silver medal and The Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators and a Caldecott Honor for Peppe, The Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone.

Betsy's work is usually humorous, drawn in pen or brush with watercolor washes, using her imagination and memory of her travels to create these characters. Many of Betsy’s books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List and she has received numerous awards including a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, and a Caldecott Honor for Click, Clack, Moo; Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin.

Over the years Ted and Betsy have had amazing adventures around the world and it is interesting to see their international collection of beautiful treasures in their home. They have been to every continent except for Antarctica, in fact, their next trip is to Iceland!

I think their life is fascinating and I feel honored to have met them. It was very special to see their love and admiration for each other. I look forward to collecting many more of their books and I would highly recommend checking out the websites I've provided for you below.

A wonderful one hour interview with the artists: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZOgwiKqxaYw

Ted Lewin’s website: http://www.tedlewin.com/

Betsy Lewin’s website: http://www.betsylewin.com/

-Megan Sanders